Fangio's car found

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2295642/1954-F1-Mercedes-fetch-5m-auction-abandoned-warehouse-3-decades.html

Now that's some serious history and coin.

Maybe one day they'll "find" my old car and hysteria will break out.

I saw a bumper sticker today I liked

"Racing! Cause other games only require one ball."

Its interesting that there are still cars like that out there in barns and ware houses. Gives me hope.

I find it amazing that it was not in Mercedes' possession.

And the owner is incredibly lucky to not have to spend even one dime to restore it. To do so would reduce the value by a whole lotta jack.

Very cool, though I wish they would divulge more of the details of it being stored for 30-years and forgotten about. Even 30-years ago it seems like it was still a pretty historic car, so I'm thinking someone knew what they had and was just unwilling to sell and/or waiting for the right opportunity.

Wow, are they using the holy grail for a wheel chock?

Has anyone made a kit car of that? Or a locost styled like it?

From the article:

Fangio drove the 2.5 litre straight-9 Mercedes in his victories at the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races.

I wonder where that ninth cylinder is hidden. :)

Wow. What an astounding find.

I'm guessing the pistons in a 2.5 liter 8 cylinder engine are going to be pretty small.

petegossett wrote: Very cool, though I wish they would divulge more of the details of it being stored for 30-years and forgotten about. Even 30-years ago it seems like it was still a pretty historic car, so I'm thinking someone knew what they had and was just unwilling to sell and/or waiting for the right opportunity.

this

I'm pretty sure that car was still considered significant in 1983. Very strange that it sat in such an undignified manner since then. I wonder what its selling price/value was in '83.

I wonder if the little wing behind the front wheel was to keep the driver from being pelted with rocks and water spray?

mtn wrote: Has anyone made a kit car of that? Or a locost styled like it?

I have wanted to do an old F1/GP car for a long time. You know, I even have Mercedes that could be donor cars for this.

From the Article
Mr Nye said: 'What's so special about it is that it has this wonderful, untouched patina.

um.. I'm thinking what's so special about it is that it's Fangio's 1964 championship winning Racecar. This particular car would probably be relatively unafected in value if it had been restored or cleaned. It's not like it's some Random barn find that goes on Barret-Jackson for silly money because of patina..

nocones wrote: From the Article Mr Nye said: 'What's so special about it is that it has this wonderful, untouched patina. um.. I'm thinking what's so special about it is that it's Fangio's 1964 championship winning Racecar. This particular car would probably be relatively unafected in value if it had been restored or cleaned. It's not like it's some Random barn find that goes on Barret-Jackson for silly money because of patina..

I totally disagree with you. To have the car with THIS patina (ie Fangio's sweat in the seat or on the steering wheel) is priceless. The very seat he sat in and the wheel he turned could be replaced in a total restoration.