Nowadays, the traditional motorsport festival Monterey Motorsports Reunion takes place in California, where, as always, many interesting things happen. For example, in the lobby of the Portola Hotel, located in Monterey, a unique Mercedes-Benz W196 R Streamliner, made in 1954, is exhibited to the public.
This Mercedes has an appearance that is not characteristic of Formula 1, but 70 years ago this was still allowed by the rules, and Juan Manuel Fangio achieved three victories in this car, winning the French Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix twice – in 1954 and 1955. But this particular car was used in racing in 1955 and was driven not only by the great Argentine, but also by Stirling Moss. In Monza he took 2nd place in qualifying, but did not finish the race due to engine failure.
The car has been in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum since 1965, but is now up for auction, organized by auction house RM Sotheby’s. They will take place in Stuttgart, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, and the expectation is that this W196 could become the most expensive car in history.
However, the car must first undergo special examination in Germany, at the Mercedes centre in Fellbach, which specialises in the restoration of classic models from the German car manufacturer.
“This Mercedes-Benz W 196 R is associated with a remarkable chapter in motorsport history,” said Joe Hale, director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. “The car has been in our collection for a long time and it is a great honor for us. Thanks to its sale, we will receive the necessary funds, which we will use to improve our exhibition, and this will ensure the future of our collection.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
