The Mercedes W196 was where it all started in F1 for the German manufacturer. The car first raced at the 1954 French GP in Reims and it was a dominant conqueror straight out of the box! Juan-Manuel Fangio won Karl Kling on Mercedes' Grand Prix debut. The W196 featured an aerodynamic closed-wheel aluminium "Type Monza" streamliner body, designed specifically for fast tracks such as Reims, Monza or Silverestone. This original Silver Arrows brought two world championships to Mercedes and to Fangio, its legendary driver.
