Two Significant Sales from RM Sotheby’s
BLENHEIM, Ontario – 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 on February 1st 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 realized $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 second most valuable 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 $142,000,000, 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.
“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 honor 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
Additionally, at RM Sotheby’s Paris sale on Wednesday, one of history’s ultimate endurance racing icons also changed hands. The 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti, the outright winner of the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, was sold for $36,344,960. A landmark moment in motorsport history, it secured its place among the most valuable Ferraris ever sold.
Visit rmsothebys.com for additional details