Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen Sells for $53 Million
Another Mercedes-Benz just qualified for the auction car podium.
A rare 1954 W 196 R Stromlinienwagen race car driven by the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss sold for over $52 million at auction this past weekend, reports Bloomberg. That sum, which includes a hefty buyer’s premium, makes the open-top speed machine the second most expensive car ever sold at auction.
The W 196 R Stromlinienwagen—or Streamliner—was sold during a special one-car auction held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on February 1. The car, which had been part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s collection, hammered for €46,500,000 (roughly $48.2 million by Saturday’s exchange rate), but thanks to a 10-percent buyer’s premium the total sales price came out to €51,155,000 ($53 million).
1954 W 196 R Stromlinienwagen race car
© Mercedes-Benz AG
The gavel price makes the Streamliner the second most expensive car to ever sell at auction, behind only the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupe” that sold for $142 million in the spring of 2022. That vehicle was sold as part of a charity auction that was also held at the automaker’s museum. The third most expensive car sold at auction is a 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO that sold for $51.7 million in the fall of 2023. All three sales were overseen by RM Sotheby’s.
The Streamliner’s final price was in line with the auction houses expectations for the vehicle. And it’s easy to see why the single-seater commanded such an eye-popping sum. The curvaceous Silver Arrow—which RM Sotheby’s described as being “astonishing in every respect”—is one of just 14 W 196 R cars that were built, only ten of which survived the 1955 Formula 1 season. Of those, only four retained the Streamline configuration, in which the wheels were covered to improve speed. This example was the first offered for private ownership.
The race car, which is powered by a 2.5-liter straight-eight engine that 290 hp, has a decent pedigree too. It was raced by Fangio and Moss, who won a combined 40 grand prix during their illustrious careers. Fangio even drove this example to victory during an exhibition race in Buenos Aires in 1955.
The Streamliner was sold in the first of a three-part auction series that will benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A Le Mans-winning 1965 Ferrari 250 LM that could command as much as $30 million will cross the block during the second auction, which will be held at the Retromobile car show on Wednesday.
Click here for more photos of the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen racer.
