Juan Manuel Fangio's F1 Mercedes fetches $32 million at UK auction Chairman of Bonhams auction house Robert Brooks examines the Mercedes-Benz W196 Formula 1 Grand-Prix single-seater driven by Juan Manuel Fangio. Picture: Dominic Lipinski Source: AP Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio drove the Mercedes-Benz W196 to victories in the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races. A CLASSIC Mercedes-Benz race car driven by Formula 1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio has sold for 19.6 million pounds ($32.7 million) at auction. The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 single-seater was driven by the five-time world champion racer when he clinched his second title in 1954. The Argentine drove the car to victories in the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races. The steel-colored car was sold at a classic cars auction by Bonhams auctioneers in southern England's Goodwood on Friday. The price included the buyer's premium. A Ferrari 330GT, first owned by John Lennon, fetched 359,900 pounds at the same auction.