The Mercedes-Benz W196 (sometimes written as the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R [1]) was a Formula One racing car produced by Mercedes-Benz for the 1954 and 1955 F1 seasons. Successor to the W194 , in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss it won 9 of 12 races entered and captured the only two world championships in which it competed.

The impressive 1-2 finish—a fitting bookend to the W 196 R Stromlinienwagens’ triumphant 1-2 victory at their debut outing, the 1954 French Grand Prix at Reims—would not be replicated again by Mercedes-Benz as a constructor for 58 years, with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at the 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Update, 2/3/2025: The IMS Museum's W196 Streamliner has officially sold, hammering at a final sale price $53.9 million. That number makes it the second most expensive car ever sold at auction,...

The Mercedes-Benz W196 R Streamliner was a groundbreaking Formula 1 car introduced in 1954 by Mercedes-Benz. This car marked the German manufacturer's triumphant return to Grand Prix racing after World War II and was designed to dominate the …

Feb 3, 2025 · A rare opportunity to buy a Mercedes-Benz W196, one of the most successful race car designs in history, resulted in a $53M sale.

Dec 21, 2024 · The 1955 Le Mans crash saw Mercedes-Benz no other option than to withdraw from motorsports entirely, ending the W196’s career. Nevertheless, it became a true racing legend, and one of only four complete W196R Stromlinienwagens is coming up for auction, at an astronomical estimate!

Feb 3, 2025 · The Mercedes-Benz W196 R ‘Stromlinienwagen’ (Streamliner) has become the most valuable Grand Prix racing car ever after selling for €51.155 million dollars ($53.9 /£42.8m) at auction.

The new proposal limited the displacement for naturally aspirated engines to 2.5 litres, and for supercharged engines to a barely competitive 750 cc.

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR (W196S) was a 2-seat, 3-litre sports racer derived in 1955 from the W196, sharing most of its drivetrain, chassis, and engine. To compete in the World Sportscar Championship, the W196's fuel-injected 2,496.87 cc straight 8 was bored and stroked to 2,981.70 cc, boosting output to 310 bhp (230 kW).

Shook up by the Le Mans accident, Mercedes-Benz called it quits at the end of the season and the W196 was retired after racing for just one year and two months. Scoring nine wins out of twelve Grand Prix starts, the versatile Mercedes-Benz has gone into history as one of the finest racing cars ever.