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1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen costs over €50,000,000 EUR

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

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1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R costs over €50,000,000 EUR
Tuning

LÀ SLR based on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren

In early November at the SEMA Show, the private Coach Design Studio located in Southern California, S-Klub, presented the LÀ SLR based on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. This company specializes in the design and creation of high quality automobiles.

The LÀ SLR is equipped with a wild 30-part body kit, including 10-inch wider front and rear wheel arches, a huge rear wing, and a large diffuser.

Inside, Red Alcantara covers the seats, door panels, steering wheel and dashboard. The original silver air vents and air conditioning controls from the SLR McLaren have been retained, with the addition of carbon details and a Formula 1-like halo system that extends above the cockpit. In front of the driver and passenger is a pair of windshields.

The S-Klub did not say if there were any changes under the hood.

Source: S-Klub

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LÀ SLR based on the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Tuning

Mercedes-Benz 190E HWA EVO

At the end of the 70s, Mercedes competed in the rally mainly with the 450 SLC 5.0 model, but the desire of the German company was to introduce the 190 E model into this competition. It was this model that was the inspiration for the HWA tuner project that presented Mercedes-Benz 190E HWA EVO.

Following Mercedes’ decision to enter the 190 E into rally competition, the British engineering company Cosworth developed a 2.3-L 16V engine. It debuted in 1983, and five years later it was replaced by a new 2.5-L 16V engine.

With the debut of the BMW M3 Evolution 2 in 1988, it was clear that Mercedes had to increase the power of the 2.5-L 16V engine, so at the 1989 Geneva Auto Show the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution (EVO I) debuted. Just one year later, the new EVO II model was presented.

Now HWA is revealing a restomod of this model, although the company’s technical director Gordian von Schöning says it’s more than that.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E EVO II brought Mercedes the DTM Championship title in 1992, and HWA’s EVO is not based on one of the 502 original cars, not even the 190E 2.5-16 model. The basis was the Mercedes 190, but HWA’s engineers worked so hard on it that it can be said that the car is far from the original. The donor car was completely disassembled, aluminum components and steel subframes were installed, which allowed the suspension to be mounted directly to the chassis. Also, the front axle has been moved forward by 50 mm.

Under the hood is a new 3.0-L V6 biturbo engine with 540 hp, mated to a new 6-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear axle. DTM carriages, hubs, H&R balance bars and KW shocks are installed, which can be ordered with manual and electronic adjustment. Customers can choose between steel and carbon Bosch brakes.

When it comes to price, the Mercedes-Benz 190E EVO II Restomod costs 714,000 euros.

Source: HWA

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Mercedes-Benz 190E HWA EVO