• In a standalone auction run by RM Sotheby’s at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the first Streamliner-bodied W 196 R ever offered for private ownership has fetched impressive €51.155.000/$53.917.370
• The car has been sold by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum to benefit its collection and restoration efforts
• The result makes the car the second most valuable car ever sold, only surpassed by the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé” which RM Sotheby’s sold for €135 million in 2022
• Photos and Videos of the auction: https://mercedes-benz-archive.com/marsMuseum/de/instance/ko/Februar–W196R-RM-Sothebys-Versteigerung.xhtml?oid=192557523

One of the world’s most historically significant racing cars, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, chassis number 00009/54, has been auctioned by RM Sotheby’s today 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. Today, the car realised €51.155.000/$53.917.370 when it crossed the block in the exclusive single car auction.

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 most valuable Grand Prix racing 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 earlier today on 1 February 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 /$53.917.370. This makes it the most valuable Grand Prix racing car in the world and close behind the all-time champion Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR ‘Uhlenhaut-Coupé’ in the overall ranking of the most valuable automobiles. 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.”

Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH

“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.”

Gord Duff, RM Sotheby’s, Global Head of auctions

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has been honored 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.”

Joe Hale, President, The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

To see a video of the car selling, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/live/sU8pvvbdcYU

For more information, please visit www.rmsothebys.com.

About RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s is the world’s largest collector car auction house by total sales. With over 40 years of proven results in the collector car industry, RM’s vertically integrated range of services, from auctions (live and online) and private sales to estate planning and financial services, coupled with an expert team of Car Specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM Sotheby’s is currently responsible for six of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction.

Media Information

For further information and interview opportunities, please contact a member of RM Sotheby’s PR department.

About the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum represents more than a century of motorsports history and is driven by its mission to celebrate and preserve the history behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. Since 1956 when the IMS Museum first opened, it has brought to life the innovation, thrill, and cultural significance of motor racing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What began with only 12 cars on display has become one of the world’s premier collections of racing automobiles and artifacts – with more than 55,000 artifacts and over 150 vehicles. The IMS Museum ignites curiosity, sparks discovery, and embraces tradition.

RM Sotheby’s Media Contacts 
UK/Europe: 
Peter Haynes | phaynes@rmsothebys.com | +44 (0) 7738 883 259 
William Driscoll | wdriscoll@rmsothebys.com | +44 (0) 7946 038 161

North America: 
Ethan Gibson | egibson@rmsothebys.com | +1 517 438 2247 
Natalie Cieslak | ncieslak@rmsothebys.com | +1 248 794 4257 

Photography Information 
© Mercedes-Benz

About Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH

“Heritage creates future” – committed to this guiding principle, Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG, is responsible for the entire range of historical topics relating to the brand with the star. Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH is amongst others responsible for the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, Mercedes-Benz Archives & Collections and Mercedes-Benz Classic Club Management.

Mercedes-Benz Heritage Media Contacts: 
Julia Löwenstein, +49 (0) 151 58 610 215, julia.loewenstein@mercedes-benz.com 
Frank Scheibner, +49 (0) 160 8 680 266, frank.scheibner@mercedes-benz.com

Photos and videos of the auction

https://mercedes-benz-archive.com/marsMuseum/de/instance/ko/Februar–W196R-RM-Sothebys-Versteigerung.xhtml?oid=192557523

Enquiries by email to classic@mercedes-benz.com or online at www.mercedes-benz.com/classic

Press photographs and more press releases: media.mercedes-benz.com

Further research and multimedia material: mercedes-benz-archive.com/museum

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