In a standalone auction run by RM Sothebyâs at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the first Streamliner-bodied W 196 R ever offered for private ownership has fetched impressive âŹ51.155.000/$53.917.370
The car has been sold by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum to benefit its collection and restoration efforts
The result makes the car the second most valuable car ever sold at auction, only surpassed by the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR âUhlenhaut CoupĂ©â which RM Sothebyâs sold for âŹ135 million in 2022
One of the worldâs most historically significant racing cars, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz WÂ 196Â R Stromlinienwagen, chassis number 00009/54, has been auctioned by RM Sothebyâs at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
The vehicle had been donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965 by the then Daimler-Benz AG. Today, the car realised âŹ51.155.000/$53.917.370 when it crossed the block in the exclusive single-car auction.
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 Grand Prix racing car to be sold at auction.
Few historic racing cars resonate as strongly as the famous Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows that dominated Grand Prix racing in the immediate pre- and post-war era, admired for their advanced technology and spectacular speed. The W 196 R was developed to meet the new regulations for engines with up to 2.5 litre displacement introduced in 1954, and it soon proved to be the car to beat in the hands of legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.
The sale of the W 196 R took place earlier today on 1 February in the same room that witnessed the sale of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR âUhlenhaut CoupĂ©â which sold in 2022 for âŹ135,000,000, making it the most valuable car ever sold at auction. The result of the sale clearly identifies Mercedes-Benz at the peak of the collector car market.
âWhat a thrilling auction that was! This original, sleek-bodied, W 196 R original has now changed hands â and I congratulate the lucky buyer. Very few Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are privately owned. Today the hammer fell at âŹ51.155.000 /$53.917.370. This makes it the most valuable Grand Prix racing car in the world and close behind the all-time champion Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR âUhlenhaut-CoupĂ©â in the overall ranking of the most valuable automobiles. Without a doubt, our Silver Arrows are up there among the most iconic and sought-after vehicles ever built. They are the true shining stars in the firmament of motorsport and automotive history.â – Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH
âItâs hard to describe the significance of this sale. This car is simply one of the most important racing cars in history and itâs an honour for RM Sothebyâs to sell it so successfully to benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.â – Gord Duff, RM Sothebyâs, Global Head of auctionsÂ
âThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has been honored to care for and share the W 196 R within our museum, but the sum it has achieved today is a transformative contribution to increase our endowment and long-term sustainability as well as the restoration and expansion of our collection.â – Joe Hale, President, The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
