"And then I overtook Fangio on the last corner," Stirling Moss told Lewis Hamilton at the rendezvous that brought the 1954 Mercedes Silver Arrow W196 together with the current Formula 1 model.
The W196 with chassis number 00006/54 - winner of the German and Swiss Grand Prix in the hands of Fangio - will be auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 12, 2013.
Stirling Moss also drove a similar W196 in 1955 when he won the British Grand Prix. On the last lap, he was able to overtake Juan Manuel Fangio, who was unable to react in traffic, and won by half a car length.
Different safety ideas
Lewis Hamilton took a close look at the old racing car and also tried out the seats. "Where are the seat belts?" he asked, to which Stirling Moss replied laconically: "We never wore seat belts".
Advanced technology
The Mercedes-Benz W196 was far ahead of most of its competitors at the time. It had fuel injection, independent suspension all round, a lightweight tubular frame chassis and internal brakes at the front and rear. The in-line eight-cylinder engine was mounted very low to keep the center of gravity as close to the ground as possible.
Narrow or too narrow?
Stirling Moss said of the modern successor: "No chance of getting into this cockpit", to which Lewis said the same about the old car.
But a seat test in the 59-year-old W196 still worked out. But Lewis would hardly have wanted to drive it, given its very patinated condition.
Further information about the auction on July 10, 2013 can be found on the Bonhams website.
