W196 streamline
50 million upwards: This Mercedes could pose a threat to Ferrari
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum sells some of his best pieces. Including a rare Mercedes-Benz, which could become one of the most expensive cars in the world.
Even though Ferrari has an auction evergreen on offer with the 250 GTO, which changes hands again and again for double-digit millions, the brand with the rearing horse cannot claim the most expensive car in the world. Because this is a Mercedes – more precisely, this. The car was sold at auction for an incredible 135 million euros.
But second place goes to Italy. In 2018, for example, “CNBC” reported the private sale of a 1963 Ferrari GTO for $70 million. However, it cannot be verified whether the sum is correct. The most expensive Ferrari at auction fetched $51.7 million – which, if the $70 million isn’t true, would still be enough for second place. (“The One” was supposed to be the most expensive Ferrari in the world – and became a 51.7 million auction bankruptcy)
But it is precisely this second place that is now up for debate. At the beginning of February, another Mercedes-Benz museum treasure will go under the hammer. This is essentially the forefather of the “Uhlenhaut Coupé”, a .
Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 car with a rich history
According to RM Sotheby’s, the vehicle is “the first streamlined-bodied W196 R ever offered to private customers.” The Formula 1 car from 1955 is rare anyway, as only four examples are known. The car was driven by legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss.
After its use, the car was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum (IMS) in 1965. It was cared for and maintained there for 59 years.
The sale is due to the fact that the museum needs money. The IMS is to be renovated and beautified, which is why some exhibits have to go. The W196 R is scheduled to go under the hammer in Stuttgart on February 1st. RM Sotheby’s expects prices to exceed 50 million euros, which would mean that the current runner-up, whichever Ferrari it is, would lose its rank. Whether Mercedes-Benz can secure a place on the podium again remains to be seen.
Other vehicles from the IMS collection will be sold at other locations at a later date. These include a Ferrari 250 LM, which RM Sotheby’s expects to sell for more than 25 million euros, and a Ford GT40 Mk II for eight to eleven million.
Source: Stern
I’m a recent graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. I started working as a news reporter for 24 Hours World about two years ago, and I’ve been writing articles ever since. My main focus is automotive news, but I’ve also written about politics, lifestyle, and entertainment.
