One of the world’s most historically significant racing cars, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, chassis number 00009/54, was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s on Saturday for a whopping €51,155,000 ($$53,017,370) at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. 

 

The vehicle had been donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965 by the then Daimler-Benz AG. 

 

Attracting interest from serious collectors across the globe, the W 196 R was subject to a heated bidding battle over the phones and in person, before the auctioneer brought the hammer down at a selling price that makes it the second most valuable car to be sold at auction.

 

Few historic racing cars resonate as strongly as the famous Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows that dominated Grand Prix racing in the immediate pre- and post-war era, admired for their advanced technology and spectacular speed. The W 196 R was developed to meet the new regulations for engines with up to 2.5 litre displacement introduced in 1954, and it soon proved to be the car to beat in the hands of legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.

 

The sale of the W 196 R took place in the same room that witnessed the sale of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé” which sold in 2022 for €135,000,000, making it the most valuable car ever sold at auction. The result of the sale clearly identifies Mercedes-Benz at the peak of the collector car market.

 

“What a thrilling auction that was! This original, sleek-bodied, W 196 R original has now changed hands – and I congratulate the lucky buyer. Very few Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are privately owned. Today the hammer fell at €51,155,000/ $53,017,370 US making this racing car the world’s second most valuable car – hot on the heels of the all-time champ, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR ’Uhlenhaut Coupé’. Without a doubt, our Silver Arrows are up there among the most iconic and sought-after vehicles ever built. They are the true shining stars in the firmament of motorsport and automotive history,” said Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO Mercedes-Benz Heritage.

 

“It’s hard to describe the significance of this sale. This car is simply one of the most important racing cars in history and it’s an honour for RM Sotheby’s to sell it so successfully to benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum,” said Gord Duff, RM Sotheby’s, Global Head of auctions.

 

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has been honoured to care for and share the W 196 R within our museum, but the sum it has achieved today is a transformative contribution to increase our endowment and long-term sustainability as well as the restoration and expansion of our collection,” said Joe Hale, President, The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. -TradeArabia News Service