A legendary 1955 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R driven by Sir Stirling Moss and Manuel Fangio is set to fetch £41M at auction, becoming the 2nd most expensive car ever.

Classic Mercedes – driven by Sir Stirling Moss – to sell for £41million…to become second most expensive car of all time

A legendary 1955 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R driven by Sir Stirling Moss and Manuel Fangio is set to fetch £41M at auction, becoming the 2nd most expensive car ever.

A vintage Merc – driven by Sir Stirling Moss – is set to sell for £41million – which would make it the second most expensive car of all time.

The Brit F1 legend was behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen at the Italian Grand Prix in 1955.

With a top speed of 186mph, it enabled him to achieve the fastest lap at Monza.

Sir Stirling is regarded as the greatest driver never to be an F1 world champion.

He died in 2020, aged 90.

Built a year earlier in 1954, the classic, silver racing car is going under the hammer.

It boasts pristine bodywork with the racing number 16 still emblazoned on the side and back.

The single seater, open top motor – one of only four of its kind ever made – also has tartan upholstery.

As well as Sir Stirling, it was also driven by five times world champion Manuel Fangio.
It helped him gain victory in the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix.

It 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.

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 £113million.

Currently in second place is a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Scaglietti.

It was bought in November last year for £40million.

A Sotheby’s spokesperson said: “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.

“And it soon proved to be the car to beat in the hands of legends such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.”

*The Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen. (Jam Press/Mercedes-Benz AG/RM Sotheby’s)*

They added: “A jewel of an engine, it guaranteed reliable and smooth power delivery and was capable of producing 290 bhp after two seasons of development.”