February 1st, 2025 is set to become one of the most important dates in next year’s automotive calendar, as that’s when RM Sotheby’s will be auctioning many of the most incredible automobiles from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
Headlining this once-in-a-lifetime sale is the magnificent 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen. One of just four believed to exist, this masterpiece was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio to victory at the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix and set a fastest lap with Stiriling Moss at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. After 59 years of fastidious care by the IMS Museum, this marks the first time a streamliner-bodied 196 R will be offered to the public. Expected to achieve more than 50,000,000 euros when it goes under the hammer in Stuttgart, this will likely go down in history as one of the most expensive cars ever sold at auction, even if it doesn't dethrone the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé that sold for a world-record 135 million euros in 2022 with RM Sotheby's and the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
While we could stare slack-jawed at the Stromlinienwagen above all day, there’s a whole host of incredible automobiles being auctioned alongside it, including the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250 LM driven by Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt, which will likely require more than 25,000,000 of your hard-earned euros.
As you can imagine, there’s no shortage of unbelievable American-made machinery, such as the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS Project XP-64, considered by many to be the most desirable Corvette in existence with its tubular space frame chassis and bewitching magnesium body. And if your collection is in need of a statement piece, look no further than the 1965 Spirit of America Sonic I, which was once piloted by Craig Breedlove to a record-breaking 600.601 mph on 15 November 1965. Estimated to sell for between 500,000 and 1,000,000 euros, this land speed hall-of-famer represents a relative bargain, just make sure you’ve got several free spaces in your garage!
