Mercedes-Benz W 196 R 'Stromlinienwagen' sells for record price

At an auction held by RM Sotheby's at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the 196 W 1954 R with Streamliner bodywork sold for an impressive €51, making it the most expensive F155 car in history!

Published 02/02/2025 à 10:03

Dorian Grangier

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Mercedes-Benz W 196 R 'Stromlinienwagen' sells for record price

© Mercedes-Benz

What would you do with more than 50 million euros in your pocket? Would you buy a huge mansion in a heavenly place? Would you invest in the stock market or in cryptocurrency? Would you go on a never-ending journey? Or would you treat yourself to one of the most prestigious Formula 1 of history? This Saturday, February 1st, at an auction organized by RM Sotheby's at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, chassis no. 00009/54 of a Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen from 1954 was sold to a private individual for the incredible sum of €51!

This sublime Mercedes was built for the Star's return to competition – after the Second World War – in 1954. A total of 14 chassis were built and for two years, the German manufacturer achieved 10 victories in 14 starts (nine for Juan Manuel Fangio and one for Sterling Moss) before stopping its sports programmes after the tragedy of the 24H of Le Mans in 1955. It was with this W 196 R Stromlinienwagen that the Argentinian won two of his five world crowns (1954 and 1955).

Retired from competition in 1955 to be preserved in the brand's collection, this car was donated by Mercedes to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965, which decided to make it available. Initially estimated at 50 million euros, this Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen exceeded this estimate to become the most expensive Formula 1 car in history, largely beating the previous record set in 2013, when another Mercedes-Benz W 196 R – this time with open wheels – went for 22 million euros. However, it is not the most expensive car in history since the record is still held by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut Coupé", sold in 2022 for 135 million euros.

"What an exciting auction! This original, sleek W 196 R has now changed hands and I congratulate the lucky buyer, said Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage. Very few Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are privately owned. Today, the hammer fell at €51, making it the most valuable Grand Prix racing car in the world and just behind the Mercedes-Benz 155 SLR “Uhlenhaut-Coupé”, the record holder for the most expensive car overall. There is no doubt that our Silver Arrows are among the most iconic and sought-after vehicles ever built. They are truly shining stars in the firmament of motorsport and automotive history.”

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Dorian Grangier

A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.

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