Introducing the Most Valuable Grand Prix Car EVER

3 February 2025

5 Min Read

A record-breaker then, a record-breaker now.

The Mercedes-Benz W196 R ‘Stromlinienwagen’ (Streamliner) has become the most valuable Grand Prix racing car ever after selling for €51.155 million euros ($53.9m/£42.8m) at auction.

The iconic Silver Arrow was driven to victory by home hero Juan Manuel Fangio at the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix, and then to the fastest lap at the Italian Grand Prix later that season by Stirling Moss.

The streamliner – chassis number 00009/54 – is one of only four ever made, and is the first of the quartet to go into private ownership.

Before Saturday’s auction – hosted by RM Sotheby’s at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart – the car was owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, who initially received the machine as a donation from Daimler-Benz AG in 1965.

Mercedes’ First Grand Prix Win: Reims 1954

It also becomes the second-most valuable car ever bought at auction, after the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sportscar that sold for €135million ($135m/£113m) in May 2022.

Coincidentally, the previous most valuable Grand Prix car in the world was Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 – which fetched €23.65m (£19.6m/($24.2m) in 2013.

Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH, said: “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.”