Compulsion Gallery Pewter Mercedes Benz W196 300SLR 1954-55 Racing Car Small

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Compulsion Gallery Pewter Mercedes Benz W196 300SLR 1954-55 Racing Car Small

About the Item

We are delighted to this lovely original Pewter-plated small sized Compulsion gallery 1939 Mercedes-Benz W196 300SLR racing car model This is a small size, it’s in perfect vintage condition Monza streamlined type Monza bodywork The W196s delayed debut at the 1954 French Grand Prix saw the introduction of the aerodynamic closed-wheel aluminum "Type Monza" streamliner body for the high speed track at Reims. Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling claimed a 1-2 finish, and Hans Herrmann posted the fastest lap. The same body was later used only three more times: at the 1954 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, 1954 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where it picked up its nickname in 1954, and at Monza again at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix. In total the "Type Monza" won three races (1954 French Grand Prix, 1954 and 1955 Italian Grand Prix), all with Fangio at the wheel. These three Grand Prix have remained the only races won by a closed-wheel car in Formula One history. Open wheel Attractive as the Monza was, its streamlined body was really only suited to high-speed tracks made up of straights and slow corners, leading to defeat at its second race, the British Grand Prix at the high-speed corner dominated Silverstone circuit, where Fangio hit a number of oil barrels that marked out the circuit. A conventional open-wheel-version was introduced for the most important race on the calendar for Mercedes, the German Grand Prix at the twisty and long Nürburgring. Fangio, who had already won the first two GPs of 1954 with a Maserati in his home city of Buenos Aires and at Spa, won this and the two following GPs in Switzerland and Italy, securing his 2nd World Championship. At the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, the last race of the 1954 season the low-mounted Mercedes air-intake clogged with leaves, costing the race to Mike Hawthorn in a Ferrari, and leading to the intake's relocation atop the hood. In the shortened 1955 Formula One season, abbreviated after the Le Mans disaster, the W196 won every race except the Monaco Grand Prix, where Hans Herrmann crashed in practice and the other three team Mercedes cars failed to finish. A highlight for driver Sterling Moss was his finish 0.2 seconds ahead of stabile mate Fangio at his home event, the British Grand Prix, his first GP win, a race where Mercedes romped home with a 1-2-3-4 finish. After capturing the two world championships it competed in, Mercedes withdrew from motorsport at the end of the 1955 season. Despite its strong reliability and good track performance, drivers Fangio and Moss described the car in MotorSport magazine as being "a bit difficult to drive, with a tendency for snap oversteer". Moss also later said that "I'm surprised that the Merc wasn't a little bit easier to drive, because it wasn't. It was a driver's car, but not an easy car to drive." Fangio shared similar feelings, also saying in MotorSport Magazine in 1979 that the car was "not so nice to drive as a Maserati 250F, but you were almost sure to finish. So the Mercedes was incredible in that way." 1970s/80s Formula One driver John Watson drove the W196 at Hockenheim, providing some insight as to why the car was difficult to drive. He said that "if you gave this car wider and grippier tyres and altered the suspension to suit, then the handling would be of a very high order indeed." The W196 was so advanced and ahead of its time, that the narrow tyres available at the time simply could not fully handle the car's exceptional performance. Dimensions: Height 5.7cm Width 20cm Depth 8.5cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point. This item is available for collection from our Wimbledon warehouses Condition: Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description around condition Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of cracking creasing and wear, we recommend regular waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade.

Dimensions:
Height: 2.25 in (5.7 cm)Width: 7.88 in (20 cm)Depth: 3.35 in (8.5 cm)
Style:
Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Pewter,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
20th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2823319810242