A streamlined Mercedes raced by Components One greats Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio in 1955 set a report for a grand prix automobile on Saturday, promoting at public sale for €51.155m (£42.7m).
The modern, silver W196 R Stromlinienwagen, considered one of solely 4 full examples in existence, was bought by RM Sotheby’s on the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).
The automobile had a worth estimate of greater than €50m and, whereas the bidding quickly reached €40m in €5m increments, it eased off earlier than a remaining hammer determine of €46.5m.
The ultimate worth consists of the patrons’ premium. The client was not instantly named.
The most costly automobile ever bought at public sale was a 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé sportscar that modified arms for €135m in Might 2022.
The most costly grand prix automobile beforehand bought at public sale was one other ex-Fangio Mercedes W196 from 1954, which fetched $29.6m at Goodwood, England, in 2013.
The IMS automobile is the primary W196 R to turn into out there for personal possession with the streamlined physique fitted.
The automobile was pushed to victory by 5 occasions world champion Fangio on the non-championship Buenos Aires grand prix in 1955, however with a extra standard cigar-shaped physique on the identical chassis, and absolutely open wheels.
Teammate Moss then raced it with the broader, streamlined physique extending over the wheels on the season-ending Italian grand prix at Monza, retiring after setting the quickest lap at a median velocity of 215.7 kph (134.0 mph).
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That grand prix marked the tip of an period for the Mercedes steady’s Silver Arrows, because the agency withdrew from factory-sponsored motorsport in 1955 after a Le Mans 24 Hours catastrophe that killed 84 folks.
Mercedes returned to Components One as an engine supplier in 1994 and with its personal works workforce from 2010.
The automobile bought on Saturday, chassis quantity 00009/54, was donated to the IMS by Mercedes in 1965 and was auctioned to lift funds for the museum’s restoration efforts and acquisitions with extra of a US focus.
“It’s an exquisite automobile, it’s a really historic automobile, it’s just a bit bit outdoors our scope window,” stated curator Jason Vansickle.
“We’ve been lucky to be stewards of this automobile for practically 60 years and it has been an important piece within the museum however with this public sale and the proceeds raised, it actually will enable us … to be higher sooner or later.”
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