For years the identity of the The Stig, the racing driver in white overalls that tested cars on the hugely popular Top Gear show, was unknown. He was invincible around Dunsfold, Top Gear’s private track, where he set lap records in pretty much any and every car imaginable. The Stig became a Top Gear cult and after 10 seasons of being unknown, he was eventually outed. The Man in the White Suit is Ben Collins’ book on his life as a racing driver and ultimately The Stig.
I must admit I was a little let down by the book. The chapters don’t really follow on from one another and because of that, some chapters start off extremely vague leaving you to read a page or 2 trying to work out where this fits into the timeline of Ben Collins life. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed all the racing stories as they are extremely detailed and the style of writing gives you a great idea of what it was like to drive all those amazing cars. The book details more of the life of Ben Collins the racing driver trying to cut his teeth in Nascar, Le Mans and other racing series than his journey as The Stig, but you do get a great sense of what it was like to be a part of Top Gear. He also writes about all the celebrities he has met and raced with from Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton to Tom Cruise and Jamie Oliver.
Ben also goes into great detail on some of the super cars he has driven over the years. Super cars such as the Aston Martin DBS, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Bugatti Veyron to the Red Bull F1 car, Nascar and Le Mans series. You really start drooling at all the amazing cars he got to drive the balls off!
So if you into super cars, racing and enjoy Top Gear, I would recommend reading the book. It’s a great foray into the life of a racing driver who had what it takes to be a F1 driver, but without that lucky break, never made it to the pinnacle of motor sport.
