A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Streamliner “Monza,” driven by famed racer Juan Manuel Fangio, is estimated to sell for $50-$70 million when it goes under the hammer at Sotheby’s.
The illustrious Formula One car is being sold by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, along with a collection of other historic vehicles, in an effort to raise funds for the museum, according to a release.
Fangio was one of the greatest drivers in the sports history, claiming five championships — the most all time until Michael Schumacher broke his record more than 45 years later.
He drove a W196 to the 1954 championship, after which point the car added the “streamliner” bodywork before Stirling Moss — another early F1 star — got behind the wheel during the 1955 Italian Grand Prix (hence the name “Monza”).
It was then donated to the museum in 1965. The car, which Sotheby’s called “arguably one of the most significant automobiles ever made,” is on exhibit during Monterey Car Week.
Another W196, which was described at the time as the only surviving example outside of the walls of either Daimler-Benz or a museum, sold for $29.6 million in 2013 at Bonhams, establishing a record for the most expensive car ever sold at auction.
This record was smashed in May 2022 by a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe, which fetched $142 million at a closed-door auction facilitated by Sotheby’s.
Other cars from the museum listed in the upcoming series of sales include a 1909 Mercedes Brookland “Semmering Hill Climb,” a 1966 Ford GT40 Mark II and a 1907 Itala.
The proceeds from the sale will support the museum’s upkeep on its Indianapolis 500 and Speedway artifacts collection, which the auction house described as “one of the most impressive collections of automotive history in the world.”
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.