Formidable 1954 Grand Prix Mercedes driven by F1 royalty Fangio and Moss sells for a record £42.75M

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A legendary 1950s Mercedes racing car piloted by two of Formula One's greatest drivers set a new record this weekend by becoming the most expensive Grand Prix machine ever sold at auction.

The 1954 W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is one of four produced by the German marque in the formidable 'streamliner' specification during a period when the German marque was dominating motorsport's pinnacle championship.  

Adding to its incredible provenance - and value - is the fact it was driven in anger by F1 royalty: both five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio and the late British racing icon, Sir Stirling Moss, have had their hands on this very steering wheel.

On Saturday 1 February, it became the first of its kind offered for private ownership at an invite-only auction hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and attended by the globe's richest and most dedicated vehicle collectors.

The unique car eclipsed its pre-sale estimate of €50million (£42m) when bidding closed and the hammer dropped at a staggering €51,155,000 (£42.75m) - more than anyone's paid before for a Grand Prix machine past or present.

The previous record was £29.6m (19.6m), which was also for a Mercedes driven by Fangio - the W196 S from 1954 sold at a Bonhams auction hosted at Goodwood in 2013. 

Auction house RM Sotheby's describes the Stromlinienwagen as a 'diamond of extraordinary cut, emitting a brilliance that is almost impossible to fathom' and 'simply one of the most important racing cars in history'.

But where does it rank in the order of most expensive motor vehicles to sell at auction?

The1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen has become the world's most expensive Grand Prix machine to sell at public auction during an event hosted at the German marque's museum in Stuttgart on Saturday 

The unique car eclipsed its pre-sale estimate of €50million (£42m) when bidding closed and the hammer dropped at a staggering €51,155,000 (£42.75m) - more than anyone's paid before for a Grand Prix machine past or present

The car - chassis number 00009/54 - was made available by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which had 'fastidiously stored and maintained' the Mercedes for 59 years after the German factory had donated it for display in 1965.

This was a decade after the W 196 R Stromlinienwagen had won its final Formula One race in he hands of Fangio.

The Argentine, who took world titles in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957, piloted 00009/54 to victory at the '55 Buenos Aires Grand Prix. 

Later that season, Moss drove the Mercedes to second position at the Italian Grand Prix, clocking the fastest lap of the race as he finishing runner-up to Fangio in another Streamliner.

And the car remains today as it was when Sir Stirling crossed the finish line at Monza in 1955. 

It was presented at auction on Saturday exactly as it was when it made its final Formula One appearance some 70 years earlier.

The classic Mercedes has been driven by two of the biggest Formula One greats: Jan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss

Stirling Moss (left) bearing the number 16 following Argentinian team mate Juan Manuel Fangio (18, right) in their Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Streamliners on the famous banked curve of Monza during the Italian Grand Prix on 11 September 1955. The car remains today as it was when it crossed the finish line some 70 years ago

On Saturday 1 February, the one-of-four Mercedes was offered for private ownership - the first time - at an invite-only auction hosted at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and attended by the globe's richest and most dedicated vehicle collectors

The car - chassis number 00009/54 - was made available by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which had 'fastidiously stored and maintained' the Mercedes for 59 years after the German factory had donated it for display in 1965

Gord Duff, RM Sotheby’s global head of auctions, said: 'It’s hard to describe the significance of this sale. This car is simply one of the most important racing cars in history'

Attracting interest from serious collectors across the globe, the W 196 R was subject to a 'heated bidding battle' over the phones and in person, before the auctioneer brought the hammer down at a selling price that makes it the most valuable racing machine ever to be sold at auction.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH, in attendance at the sale could not hold back his excitement at the landmark sale.

'What a thrilling auction that was!' 

'This original, sleek-bodied, W 196 R original has now changed hands – and I congratulate the lucky buyer. Very few Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are privately owned.'

Gord Duff, RM Sotheby’s global head of auctions, added: 'It’s hard to describe the significance of this sale. 

'This car is simply one of the most important racing cars in history and it’s an honour for RM Sotheby’s to sell it so successfully to benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.'

