A Mercedes W196 raced by Juan Manuel Fangio has just sold at a Bonhams Festival of Speed auction for £19.6 million. This comfortably surpasses the previous auction world record of £10.8 million, set by a Ferrari 250 Testarossa prototype in 2011.
Spectacular car, even more spectacular price
The W196's sale price is all the more amazing given the Bonhams estimate was already £11 million. Previously the highest sale price of any car sold by Bonhams was £5 million. The car sold was driven by Fangio to victory in the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix.
The W196 won nine of the twelve races that comprised the 1954 and 1955 seasons, driven by Fangio and Stirling Moss. Power was supplied by a 2.5-litre straight-eight with between 257 and 290hp