Mercedes-Benz Sport Racing Car · W196 Grand Prix
W196
Silver Arrow — Fangio's championship weapon.
- Production
- 1954–1955
- Built
- 10
- Body
- Grand Prix / race
- Chassis
- W196
The W196 was Mercedes-Benz's return to Formula One — a Grand Prix car of extraordinary sophistication that arrived in 1954 and immediately re-established the three-pointed star at the summit of motor racing.
Its 2.5-liter straight-eight engine used direct fuel injection and desmodromic valve actuation, mounted in a lightweight chassis available with enveloping streamliner bodywork for high-speed circuits or open-wheel configuration for tighter tracks. Juan Manuel Fangio won the World Championship in 1954 and 1955 driving the W196 — the car's record speaks without embellishment.
Mercedes-Benz built a small series of W196 chassis for the 1954 and 1955 seasons — streamliner and open-wheel versions sharing the same fundamental design. The program ended when the firm withdrew from racing at the close of the 1955 season.
Every model.
2 model designations across 1954–1955 — engines, chassis codes and production figures for the W196.
| Modello | Model year | Telaio | Motore | Cambio | Totale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 SLR | 1955 | 196 S | 196 S | 9 | |
| W196 R | 1954 | 196 R | 196 R | 1 |
* Il dato di produzione pubblicato copre tutte le serie di quel modello; la fonte non lo scompone ulteriormente.
