Early Life and Racing Career
Peter Collins was born on 6 November 1931. He grew up in Mustow Green, on the south side of Kidderminster in Worcestershire, United Kingdom. The son of a motor garage owner and haulage merchant, Collins became interested in motor vehicles at a young age. At 16 he was expelled from school after having been caught riding ‘dodgem’ cars at a local fairground during school hours. Becoming an apprentice in his father’s garage, he soon began competing in local trials races.
In common with many British drivers of the immediate post-war period, Collins cut his racing teeth in the frenetic 500cc category (adopted as Formula 3 at the end of 1950), when his parents bought him a Cooper 500 from the fledgling Cooper Car Company. These small machines, powered by motorcycle engines, were also the proving ground of many of Collins' F1 contemporaries, notably including Stirling Moss.
Read more about this topic: Peter Collins (racing Driver)
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