For the 1954 F1 season, Mercedes-Benz produced a Formula One car, the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen. It won 9 of the 12 races entered and captured the only two world championships in which it competed. It is now for sale with an estimated value of over €50,000,000 EUR.
This car is one of only four known complete examples mounted with the exquisite factory-built enclosed-fender Stromlinienwagen coachwork at the conclusion of the 1955 Formula One season.
How did the story of this car begin? The FIA cancelled the 1952 and 1953 seasons due to a lack of credible competition, and new regulations were introduced for 1954. These regulations specified that normally aspirated engines could not exceed 2.5 liters, while naturally aspirated engines were limited to 750 cubic centimeters. This gave manufacturers the opportunity to produce new cars, which Mercedes-Benz took advantage of and created the best possible car.
They chose a truss-type narrow-diameter tubular space frame similar to the chassis of the W 194 300 SL, and equipped it with a front independent suspension via double wishbones, torsion springs and top-of-the-line hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers, and massive Alfin drum brakes.
When it came to the powertrain, several options were considered and a straight-eight configuration with 2,494 cubic centimeters (M196) was chosen. Since it was designed around a complex Hirth roller-bearing crankshaft, the engine was essentially two four-cylinder motors in unison, with two camshafts for each intake and exhaust. It was also equipped with dual ignition and dry sump lubrication, a revolutionary desmodromic valve gear instead of the standard valve springs, and Bosch high-pressure direct fuel injection that guaranteed a reliable and smooth application of power that initially amounted to 275 hp but was later raised to 290 hp.
Since the new formula specified so few limitations to coachwork, the open body in the shape of a W 196 R torpedo was chosen. Low and wide, its smoothly curved body featured a wide open-mouth grille, cooling vents on the rear shoulders, and character lines across the tops of the front wheel arches. This body, also known as Streamliner or Stromlinienwagen, was made in limited quantity by the racing department out of Elektron magnesium alloy, providing a shell even lighter than aluminum for a total weight of just over 88 pounds.
One of the greatest drivers of all time, Manuel Fangio, was an Alfa Romeo driver in the early 1950s and at the Swiss Grand Prix he achieved victory and the fastest lap. This did not go unnoticed by racing team manager Alfred Neubauer who offered Fangio a contract. However, the car was not finished in time for the start of the season and Fangio drove for the Maserati team. After two races, Fangio signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz.
At the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit, Mercedes-Benz entered two Streamliners and one open-wheel car after testing showed that a body with closed fenders would be faster. Fangio in the Streamliner took first place while Herrmann in the open-wheel car took 4th place. However, a few weeks later at the Berlin Grand Prix, all three Streamliners driven by Kling, Fangio, and Herrmann finished on the podium. It was a demonstration of the power of Mercedes-Benz.
During the season, this car with chassis number 00009/54 was completed. It made its debut at the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix, which was unusual in that it consisted of two separate heats of 30 laps each, with the winner determined by the fastest total aggregate time. This car was driven by Fangio, who finished 2nd in both races but won with an overall time of 2:23:18.9.
In 1955, Mercedes-Benz tested a new medium-wheelbase chassis that was being used in the Streamliner, but the car was found to be twitchy at high speeds, so drivers Fangio and Moss requested that cars be sent with the original long-wheelbase chassis. This car, chassis number 00009/54, was the aforementioned long-wheelbase Streamliner delivered to Moss on request.
At the end of the season, Fangio was champion and Moss finished second. In two seasons, the model won three championships in two different racing series, demonstrating Mercedes-Benz’s dominance in Formula 1 racing.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
Gallery:
