F1 icon Sir Stirling Moss’ attractive Mercedes set to turn out to be second most costly automotive ever
A stunning Mercedes driven by Formula 1 icon Sir Stirling Moss is expected to become the second most expensive car ever sold.
The British F1 legend is regarded as the greatest driver never to be an F1 world champion. He won the Monaco GP three times and became the first Briton to win the British GP. He died in 2020, aged 90.
Sir Stirling was behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen at the Italian Grand Prix in 1955. A top speed of 186mph still makes it faster than some modern day Porsches and Aston Martins.
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The iconic silver racing machine once driven by the F1 hero is now going under the hammer. You’d be lucky to see one on the road as only four were ever made.
It wasn’t just the British motorsport icon that drove the beautiful Merc. Juan Manuel Fangio also had his turn. The Argentine racing driver is also known as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time.
(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
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Fangio only drove in F1 for seven seasons but he managed to win the Championship five times, putting him third in the list of most titles behind Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. The Argentine still holds the record for being the oldest driver to ever win the championship – he was 46 when he won it in 1957.
The car was donated in 1965 by Mercedes-Benz to the Indianapolis Motor Speed, but RM Sotheby’s is now selling it and it is set to fetch over £41million. If it goes for the guide price it will be the second most expensive car ever bought at auction.
(Image: Jam Press/Mercedes-Benz AG/RM So)
The current record holder is a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe. It was sold – also by Sotheby’s – in May 2022 for a staggering £113m. Currently in second place is a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Scaglietti. It was bought in November last year for £40m.
A Sotheby’s spokesperson said: “[It is] one of the world’s most historically significant racing cars. 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 up to 2.5 litre regulations introduced in 1954.
(Image: Jam Press/Mercedes-Benz AG/RM So)
(Image: Jam Press/Mercedes-Benz AG/RM So)
“And it soon proved to be the car to beat in the hands of legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.”
“A jewel of an engine, it guaranteed reliable and smooth power delivery and was capable of producing 290 bhp after two seasons of development.”
The auction takes place in Stuttgart, Germany on February 1 next year, as reported on Luxury Auto News.
