Traffic in certain parts of central London reportedly ground to a halt yesterday (January 15th) as Nick Mason drove a Maserati 250F to the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall.

The vehicle, nominated by motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss, was voted conclusively by readers of UK magazine Octane as the "world's greatest racing car". For those that didn't know, Nick writes an entertaining column each month in the magazine.

Nick said: "The accolade is well deserved. To many the 250F is the archetypal Grand Prix car and, apart from being one of the most beautiful, it is one of the most progressive and forgiving of racing cars to drive. Who can forget what must be the most iconic of motor racing images – Fangio in a full power-slide at the French Grand Prix in 1957, with battle scars evident on the nose? (The car that is, not the driver...)"

He added: "It was a great idea from Octane to get readers to vote for their favourite racing car and I am delighted that the 250F beat its rivals." More details of the reasoning behind the Maserati's success in the vote can be found here.