A rare and iconic Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix car, once driven by Formula One legends Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss, continues to make history.

It is now the most expensive racing machine ever sold at auction.

The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, a rare ‘streamliner’ variant, was auctioned off at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on February 1.

It was a private, invite-only event.

A piece of history

The car shattered expectations, selling for a record-breaking €51,155,000 (£42.75 million).

One of only four produced in this aerodynamic configuration, the W 196 R dominated Formula One during the 1954 and 1955 seasons.

Fangio piloted this car to victory at the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix. Later that year, Moss took the wheel and set the fastest lap at the Italian Grand Prix, finishing second behind Fangio.

Preserved in the car’s original 1955 racing condition, it was sold complete with its number 16 markings from Moss’s final drive at Monza.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum carefully maintained it for nearly six decades after Mercedes-Benz donated it in 1965.

Marking the grid

The sale of this Mercedes eclipses the previous record for a Grand Prix car sold at auction, which another Fangio-driven W 196 R held.

That car sold for £29.6 million ($29.6 million) at a Bonhams auction in 2013.

Auction house RM Sotheby’s described the Stromlinienwagen as a “diamond of extraordinary cut,” calling it one of the most historically significant racing cars ever built.

“What a thrilling auction that was!” said Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH. “Very few Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are privately owned, and this sale marks an extraordinary moment in automotive history.”

Gord Duff, RM Sotheby’s global head of auctions, emphasized the car’s importance: “It’s an honour to have sold this masterpiece. Its significance in the world of motorsport cannot be overstated.”

A winner

Despite its record-breaking price for a Grand Prix car, the W 196 R still falls short of the most expensive car ever auctioned.

That title belongs to another Mercedes, a 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe that was sold for an astonishing $142 million (£115 million) in 2022.

With a top speed of over 186 mph in 1955, the W 196 R was one of the fastest and most technologically advanced racing machines of its era.

Powered by a 2.5-litre straight-eight engine producing 290 bhp, it was a dominant force on the track, winning 11 out of 14 races it entered.

This sale cements the car’s place in history and highlights the continued demand for rare, historically significant racing machines.

The winning bidder’s identity remains undisclosed, but they now own one of the most prized pieces of motorsport heritage.