- A rare Mercedes-Benz W196 R Stromlinienwagen, once raced by F1 legends Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, fetches a record-breaking €51.155M price tag in Stuttgart.
A Legendary Silver Arrow Sets a New Benchmark
A rare Mercedes-Benz W196 R Stromlinienwagen, once raced by Formula 1 greats Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, has shattered records at auction, selling for €51.155 million ($53.01 million). The iconic Silver Arrow was a dominant force in motorsport, with Fangio piloting it to victory at the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix.
Moss also took the wheel at that year’s Italian Grand Prix, setting the fastest lap at an average of 134 mph before retiring.
The Most Expensive Grand Prix Car Ever Sold
The auction, conducted by RM Sotheby’s at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, was held on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). With only four of these streamlined W196 R models in existence, its estimated price exceeded €50 million.
The final hammer fell at €46.5 million, with additional buyer’s premiums bringing the total to €51.155 million. This sale eclipses the previous record held by another ex-Fangio Mercedes W196 from 1954, which sold for £19.6 million at Goodwood in 2013.
Second Most Valuable Car at Auction
This historic sale makes the W196 R the second most expensive car ever auctioned, behind the 1955 Mercedes 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which fetched €135 million (£113 million) in May 2022. “It’s a beautiful car, incredibly historic, but slightly beyond our acquisition scope,” said IMS curator Jason Vansickle, praising the car’s immense value and significance.
