Fangio's W196 GP Car on Auction

[scannon]

Great video at http://www.bonhams.com/video/13160/

 

Bonhams advert at http://www.bonhams.com/press_release/13161/

[scannon]

Here is more history and a picture under the hood.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2295642/1954-F1-Mercedes-fetch-5m-auction-abandoned-warehouse-3-decades.html

[escondidoron]

Part 1 of a few W196 pictures I have taken over the years, offered up for your enjoyment:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7535811694_edd297ff8e_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/7536070704_c347606c7f_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/7536065754_c837c786ab_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7254/7536066726_c1245897ac_b.jpg

[escondidoron]

Part 2, a few more W196 pictures I've taken:

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6172/6163805119_45916dc3c0_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2705/4137882894_fa84f5c659_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2494/4137352071_cff93e1b4b_b.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2709/4137354587_12150dd8b3_b.jpg

[escondidoron]

Part 3, my personal favorite of the W196 pictures I've taken:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2306/2219399435_0daa36f249_b.jpg

[tikijose]

Gotta love that the Fangio car is in un-restored condition. Though the rest of the silver arrows are beautiful in their own right, they just seem too perfect. I'd love to see this car sitting in a proud spot at the Mercedes museum in functional condition but in it's full patina, and sporting the scars and road rash of an excellent career.

[locost7018]

The W196 story is pretty much as suspected; here are a few more details to add.

 

It was in fact loaned to the Donington museum in 1956 (or National Motor Museum, Beaulieu) by M-B during the time I mentioned. After a few years, the loan was formally converted to a donation. (Other museums have been given racing MBs. Henry Ford, IMS, etc.) Some time thereafter the W196 was sold for something in excess of £1 million that was used to build the library at the museum.

 

It changed hands again in 1990 for a reputed £13m, and ran in the Monaco Historics in 2000 with Willie Green.

 

It passed through one or two collector’s/dealer’s hands before ending up in its present ownership (a Qatari Prince?) in the 90′s.

 

Bonhams has a rather fluffy press release about it being ‘forgotten’, which is most surely not the case. People love to hype these days ... Bonhams is NOT Christies! This is not a barn find. It’s just an important, historic M-B racer that has been seldom seen for twenty years or so. (OK .... what is uncommon about the brakes ... for the day?)

 

-----------------------------

Russ