He Mercedes-Benz W 196 R streamlined car DE 1954which was piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio, with chassis number 00009/54, one of the most important racing cars in the world, has been auctioned by RM Sotheby’s at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart.
The vehicle had been donated to the United States Indianapolis Circuit Museum, in 1965, by then Daimler-Benz Ag. The car has been sold by 53,917,370 dollars When he has gone out at the exclusive auction of a single vehicle.
The W 196 R, which aroused the interest of serious collectors from all over the world was the subject of a heated battle of offers by telephone and in person, before the auctioneer lowered the hammer at a sale price that makes it The most valuable racing car ever sold In an auction.
And it also became the second most valuable model sold at an auction, behind another Mercedes, the 300 SLR UHLENHAUT Coupe, which was sold for 143 million dollars in 2022.
A legend of motoring
Few historical racing cars resonate as strong as the famous Mercedes-Benz Silver arrows
The W 196 R was developed to comply with the new regulations for engines with a displacement of up to 2.5 liters introduced in 1954, and soon proved to be the car to beat In the hands of legends like Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.
Mercedes-Benz took that opportunity in the mid-50s to create the W196 R, an aerodynamic design car that they called “Stromlinienwagen”, and that debuted in the highest category in the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix and with Juan Manuel Fangio behind the wheel.
It was not any debut, because the Argentine pilot achieved victory on board the chassis No. 9. The Mercedes W196 R is a legend within Formula 1. managed to win in nine of the 12 races that delivered points, in addition to two others without punctuation, adding a total of 11 victories in 14 participations.
The sale of W 196 R took place in the same room in which the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupéwhich in 2022 was sold for US $ 143,000,000, which makes it the most valuable car ever sold at an auction.
“What an auction more exciting! This original W 196 R, with an elegant body, has changed hands and congratulates the lucky buyer, “said Marcus breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage.
The Executive stressed that “very few Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are privately owned. The hammer fell to US $ 53,917,370. This makes it the most valuable large prize racing car in the world and is located very close to the champion Of all time, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR UHLENHAUT Coupe, in the general classification of the most valuable cars. “
For Gord Duff, Global RM Auction Director Sotheby’s, “It is difficult to describe the importance of this sale. This car is simply one of the most important racing models in history and is an honor for RM Sotheby’s selling it so successfully for the benefit of the Motor Speedway Motor Museum. ”
Joe Hale, presidente del Museo del Indianapolis Motor Speedway, también dio su opinión: “Hemos tenido el honor de cuidar y compartir el W 196 R dentro de nuestro museo, pero la suma que ha logrado hoy es una contribución transformadora para aumentar nuestra dotación y long -term sustainability, as well as the restoration and expansion of our collection. ”
