Super product Mercedes-Benz W 196 R set a record price of nearly 54 million USD

At a special auction held by RM Sotheby's, a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen found a new owner for a record 51.155 million Euros (about 53.9 million USD).

After World War II, Mercedes-Benz made a more impressive comeback than ever with the legendary 300 SL “Gullwing” (W 194), under the direction of Rudolf Uhlenhaut. The W 196 R was born under the direction of Fritz Nallinger and Rudolf Uhlenhaut.

Developed by the Rennabteilung team, the car was designed in two styles: open-wheel and aerodynamic body Stromlinienwagen, driven by legendary racers such as Juan Manuel Fangio or Stirling Moss.

The W 196 R 00009/54 debuted at the Libre Buenos Aires GP driven by Juan Manuel Fangio with the number 2. For special racetracks such as Monza (Italy), the car was fitted with a Stromlinienwagen body kit to optimize speed.

Meanwhile, the number 16 originally belonged to legendary racer Stirling Moss. This F1 racing car participated in its last Grand Prix at the Italian GP in September 1955.

Before being stored, the W 196 R chassis number 00009/54 was partially dismantled and refurbished with a new engine and other accessories.

Compared to modern F1 cars, the interior of the car that won both the 1954 and 1955 seasons was quite simple with checkered fabric seats and a large wooden steering wheel.

The heart of the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is a 2.5L naturally aspirated inline-8 engine with 290 horsepower, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

With a value of nearly 54 million USD, the Mercedes Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is the second most expensive car in the world ever auctioned. The top spot still belongs to the super product Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé” which was successfully auctioned in 2022 for 135 million Euro (about 143 million USD).