Over the past year, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum has been organizing and cleaning its collection of unique racing items. The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Monza Streamliner, a car known for both its look and its drivers, is the most recent hero to receive the hammer. The winning price was nearly $54 million, which is the first time a W196R Streamliner has been offered to the public.

The Famous One From 1954. The Mercedes-Benz W196r Is The Most Expensive Grand Prix Car In The World, Selling For $54 Million

The IMS Museum’s auction list, run by RM Sotheby’s, features important items from motor racing past. The Mercedes-Benz W196R model #00009/54 has two identities. In the 1955 Formula One season, the car had an open-wheel design. Future racing star Juan Manuel Fangio was driving. Fangio’s win in the first race of the season set the mood for the racing team. Teammate Stirling Moss, who is not a knight, placed fourth and nearly missed standing on the platform.

There were only seven races in the 1955 season, and four of them were canceled. The Italian Grand Prix in Monza will be the last event. The open-wheeled Benz, however, had to slow down because the track now had new high-speed banks. As expected, the aerodynamic car recorded better times after the covered fender body was created. So, the W196R was changed into the Monza Streamliner for the final race of Formula One.

Fangio was driving a different Streamliner made by Benz, while Moss was regularly using chassis #00009/54. Fangio won the last race of the season and his second of five Formula One titles, even though Moss had the fastest lap. Moss’ Formula One car was one of just four with a sleek design at the end of the season, and he came in second, behind his teammate.

In 1965, Mercedes-Benz donated the car that Fangio and Moss drove together in 1955 to the IMS Museum for people to see. The German car company had won the Indianapolis 500 a few times, so RM Sotheby’s thought there might be a link. The main reason for showing the Streamliner seems to be to thank the new track owner and support his goal of bringing racing back to Indianapolis. 

Chassis #00009/54 stayed there until it was moved to Stuttgart, Germany, for a separate sale at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. It was once worth between $50 million and $70 million. At the sale, the car sold for 51,155,000 euros (USD 53,917,000), with an additional 10% auction fee and 19% value-added tax. RM Sotheby’s claims that the Monza Streamliner is the most expensive Grand Prix car ever sold, even without any extras.

The money made from the IMS Museum’s auctions will support the museum’s fund as it updates and improves its exhibits to better showcase the IMS and the Indianapolis 500.

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