A Mercedes ‘streamliner’ driven by Formula 1 icons Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio has achieved a remarkable auction price of £42.75 million (€51.155 million), setting a new record.
The silver W196 R Stromlinienwagen, piloted by Argentina’s five-time Formula 1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio, won the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix.
During the Italian Grand Prix at Monza that year, Britain’s Moss took the wheel, achieving the fastest lap with an impressive average speed of 134mph before retiring from the race.
The Silver Arrow was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s at the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), setting a record as the most expensive grand prix car ever sold.
A different ex-Fangio Mercedes W196 set the former record from 1954, which fetched £19.6 million after commission and taxes at Goodwood in 2013.
The W196 R, a rare gem with only four units in existence, was estimated to fetch over €50 million. It ultimately sold for €46.5 million at auction. The final price includes a buyer’s premium.
The vehicle now ranks as the second most valuable car ever sold at auction, following the record set by a 1955 Mercedes 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which fetched €135 million (£113 million) in May 2022.
“It’s a stunning vehicle with significant historical value, but it falls slightly outside our current focus,” stated IMS curator Jason Vansickle.
