A 1955 Mercedes W196 R Stromlinienwagen, a streamlined racing car driven by Formula One greats Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio, has sold at auction for 51.155 million euros ($53.01 million). The car, one of only four complete examples in existence, was sold by RM Sotheby’s at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). The car had a price estimate of over 50 million euros and was bid on in 5-million-euro increments, eventually selling for 46.5 million euros before the buyer’s premium was added. The buyer was not immediately named.
The car was driven to victory by Fangio at the non-championship Buenos Aires Grand Prix in 1955, and then raced by Moss at the season-ending Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where it set the fastest lap at an average speed of 215.7 kph (134.0 mph). The car is the first W196 R to become available for private ownership with its streamlined body fitted.
The sale of the car will raise funds for the IMS’s restoration efforts and acquisitions, with a focus on U.S. projects. The car was donated to the IMS by Mercedes in 1965 and has been on display at the museum for nearly 60 years.