Mercedes-Benz W 196 R This is how expensive the second most expensive car in the world is

Samuel Walder

3.2.2025

In 1954, the car was considered one of the most advanced of its time.
In 1954, the car was considered one of the most advanced of its time.
Wikipedia

Now it is clear. On February 1, the second most expensive car in the world was auctioned off. The Mercedes-Benz W 196 R changed hands for 51.1 million euros.

No time? blue News summarizes for you

  • A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R was auctioned off on Saturday for 51.1 million euros.
  • The vehicle, which once belonged to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, changed hands to a private collector after an intense bidding war.
  • The legendary Silver Arrow, which was driven by racing drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1950s, is considered a technical masterpiece of its time.

In an individual auction by RM Sotheby's at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the first Mercedes W 196 R with streamlined bodywork ever offered for private ownership achieved 51.1 million euros.

The racing car was sold by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum for the benefit of its collection and restoration work. This makes it the second most valuable car ever sold, surpassed only by the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut Coupé", which RM Sotheby's sold for 135 million euros in 2022.

The car now belongs to a collector

One of the most historically significant racing cars in the world, the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R with streamlined bodywork from 1954 with chassis number 00009/54, was auctioned by RM Sotheby's at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on Saturday.

In 1965, the then Daimler-Benz AG donated the vehicle to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut-Coupé" is the most expensive car ever auctioned in the world.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut-Coupé" is the most expensive car ever auctioned in the world.
zvg

As the Mercedes-Benz classic Center writes in a press release, the W 196 R attracted the interest of serious collectors from all over the world and was the subject of heated bidding battles on the phone and on site.

The latest technology in 1954

Few historic racing cars are as well known as the famous Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows, which dominated Grand Prix races in the immediate pre- and post-war period. They are admired for their advanced technology and spectacular speed.

The W 196 R was developed for the new regulations introduced in 1954 with engines of up to 2.5 liters displacement and quickly proved to be the race car to beat in the hands of legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.

The auction of the W 196 R took place in the same room where the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut Coupé" was auctioned in 2022, which, with proceeds of 135,000,000 euros, is the most expensive car ever auctioned.