A record-breaking amount of 51 million euros was achieved at an auction for a Mercedes ‘streamliner’. The vehicle, known for its sleek and aerodynamic design, fetched this impressive price.
A sleek Mercedes car, which surpassed Formula One legends Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio in 1955, has set a new record for the highest price paid for a grand prix car. The car was sold at an auction for 51.155 million euros ($53.01 million) at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart, Germany. This particular model, the W196 R Stromlinienwagen, is one of only four fully intact examples in existence. The sale was conducted by RM Sotheby’s on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Initially estimated to be worth over 50 million euros, the bidding quickly climbed to 40 million euros in increments of 5 million euros before settling at a final hammer price of 46.5 million euros.
It’s worth noting that the final price includes the buyer’s premium, although the buyer’s identity has not been disclosed. The most expensive car ever sold at an auction was a 1955 Mercedes 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sportscar, which exchanged hands for a staggering 135 million euros in May 2022.
The highest-priced grand prix car ever sold at auction was a different Mercedes W196 previously owned by Fangio from 1954, which was purchased for $29.6 million in Goodwood, England, in 2013. The IMS car is the first W196 R to be available for private ownership with the addition of the streamlined body. In 1955, Fangio drove the car to victory at the non-championship Buenos Aires Grand Prix, but it had a more traditional cigar-shaped body and fully exposed wheels. Teammate Moss then raced the car at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, with a wider and streamlined body that covered the wheels. He retired after recording the fastest lap at an average speed of 215.7 kph (134.0 mph). This grand prix marked the end of an era for the Mercedes team’s ‘Silver Arrows’ as they withdrew from factory-sponsored motorsport in 1955 following a tragic incident at the Le Mans 24 Hours race that claimed the lives of 84 people.
Mercedes made a comeback to Formula One as an engine supplier in 1994, and later established its own team in 2010.
The vehicle, identified by chassis number 00009/54, was gifted to the IMS by Mercedes in 1965. It was recently put up for auction to generate funds for the museum’s restoration projects and acquisitions with a primary focus on the United States.
Curator Jason Vansickle described the car as “beautiful” and “highly significant,” but noted that it fell slightly outside the museum’s intended scope. He expressed gratitude for having been entrusted with the vehicle for almost six decades and highlighted the positive impact that the auction and its proceeds would have on the museum’s future endeavors.
