One of the most legendary F1 cars in history is up for sale

Do you spontaneously have 50 million euros to spare? And are you looking for a very special investment? Here you go then: this Mercedes-Benz W 196 R streamlined racing car from 1954, offered in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH, is uniquely characterised by the fact that it was once driven by two of the best drivers in motorsport: Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss.

The Mercedes-Benz factory donated this iconic W 196 R to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965. Now it will be auctioned on 1 February 2025 at an exclusive event organised by RM Sotheby's in Stuttgart in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Classic. A sale price of around 50 million euros (close to £42 million with the current exchange rates) is expected.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz W 196 R streamlined racing car from 1954

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Source: Mercedes-Benz / RM Sotheby’s

The first W 196 R with streamlined bodywork ever to be offered to private customers is part of an outstanding collection of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which is being sold by RM Sotheby's to fund the museum's collection and restoration work. Here you can find very detailed information about the car.

Chassis No. 00009/54 is one of four known complete examples with the factory streamlined body with closed wings. The car is part of an outstanding collection of eleven cars from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum that RM Sothebyʼs will offer as part of a three-part auction series to support the museum's collection and restoration efforts.

It is being offered in close cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Classic. Experts from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Centre in Fellbach and the company's own archive will draw up a manufacturer's report on the originality and authenticity of the vehicle.

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Few historic racing cars are as well-known as the famous Mercedes Silver Arrows. They dominated Grand Prix racing in the immediate pre- and post-war period and were admired for their advanced technology and sensational speeds. The W 196 R was developed to comply with the regulations in force from 1954 for vehicles with an engine capacity of up to 2.5 litres. It soon became apparent that it was almost unbeatable with legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss at the wheel.

The W 196 R has an inline eight-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2,494 cubic centimetres, which is designed with an elaborately mounted Hirth crankshaft. The engine with fuel injection essentially consists of two four-cylinder engines, each with two camshafts for intake and exhaust. This engine gem guarantees reliable and consistent power output and delivered 290 bhp after two years of development.

The new formula of 1954 placed few restrictions on the bodywork. Mercedes therefore decided to develop both a streamlined, aerodynamic body with enclosed wheels in order to optimise the vehicle for high-speed circuits. There was also an open body with free-standing wheels, which was ideal for more winding tracks.

The new Mercedes racing cars made their eagerly awaited debut at the French Grand Prix in Reims with three new W 196 R streamlined cars. A spectacular one-two victory was achieved on 4 July 1954 (the day of Germany's triumph at the World Cup): the team of Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Kling, and Hans Herrmann finished first, second and seventh, with Herrmann setting the fastest lap of the race. Juan Manuel Fangio secured the 1954 Formula 1 World Championship with the new Silver Arrow.

Chassis number 00009/54 in competition

The W 196 R was further developed for the 1955 season in order to remain competitive at all times. The engine was improved in many ways, including a new intake manifold. The open bodies with free-standing wheels were chosen for almost all races in 1955, with improvements and modernisations resulting in a weight reduction of around 70 kilograms compared to the predecessors. The racing team also recruited Stirling Moss to strengthen its driver line-up.

The formula-free Argentine Grand Prix in Buenos Aires on 30 January 1955 was the first race for chassis number 00009/54, equipped with the open monocoque body and with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel. Fangio took pole position and ultimately won the race.

In 1955, the Monza circuit was upgraded with a new high-speed corner, which is legendary in the motorsport world. For the Italian Grand Prix, it was therefore decided to equip the chassis with the number 00009/54 with the streamlined bodywork for the first time in the 1955 season and to use Stirling Moss as the driver. Fangio secured pole position in a similar car, while Moss started from second place on the grid.

Moss took the lead from Fangio on the ninth lap, but only finished in 7th place due to mechanical problems. Despite this, the Englishman in chassis number 00009/54 drove the fastest lap of the race with a time of 2:46.900 minutes and an average speed of 215.7 km/h.

At the end of the 1955 Formula 1 season, Fangio won the Formula 1 Drivers' World Championship for the second time in a row. Moss took second place, sealing the legendary status of the W 196 R.

The racing qualities of the W 196 R were now beyond doubt. In two seasons, the W 196 model family - which also included the two-seater racing sports car variant 300 SLR (W 196 S) - had won three championships in two different racing series. In twelve outings in Formula 1, the W 196 R won nine times in commanding style, plus two victories in competitions not counted as points races, totalling 11 wins in 14 starts.

In 1964, chassis number 00009/54 was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and officially handed over to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation on Sunday, 30 May 1965. For almost six decades, the W 196 R was carefully cared for and maintained by the IMS Museum. It has occasionally been shown at major events such as the Amelia Island Concours dʼElegance in 1996, the Canadian International Auto Show in 2003 and the grand re-opening of the redesigned Petersen Automotive Museum in December 2015.

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Although the car has been seen at prestigious exhibitions, including most recently as part of Mercedes' appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours dʼElegance 2024, it has never been presented for judging at concours events.

00009/54 is a true motorsport icon and one of only four known surviving W 196 R chassis that were fitted with the factory-built streamlined bodywork at the end of the 1955 season. The racing car is only the second W 196 R ever to be offered to private individuals and the first example with the streamlined bodywork. It is presented in its original Monza livery from the 1955 Italian Grand Prix and is documented with a wealth of contemporary materials.

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