Original vintage 1970s gold Rolex Day-Date "Jackie Stewart" watch advertisement, in French.
 
Dimensions: 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches high.
 
Sir John Young "Jackie" Stewart, AKA "The Flying Scott," is a long time - nearly six decades (!) - Rolex Ambassador for the Swiss brand.  He recounted for Monochrome how he bought his first Rolex as a result of another Rolex advert we have for sale, here: "I never forget the advert at that time, in magazines like Time Magazine and other magazines.  The ad showed a picture of the United Nations building in New York and a Rolex DayDate in gold.  The line underneath was 'If you were speaking here tomorrow, you’d wear a Rolex' and I felt that was a fantastic declaration of Rolex’ height.  And because of that I like to look at the watch.  I had no association with Rolex or any other brand.  It wasn’t an impulse buy, I knew what I was buying."
 
Stewart arrived onto the Formula 1 scene in 1965 and immediately impressed with his speed and race craft.  He took his maiden F1 win at the famed Monza Circuit and ended his rookie year third overall in World Championship points behind Formula 1 legends Jim Clark and Graham Hill.  After two seasons with Matra that included his maiden title in 1969, Stewart moved to Tyrrell in 1970, where he stayed for the next four years.  He retired in 1973 as reigning three-time World Champion.
 
“My great friend, the late professor Sid Watkins (CMHF class of 2011), and I worked together with Jackie, the foremost driver advocate, addressing all aspects of motorsport safety.  We welcome him back to Canada for a most fitting honour,” said Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Chairman Dr. Hugh Scully.
 
While famous for his racing prowess behind the wheel, many Canadians might recognize the animated Scot and his trademark tartan cap from his years of motorsport colour commentary on the US network ABC’s Wide World of Sports and later on Canadian Grand Prix broadcasts with CBC and CTV.
 
“I am very proud,” Stewart said.  “I raced in Canada for the first time in 1967 and I had happy times there.  After racing, I came to Canada with ABC for commentary in Toronto (CART) and Montreal (Formula 1) and then I worked for CBC and CTV with Brian Williams.”
 
Fittingly, Stewart’s former Canadian Grand Prix broadcast partner will introduce his old friend at the October gala.  Stewart will become the second British driver to be named to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame since the International category was introduced, joining last year’s inductee Nigel Mansell.
 
In his nine F1 seasons, Stewart scored a total of 27 wins, 17 poles and 43 podiums in 99 starts.  Racing in Canada, Stewart scored back-to-back wins in the 1971 and 1972 Canadian Grand Prix in a Tyrrell at Motorsport International Raceway, now Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).  In 1971, Stewart arrived at CTMP as that year’s World Champion.  He led 51 of 64 laps in a rain-and fog-shortened race.  He lapped all but two cars in collecting his sixth win of 1971.
 
Stewart returned to CTMP in 1972, where he was faultless, winning another Canadian Grand Prix.  Stewart also started from pole at CTMP in 1970 and scored points in two other Canadian races with a sixth in 1968 at Mont-Tremblant and a fifth at CTMP in 1973, which turned out to be his last start in Formula 1.  Stewart withdrew from the 1973 season finale at Watkins Glen after teammate Francois Cevert died in an accident at the track.
 
While he was hard to beat on track, Stewart also worked tirelessly off it to improve safety for drivers and fans in an era where death was commonplace.  In 11 years of racing Formula 3, Formula 2, and F1, Stewart watched 57 fellow competitors perish.  
 
The cold reality of the 1960’s and 1970’s was that a driver competing in F1 for five years was more likely to die than retire.