Many people dream of owning a car in their garage that belonged to a celebrity or a great name in motorsports. At auctions, it is not uncommon to find an iconic model that has endured through the ages with a star as its first owner.
They belonged to Brigitte Bardot, Starck, Ringo Starr, Coluche or Steve McQueen, many celebrity cars have already been sold at auction, and the model we are interested in is exceptional in many ways. On the one hand because it is a Mercedes, and on the other hand because it belonged to Juan Manuel Fangio, considered by many as the greatest car driver in history.
His contribution to motorsport will forever be remembered, especially in the premier discipline, and the cars he owned are now worth several million euros. In 2013, for example, the Mercedes F1 that had belonged to him was sold for 22 million euros. Two years later, in 2015, the Ferrari 290 MM that was built for him in 1956 even went up to 25.5 million euros. Today, it is his fabulous Mercedes 300 SL Roadster of 1958 which is put on sale by the auction house RM Sotheby’s from March 21 to 25.
Juan Manuel Fangio may have been associated with several renowned manufacturers given his long career as a driver, but he always had a special bond with the starry firm. In 1954, he joined the Mercedes-Benz team at the wheel of the W196 and became world champion driver for the second time in his career. The following year, in 1955, he raced alongside Stirling Moss, another legendary driver
This 300 SL Roadster was offered to him by Mercedes when he announced his retirement in 1958. In 1974, Juan Manuel Fangio was even appointed president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina.
The car is sublime, it is immaculate of a metallic blue with a cream upholstery recalling the colors of the Argentine flag. The car still has its original engine, a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, the transmission of the time, as well as the steering wheel and the seats.
In total, the Argentinean pilot has driven more than 70,000 kilometers in Europe and South America. “This car marked my childhood and aroused deep emotions in me, as it accompanied my uncle for a long time after he retired from racing,” explains his nephew.
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