1954 Mercedes W196 R race car sells for $54 million at auction

A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R Stromlinienwagen has set a new record at auction by becoming the second most expensive car ever sold. The Streamliner-bodied race car fetched a cool $53.9 million!

The W196 R is one of just four cars ever produced, and this is the only example that has ever been offered for sale. This exact car, chassis number 00009/54, was raced by not one but two motorsport legends – Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss.

The W196 R marked Mercedes’ return to competitive racing after World War II, winning on its debut at the 1955 Buenos Aires GP. Fangio went on to win his second driver’s championship in the same year, while Moss finished in second place. Out of the 14 races it entered, the W196 R won 11 of those.

The W 196 R has a classic streamline body with a single seat and side exhausts. Under the long hood is a 2.5-litre straight-eight M196 engine, which makes 290 hp and features dry sump lubrication and fuel injection.

Source: RM Sotheby’s