Driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, the first Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen (Streamliner – streamlined body) will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on February 1st in Stuttgart. The W 196 R with chassis number 00009/54 is estimated at over 50,000,000 €. In a few days, during the auction organized by RM Sotheby’s with the support of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, this Mercedes-Benz could become one of the most expensive cars in the history of the automotive industry.
This is a piece of automotive and motorsport history up for sale. Indeed, the Mercedes-Benz type W 196 R brought the brand with the star 11 victories in the 14 races it participated in. It is worth noting, and it is far from trivial, that this W 196 R Stromlinienwagen evolved at the time, depending on the races, with either “closed” bodywork for optimized aerodynamics or bodywork leaving the wheels exposed for more winding circuits.
Since 1965, following the donation by Mercedes-Benz, the single-seater W 196 R Stromlinienwagen (streamlined body) with chassis 00009/54 has been the property of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation. The question now is, who will be its future and lucky owner?
In its first race in 1955, the W 196 R chassis 00009/54 enabled Juan Manuel Fangio to win the Argentine F1 GP (Buenos Aires). That same year, thanks notably to this chassis 00009/54, Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss finished first and second in the F1 World Championship drivers’ standings, respectively.
Regarding the specific configuration in which the W 196 R chassis 00009/54 will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s, it is the configuration used in the 1955 Italian GP, knowing that this same chassis 00009/54 was entrusted to Stirling Moss for the race at Monza.
To learn more and discover many other photos of the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, as well as archive images, simply click on the image below to visit the RM Sotheby’s website.
In terms of engine, this incredible W 196 R Stromlinienwagen develops 290 hp from an 8-cylinder inline engine with a displacement of 2,494 cm3. To revisit the different body types of the W 196 R, only four were equipped with the famous Stromlinienwagen (Streamliner) body.
Finally, after the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé (pictured above) from 1955, currently the most expensive car in the world sold for 135 million euros in 2022, what price will the W 196 R Stromlinienwagen chassis 00009/54 reach? The answer to this question will be revealed in a few days.
The editorial team
Photos: Mercedes-Benz and RM Sotheby’s
