The auction for the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R Stromlinienwagen, an extremely rare vehicle, took place for 51 million euros or approximately Rs 458 crore and became the most expensive Formula 1 car to date to have been auctioned.
Notably, it is one of four known complete examples equipped with a factory-built streamlined body. The bidding took place on February 01, 2025 at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart (Germany) by RM Sotheby. The buyer was not immediately revealed.
It is also the second most expensive car in the world after the 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut coupe, which was auctioned off in 2022 for almost Rs 1266 crore.
W196 R chassis number ‘00009/54’ is an example of historic race significance. This chassis was driven by five-time Formula 1 World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio to victory in the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix. The same classic Mercedes F1 car was also driven at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix in Monza (in Italy) by Sir Stirling Moss, where it recorded the fastest lap of the race.
Mercedes donated the W196 R in 1965 to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after its racing career. The car spent nearly sixty years in the museum, occasionally shown for major automotive events, including the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, a premier classic car show.
The W196 R was the crucial element in Mercedes-Benz's resurrection to Formula 1 supremacy during the 1950s. Featuring a famous F1 racecar of the time, this car was powered by a 2.5-litre straight-eight engine that used direct fuel injection and valve actuation for an output power of up to 290hp. The streamlined bodywork was optimized for very high-speed circuits like Monza.
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