On June 1, 2025, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196, which has been part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum's collection since 1965, will go under the hammer at RM/Sotheby's in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH. The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 streamlined racing car on offer is one of the most important racing cars of all time, as it was once driven by two of the best drivers in motorsport: Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss.
Daimler-Benz AG donated this historic W 196 to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965. Now it will be auctioned on February 1, 2025 at an exclusive event organized by RM Sotheby's in Stuttgart in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Classic.
The first W 196 R with streamlined bodywork ever offered to private customers
The Mercedes-Benz race car on offer is one of a dozen rare cars that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is selling in partnership with RM Sotheby's to help fund the museum's collection and restoration efforts. While the Ferrari 250 LM will go under the hammer in Paris, most of the cars on offer will be sold in Miami.
The "Streamliner" with chassis number 00009/54 is one of four known complete examples with the factory-made streamlined body with closed fenders.
The later five-time Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix in this car. Sir Stirling Moss drove the fastest lap with the streamlined racing car in the 1955 Italian Grand Prix in Monza.
Famous and successful
Few historic racing cars are as well-known as the famous "Silver Arrows" from Mercedes-Benz. They dominated Grand Prix racing in the immediate pre- and post-war period and were admired for their advanced technology and sensational speeds. The W 196 was developed to comply with the regulations for vehicles with an engine capacity of up to 2.5 liters that came into force in 1954. It soon proved to be almost unbeatable with drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss at the wheel.
The W 196 had an in-line eight-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2494 cubic centimeters, which was designed with a Hirth crankshaft with elaborate bearings. The engine with fuel injection essentially consists of two four-cylinder engines, each with two camshafts for intake and exhaust. This engine gem guaranteed reliable and consistent power output and delivered 213 kW (290 hp) after two years of development. The new formula of 1954 placed few restrictions on the bodywork. Mercedes-Benz therefore decided to develop both a streamlined, aerodynamic body with enclosed wheels to optimize the vehicle for high-speed circuits; and an open body with free-standing wheels, which was ideal for more winding tracks.
The new Mercedes-Benz racing cars made their eagerly awaited debut at the French Grand Prix in Reims with three new W 196 streamlined racing cars. Mercedes-Benz achieved a spectacular one-two victory: the driver team of Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Kling and Hans Herrmann finished first, second and seventh; Herrmann set the fastest lap of the race. The race was a great success for Mercedes-Benz on its long-awaited return to racing. Juan Manuel Fangio secured the 1954 Formula 1 World Championship with the new Silver Arrow.
Chassis number 00009/54 in competition
The W 196 was further developed for the 1955 season in order to remain competitive at all times. The engine was improved in many ways, including a new intake manifold. In almost all races in 1955, the open bodies with free-standing wheels were chosen, with improvements and modernizations resulting in a weight reduction of around 70 kilograms compared to the predecessors. The racing team also recruited Stirling Moss to strengthen its driver line-up.
The formula-free Argentine Grand Prix in Buenos Aires on January 30, 1955 was the first race for chassis number 00009/54, equipped with the open monoposto body and with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel. Fangio took pole position and ultimately won the race, which was held over two heats.
In 1955, the Monza racetrack was upgraded with a new high-speed corner, which is legendary in the motorsport world. For the Italian Grand Prix, it was therefore decided to equip the chassis with the number 00009/54 with the streamlined bodywork for the first time in the 1955 season and to use Stirling Moss as the driver. Fangio secured pole position in a similar car, while Moss started from second place on the grid. Moss took the lead from Fangio on the ninth lap, but only finished in seventh place due to mechanical problems. Despite this, the Englishman in chassis number 00009/54 drove the fastest lap of the race with a time of 2:46.900 minutes and an average speed of 215.7 km/h.
At the end of the 1955 Formula 1 season, Fangio won the Formula 1 Drivers' World Championship for the second time in a row. Moss took second place, sealing the legendary status of the W 196.
The racing qualities of the W 196 were now beyond doubt. In two seasons, the W 196 model family - which also included the two-seater 300 SLR racing car variant - had won three championships in two different racing series. In twelve outings in Formula 1, the W 196 had won nine times, plus two victories in competitions not counted as points races, making a total of 11 victories in 14 starts.
In 1964, chassis number 00009/54 was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and officially handed over to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation on May 30, 1965. For nearly six decades, the W 196 was carefully cared for and maintained by the IMSM. It has occasionally been shown at major events such as the 1996 Amelia Island Concours dʼElegance, the 2003 Canadian International Auto Show and the grand re-opening of the redesigned Petersen Automotive Museum in December 2015. Although the car has been seen at prestigious shows, including most recently as part of the Mercedes-Benz entry at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours dʼElegance, it has never been presented for judging at concours events.
Rare opportunity
00009/54 is a true motorsport celebrity and one of only four known surviving W 196s that were fitted with the magnificent factory-built streamlined bodywork at the end of the 1955 season. The racing car is only the second W 196 ever to be offered to private individuals and the first example with the streamlined bodywork. It is presented in its original Monza livery from the 1955 Italian Grand Prix and is documented with a wealth of contemporary materials.
RM/Sotheby's estimates the value of the racing car to be in excess of EUR 50 million. It is being offered in close cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Classic. Experts from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Fellbach and the company's own archive prepared a manufacturer's report on the originality and authenticity of the vehicle.
Further information can be found on the RM/Sotheby's website.
