It is extremely rare for any of the Silver Arrows Grand Prix cars to come up for sale – and the 2½-litre eight-cylinder single-seater W196 racing car with chassis number 00006/54 is one of the most important of its kind. This is the actual car in which Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1954 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, and the Swiss Grand Prix in Bern.
The W196 was responsible for introducing many ground-breaking technologies to Formula 1 racing, including fuel-injection for the engine, all-independent suspension, a multi-tubular spaceframe lightweight chassis design, all-round inboard-mounted brakes, a straight-8 engine configuration that kept centre of gravity low and reduced the overall height of the car, plus power that was transmitted from the centre of the engine's long crankshaft to keep vibration to a minimum.
The ex-Fangio W196 will go under the hammer at the Bonhams auction at the Festival of Speed on 12 July 2013. The estimate has not been made public.
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Related Links A video of this rare racing car can be viewed at www.bonhams.com Modern and classic Mercedes-Benzes can be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace |
Photo / Video: The Spitzley/Monkhouse Collection / Bonhams
