Silver Arrow auctioned Second most expensive Mercedes of all time

A lot of money and yet not a high sum? A rare Mercedes-Benz 196 R from 1954 changed hands in a relatively quick auction.

51 million euros (approx. 53.5 million USD) is a lot of money? The members of the current German Bundestag might see it differently. Because that's how much about half of them earn outside their regular working hours, so to speak, on the side and in addition to their regular parliamentary allowance of 11,200 euros a month (11.742 USD). Exactly 51.155 million euros (53.630.902.000 USD), including fees, were paid by a classic car enthusiast for a rare Silberpfeil racing car from 1954 at an auction held by RM Sotheby's in Stuttgart last Saturday. Compared to the 135 million (approx. 141 million USD) for a so-called Uhlenhaut Coupé, these are almost a bargain.

Of course, there was speculation beforehand about the amount the Mercedes-Benz streamliner would fetch. Many cited 50 million euros (approx. 52 million USD) as the lower limit. However, the auction was less spectacular and shorter than many expected. The first accepted bid was 20 million euros (approx. 21 million USD), followed by 5-million-euro increments (approx. 5.2 USD). After a short time, 40 million euros (approx. 42 million USD) were on the table, then it continued in million-euro steps. In less than a quarter of an hour, the auctioneer counted the car down at 46.5 million euros (approx. 49 million USD)and finally called out "Sold!" The gavel hit the auctioneer's desk with a loud bang.

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Price already determined in advance?

"This auction has set a new benchmark for the value of a historic racing car. After the historic record with the sale of the Uhlenhaut Coupé two years ago, almost any result seemed possible here. Personally, I would have valued it closer to the Uhlenhaut Coupé than it ultimately was," comments Frank Wilke, Managing Director of Classic Analytics, on the sale. "The historical automotive significance of this racing car may have been higher, but one must remember that the W 196 R is significantly more challenging to handle than a road car and may not be driven on the street," said Wilke. It is noticeable that the hammer price, including premium, almost exactly matches the auction house's predictions. "Some might think that this price was already determined beforehand and was merely documented through the public auction," Wilke says.

The W 196 R series car with chassis number 00009/54 is, according to the automaker, one of four known completely preserved examples of the racing car. The vehicle now auctioned was driven by two well-known racing drivers, according to Mercedes-Benz. In January 1955, Juan Manuel Fangio won the Argentine Grand Prix in Buenos Aires with the car. The British racing driver Stirling Moss achieved the fastest lap of the race with the 290-hp racing car at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. In 1965, Mercedes donated the vehicle to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which intends to use the proceeds from the auction to finance the museum's collection and restoration work.