In a massive auction at Stuttgart’s Mercedes-Benz Museum, Juan Manuel Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes W196 Streamliner was sold for an eye-popping $53 million (51.155 million euros). This car, which Fangio raced to victory in the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix, is now officially the most expensive Formula 1 car ever sold. Stirling Moss also drove this car to the fastest lap at the Italian Grand Prix that same season, making it even more iconic.
This sale beats the previous record, set by the W196R, which went for 23.35 million euros back in 2013. The auction had set a reserve of 20 million euros and aimed for around 50 million euros, but the final price went far beyond that.
While the $53 million doesn’t break the all-time record for cars at auction (a rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR sold for 135 million euros in 2022), it’s still an incredible amount for any Formula 1 car. It shows how much the market for vintage models has skyrocketed in recent years.
Sotheby’s, which ran the auction, pointed out that this particular W196 was one of only four complete examples still around, and the first to be sold to a private collector. The car had been donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965, and now it’s been sold as part of a collection of 11 cars being let go by the museum.
This Mercedes W196 isn’t just a car—it’s a piece of history. It’s a reminder of the golden years of Formula 1 racing and the incredible feats of drivers like Fangio and Moss. No wonder it made history at the auction!
