Historic Mercedes F1 Car Raced by Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio Sells for Record £42.7 Million

The 1955 Mercedes W196 R Streamliner becomes the most expensive Formula One car ever auctioned, with proceeds supporting museum restoration efforts.

The 1955 Mercedes W196 R Streamliner, driven by F1 legends Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio, sold for €51.15 million (£42.7 million) at RM Sotheby’s auction in Stuttgart, Germany.
The car set a new record as the most expensive Formula One car ever sold, surpassing the previous record of $29.6 million for another Fangio-driven Mercedes W196 in 2013.
This rare vehicle is one of only four complete examples of its kind and was the first streamlined W196 R available for private ownership.
The auction proceeds will benefit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which had housed the car since 1965, funding its restoration efforts and acquisitions with a U.S. focus.
The car’s history includes victories at the Buenos Aires Grand Prix with Fangio and a fastest lap at the Italian Grand Prix with Moss in 1955, marking the end of Mercedes’ F1 participation until 2010.