I was lucky enough to see Mike Hailwood in action both on the TT Course and on the short circuits. He could win on anything, Manx Nortons, G50's, 7Rs, MV Agustas, Hondas, Ducatis, Suzukis, MZs etc etc. He was indeed the son of a wealthy man who provided him with the finest equipment at the start of his career but the point was he could do the machinery justice. Top class motorcycle racing was highly  visible to 'the masses' in the fairly recent past as the riders were free to race almost anywhere and Hailwood was a regular competitor at many UK tracks. He was an amazingly talented and charismatic man and a sportsman in the true sense of the word. His and his daughter's deaths were a tragedy to both his family and the motorcycle racing world. Others may have been more successful in some of the various competitions in which he competed, but I think it's true to say that no-one has been as successful in all  the competitions in which he competed. He is still missed.