THE STUNNING MERCEDES 300 SL GIVEN to Formula 1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio as a retirement present from Mercedes, and described by his nephew as his uncle’s “preferential” car, is going up for auction.
The – almost – priceless convertible, finished in metallic light blue with cream leather seats, was gifted to the Argentinian by the Stuttgart marque in 1958 as a thank you for putting it back on the racing map after his two world championships in ’54 and ’55. RM Sotheby’s are now auctioning the car on behalf of the family from February 28 to March 6. Whilst no estimate has been given, a 300 SL Gullwing recently sold for almost $7m (£5.1m). A 300 SL with such a provenance as this could go for even more.