Fangio's Mercedes W196 R race car up for auction

The auction house believes the car will sell "in excess of 50 million euros".

A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R is up for auction. It's an open-seat race car which participated in Formula 1 in the mid-1950s.

The race car, called the Stromlinienwagen, was driven by two of the most legendary Formula 1 drivers of the era: Sir Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio. The W 196 R made its Formula 1 debut at the Buenos Aires Grand Prix in 1955 with Fangio behind the wheel, who powered the chassis no.9 race car to a 1-2 victory. Similarly, in its last race as well at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix, the W 196 R took the top 2 steps of the podium, this time with Sir Stirling Moss behind the wheel. It also secured the fastest lap time in that race.

Mercedes initially retained all 10 examples of the W 196. However, it donated four of the cars, including the Chassis No.9 model, to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation where it has been since.

The Chassis No. 9 W 196 R going under auction at RM Sotheby's is said to be the only Stromlinienwagon to be offered to a private customer. It is also one of just four models to have the streamlined bodywork.

The Mercedes W 196 R Stromlinienwagon is said to go up for auction sometime in February 2025. The auction house believes the car will sell "in excess of 50 million euros". This could make it the most expensive Formula 1 car ever sold.

Source: RM Sotheby's