Legendary single-seater sold at auction for $53 million

A copy of the legendary Mercedes W196 Streamliner single-seater, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, was sold at an auction in Stuttgart for an impressive $53 million (euro51.155 million), setting a new record for the most expensive Formula 1 car ever sold, according to AFP.

• A car with a golden history in Formula 1

The Mercedes W196 Streamliner single-seater was a symbol of the German manufacturer's dominance in the 1950s. Five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio achieved a memorable victory at the wheel of this car in the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix. In the same season, Stirling Moss drove the same model in the Italian Grand Prix, where he achieved the fastest lap of the circuit. This sale doubled the previous record, held by another Mercedes W196R, which was purchased in 2013 for 23.35 million euros.

• New owner, anonymous

The auction took place at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, and the winning bid was made by an anonymous buyer over the phone. While the amount paid is impressive, it remains below the absolute record for a collector's car. In 2022, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR Coupe sold for 135 million euros, doubling the previous record set in 2018 by a Ferrari 250 GTO.

• A rare collector's item

The W196 Streamliner is one of only four known complete examples of this model, and the first to enter private ownership. In 1965, Mercedes-Benz donated the car to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum, where it remained for decades until it was put up for sale. Sotheby's auction house described the car as "one of the rarest and most beautiful racing cars ever made and one of Mercedes-Benz's greatest achievements." With this transaction, the car will enter history not only for its legendary performance, but also for its value in the collector car market.