The 1954 W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is one of just four produced by the German marque in the formidable 'streamliner' specification that dominated Grand Prix racing during the era

Fangio, who took world titles in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957, piloted chassis number 00009/54 to victory at the '55 Buenos Aires Grand Prix

Sir Stirling Moss drove the Mercedes to second position at the Italian Grand Prix, clocking the fastest lap of the race as he finishing runner-up to Fangio in another Streamline. Moss pictured here on race day on 11 September 1955. The Briton finishing runner-up to Fangio in another Streamliner

The car has been retained for 70 years in the same condition and specification as it was after Moss crossed the finish line at Monza. It still bears the '16' numberboards

The single-lot sale took place at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on Saturday 1 February 2025. It was a strictly invite-only event for the richest car collectors to duke it out for the pricey machine

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What makes the 1850s Mercedes so valuable? 

The W 196 R’s pedigree was 'unimpeachable', says RM Sotheby's. 

In the two seasons it competed, the model won three championships in two different racing series. 

In total, the streamliner specifications earned 11 victories out of 14 starts - an immense 78 per cent win record. 

At the time, there was no World Constructors’ Championship as there is in Formula One today - though had there been in 1955, the Mercedes team would have unquestionably taken this crown with Fangio taking the driver's title and Moss taking second overall.

Such levels of dominance in the primarily racing series is incredibly rare. 

That said, even the '55 Silver Arrows team pales in comparison to the supremacy seen only last season when Red Bull, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, won 21 out of 22 races to achieve an unmatched 95.5 per cent victory streak. 

Mercedes-Benz donated the W 196 R to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965. It has remained in the American display for 60 years

The stunningly Mercedes race car is powered by a 2.5-litre straight-eight engine producing a claimed 290bhp

The top speed - in 1955 - was reportedly in excess of 186mph, making it one of the fastest Grand Prix cars of its generation

Mercedes-Benz Classic prepared a detailed report and history catalogue showcasing the car's authenticity and originality especially for the sale

The car is said to have been 'fastidiously stored and maintained' for 60 years by the American automotive attraction. It is the first of W 196 R Streamliner to be offered for private ownership

The stunningly Mercedes race car is powered by a 2.5-litre straight-eight engine producing a claimed 290bhp.

The top speed - in 1955 - was reportedly in excess of 186mph, making it one of the fastest Grand Prix cars of its generation.

RM Sotheby's says: 'The car is one of just 14 chassis built, and it is believed to be one of just 10 known complete examples surviving at the conclusion of the 1955 Formula One season. 

'Of those, this example was one of only four mounted with the magnificent Streamliner coachwork.'

The car is one of just 14 W 196 R chassis built, and one of 4 Streamliner specifications. It is also believed to be one of just 10 known complete examples surviving at the conclusion of the 1955 Formula One season

The world's biggest car collectors from around the globe were invited to bid on the spectacular motor, which is not only presented in its 'proper Monza livery' from the 1955 Italian Grand Prix but comes fully documented with a trove of period materials

RM Sotheby's describes it as a 'diamond of extraordinary cut, emitting a brilliance that is almost impossible to fathom'

It is extremely rare that a 70-year-old racer has been preserved in the same condition it last finished a race 

Commenting after the auction, Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH, said: 'This original, sleek-bodied, W 196 R original has now changed hands – and I congratulate the lucky buyer. Very few Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are privately owned' 

How does the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen rank in the list of most expensive cars sold at public auction? We reveal where it places overall...

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Where does the Fangio-Moss Mercedes rank among the most expensive cars sold at auction? 

The €51,155,000 ($53,017,370) sale price officially puts the 1954 W 196 R second in the list of most expensive cars sold at auction.

The top honour is held by another Mercedes from the same period, also sold by RM Sotheby's just three years ago.

A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe - one of just two the German car firm built - changed hands for a monumental $142,000,000 (£115million) on 5 May 2022.

It was bought by a private collector at a secret, behind-closed-doors, invite-only sale, also hosted at Mercedes' museum in Germany. 

Only those with pockets deep enough were deemed eligible for an entry ticket.

RM Sotheby's said the car has 'always been regarded as one of the great jewels of motoring history' and its sale in 2022 was a monumental moment with few ever imagining that it would be offered to a private buyer by the German manufacturer.

The Fangio-Moss Mercedes sale price demoted a 1962 Ferrari 330 LM/250 GTO from second in the overall list of most valuable cars sold at auction - though only just.

The Ferrari - dubbed the 'holy grail of all collector cars' - was offered to the highest bidder by RM Sotheby's on 13 November 2023 sold in New York for $51,705,000.

You can see the full list of the 10 highest-value cars sold at public auction in our dedicated countdown with a detailed look at each of the priciest motor vehicles to ever go under the hammer.