1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196

One of the most famed racing cars of all time; the Mercedes-Benz W 196 was the Racing Car World Champion in 1954 and again in 1955. It debuted at the French Grand Prix at Reims on July 4,1954 by sweeping first and second place and went on to dominate formula one racing as few cars have before or since.

It was a complete departure from previous Grand Prix cars and revolutionized racing car engine design with a valve system which used positive control of valve operation without valve springs. This system prevented fluttering and thus allowed higher rpm. Another unusual feature was the power takeoff by means of gears in the middle of the crankshaft between the fourth and fifth cylinder, which considerably improved the elasticity of the engine.

Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina won the World's Grand Prix Championship in both 1954 and 1955 with this type car.

This beautiful racer is from the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. It was photographed at the 2000 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance by Bill Wood.