Ultra rare Mercedes W196 ‘Streamliner’ F1 car set for auction

A legendary 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Streamliner F1 car, famously driven by racing icons Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, is set to hit the auction block later this year at the RM Sotheby’s Stuttgart 2024 auction, held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

Currently owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, the rare piece of motorsport history is, which is expected to draw significant attention from collectors and racing enthusiasts alike, is one of several cars set to be sold by the IMS to fund an ambitious expansion and modernization project.

RM Sotheby’s has already placed a jaw-dropping estimate on this iconic vehicle, projecting it to fetch between $50 million and $70 million, potentially making it one of the most expensive racing cars ever sold at auction.

This isn't RM Sotheby’s first high-profile sale of a Mercedes-Benz masterpiece. The auction house made headlines in 2022 when it sold a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé for an astounding $143 million, setting a record for the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

The W196R Formula 1 car to be sold by the IMS is steeped in history, if only for the fact that it was raced by Fangio and Moss, two of the greatest drivers in F1 history. However, neither great champion claimed a win with chassis number 9.

• Read also: Fangio closes the book on Switzerland's history with F1

Mercedes’ legendary W196 was one of the most dominant cars in motorsport history, one that crushed its competition during the 1954 and 1955 F1 seasons, winning the only two World Championships in which it competed.

The German manufacturer’s engineers spared no expense in developing multiple track-specific versions of the W196, featuring three different wheelbases and two interchangeable body styles.

The car’s 'Type Monza' low-drag ‘Streamliner’ version catered to high-speed circuits and was rolled out for Mercedes’ belated F1 debut at the French Grand Prix at Reims.

The same 'Streamliner' body was also used at the 1954 British Grand Prix at Silverstone and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where it picked up its nickname, and in the 1955 season again at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

After its racing days ended in 1955, the remarkable machine was displayed at the factory museum before being gifted to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965 by Daimler-Benz AG.

Authentic Silver Arrow cars from the mid-1950s have very rarely come under the hammer. The last one sold was also a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R F1 car in its open-wheel version boasting a winning pedigree and which Bonhams sold at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale in 2013 for a record-breaking £19.6 million ($29.65 million).

The car holds the record for the highest price ever paid for a Formula 1 car.

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