A 1954 Mercedes-Benz racing car is expected to realise more than £41 million when it auctions on February 1.
The car, a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, is being sold from the collection of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and is the first of its kind to be sold into private ownership.
Only four of this specific model of car were built.
This example was driven to the chequered flag at the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix by Juan Manuel Fangio. Stirling Moss was at the wheel when the car clocked the fastest lap at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza that same year.
RM Sotheby’s are selling what they describe as a “halo collectible car.”
“To be considered of optimal quality, every facet of the car’s unique cut must emit a brilliance that leaves one speechless.”
These claims apply, they say, to chassis number 00009/54.
Stirling Moss drives the car along the banked Monza track in the 1955 Italian Grand Prix. Image courtesy RM Sotheby’s.
The car was designed under the supervision of Rudolf Uhlenhaut, who oversaw Mercedes’ return to racing after World War II.
It was prepared for the 1954 season, when new, restrictive technical rules forced the whole F1 world to redesign.
Two versions of the W196 were made, one for each type of racing track on the circuit: high-speed rings or twisting road tracks.
The streamlined body for high-speed tracks is described by RM Sotheby’s as: “Something truly unique.
“This was undoubtedly one of the most exquisite expressions of curve and stance ever pounded out, rivalling the most sensuous sports-racers and supercars for sheer visual appeal.”
Getting up to 186 mph, the car was one of the fastest ever built when it was made.
Mercedes dominated racing with the W 196 R, and then left the sport for decades, leaving a legend behind.
At the end of the 1955 season there were 10 of the cars remaining, with just four carrying the streamlined “Stromlinienwagen” coachwork.
This example was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum in 1965.
It has been stored there since, travelling for very occasional special appearances away from its home.
This sale will be the second time a W 196 R has been available for private ownership, and the only time an example with the Streamliner coachwork has been sold.
RM Sotheby’s said: “The future caretaker can take pride in ownership of a bona fide competition legend that is one of Formula One’s most successful models ever, bar none. Absolutely astonishing in every respect, from its advanced, powerful engineering and truly singular coachwork to its remarkable history—driven by two of the biggest names in motorsports, this W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is a gem without parallel.”
If it hits its estimate of over €50 million (around £41 million or $51.5 million) it will be one of the most valuable cars ever sold.
Currently, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe that was sold for $143 million in 2022 is the most valuable.
A 1962 Ferrari 330 LM that sold for $51 million in 2023 is in second place.
This sale, in Stuttgart, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum makes for a high-octane start to 2025’s car auctions.
