In a stunning auction held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, a Mercedes W196 Streamliner, driven by Formula 1 legends Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, was sold for a record-breaking $53 million. This sale marks the highest price ever paid for a Formula 1 car, doubling the previous record.
Fangio, a five-time world champion, drove the car to victory at the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix, while Moss recorded the fastest lap during the Italian Grand Prix the same year. The auction took place on February 1, 2025, and the winning bid was placed anonymously over the phone.
Previously, the record for the most expensive Formula 1 car was held by the Mercedes W196R, which sold for €23.35 million (approximately $35 million CAD) in 2013. The recent auction, however, is still far behind the all-time record for any car, which was set in 2022 when a 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR Coupe fetched €135 million ($202 million CAD).
Only 14 units of the W196 were produced, with just four retaining the original Streamliner configuration. This particular model, donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965, is the only one not owned by Mercedes-Benz. Sotheby’s described it as one of the rarest and most beautiful racing cars ever made, highlighting its significance in automotive history.