{"product_id":"mercedes-benz-w196-monoposto-1955-british-grand-prix-winner-stirling-moss","title":"Mercedes-Benz W196 Monoposto - 1955 British Grand Prix Winner - Stirling Moss","description":"\u003cli\u003eLimited to just 196 pieces\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoth Moss and Fangio versions available as raced at the 1955 British Grand Prix\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEach model hand-built and assembled by a small team of craftsmen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1:8 scale model, over 54 cms\/21 inches long\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade using the finest quality materials\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOver 4500 hours to develop the model\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOver 400 hours to build each model\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThousands of precisely engineered parts: castings, photo-etchings and CNC machined metal components\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuilt using original drawings and archive photographs supplied by Mercedes-Benz\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most dominant cars to have ever raced at the pinnacle of motorsport, the Mercedes-Benz W196 drove its competitors to despair during the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 seasons in which it was entered, capturing the only two World Championships in which it competed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMercedes had been absent in Grand Prix racing for twenty years, but a combination of new Formula 1 regulations and a thriving economic turnaround in Germany allowed the Silver Arrows to compete once again. Expectations were high; in the past the Mercedes-Benz racing cars were not only the fastest, but also the most technologically advanced; a showcase of the company's advanced technical capabilities. The W196 did not disappoint. Considering the relatively small displacement of 2.5 litres, the team of engineers, headed by Fritz Nallinger and Rudolf Uhlenhautand, chose a surprising and different format for the long straight eight engine, though this risk soon yielded astonishing results.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe W196 was the first Formula 1 car to use desmodromic valves to allow the significantly smaller engine to rev higher, as well as the first to use a Bosch-developed fuel injection system, which had already been successfully used on the 300SL racing cars. Adapted from the DB 601 high-performance V12 used on the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter, the novel fuel injection system allowed for 257 brake horsepower at the time of its debut, rising to 290 bhp at an impressive 8500 rpm after a year of on-track development. Also carried over from the 300SL was the space-frame chassis, which featured an entirely new approach to chassis building, combining light weight with exceptional rigidity. Sparing no expense, the engineers developed a variety of track specific versions of the W196 with three wheelbases and two interchangeable body styles: the ‘Type Monza’ low-drag streamliner body, designed for high-speed circuits, and the more open-wheel configuration, for the more technical, twisty circuits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill busy developing the cars, Mercedes missed the first three races of the 1954 season; the belated debut came at the French Grand Prix in Reims, where the streamlined body was immediately right at home. Racing manager Alfred Neubauer hired the – initially reluctant – superstar Juan Manuel Fangio to partner the German duo of Hans Herrmann and Karl Kling, and it was instantly obvious that the German marque’s approach was too much for the Italian and British specialist manufacturers to match. Fangio helped Mercedes to continue a debut-winning tradition by piloting the W196 to a debut victory, a few metres ahead of Kling, whilst Herrmann posted the fastest lap. The open-wheel variant of the W196 debuted two races later in the team’s home Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, after a tougher race at Silverstone. Fangio again was victorious, and would go on to dominate three races in a row, winning at the Swiss and Italian Grands Prix as well. In a relatively poor showing in the final race in Spain, the Argentinian claimed a podium as he finished the season as the World Champion. While Fangio started the season at Alfa Romeo, winning two races with the Italians, his points tally with the W196 alone would have been enough to win him the World Championship title.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor 1955, Fangio was joined by a new team-mate, the up-and-coming Stirling Moss, creating a virtually invincible pairing. The Argentine driver started the season on a high by winning his home Grand Prix in soaring temperatures that exhausted most of his opponents. The W196’s lowest moment followed, as it failed to score a single point at Monaco: all three of the entered cars were hampered by reliability problems. Despite the horrifying 1955 Le Mans disaster shortening the Formula 1 season, the W196 completely dominated the remaining four races, finishing first and second in Belgium (Fangio-Moss), the Netherlands (Fangio-Moss) and Italy (Fangio-Taruffi), whilst at the penultimate race in Great Britain, the Mercedes team took a remarkable 1-2-3-4, Moss claiming his first Grand Prix victory ahead of Fangio, Kling and Piero Taruffi. Needless to say, Fangio was crowned champion again with Moss a distant second.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShaken by the Le Mans accident, Mercedes-Benz left Grand Prix racing at the end of the season for the third time in their history, retiring their almost invincible car after racing for just one year and two months. Overall, the versatile W196's track record was impressive indeed: nine victories, eight pole positions and nine fastest laps in the twelve Grand Prix races in which it was entered, and, of course, Fangio's world titles in 1954 and 1955. It is widely agreed that the only reason the W196 did not win more titles is that the Manufacturers’ Championship was not introduced until 1958.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis fine 1:8 scale model is of the Mercedes-Benz W196 Monoposto as raced during the British Grand Prix at Aintree on the 16\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eof July 1955. Sir Stirling Moss led home the W196’s finest hour, a dominating 1-2-3-4 finish, ahead of his Argentine companion, Juan Manuel Fangio. Many, including Moss himself, believed that Fangio allowed his British protégé to claim his debut win in front of his home crowd. This was, however, consistently denied by the newly crowned triple World Champion, who claimed that Moss \"was simply faster that day.\" Due to the curtailing of the Formula 1 season in the wake of the Le Mans disaster, Fangio's points advantage over Moss after the race was sufficient to secure his third World Drivers' Championship.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis model has been handcrafted and finished in our workshops with the co-operation and assistance of Mercedes-Benz regarding original finishes, materials, archive imagery and drawings. The use of supremely accurate digital scanning of the original car has allowed us to perfectly recreate every detail at scale. Furthermore, it has undergone detailed scrutiny by both Mercedes-Benz’s engineering and design teams to ensure complete accuracy of representation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Mercedes-Benz W196 Monoposto is limited to just 199 pieces.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e--------------------------------------------------------------\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElevate your 1:8 scale collection with one of our elegant, harmonious and handcrafted display cabinets, stands or plinths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/amalgamcollection.com\/collections\/display-cabinets\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eView Display Cabinets for this model \u0026gt;\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Amalgam Collection","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42549485600850,"sku":"M5033-MON-SC1","price":17995.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2784\/4966\/files\/DSC2214-Edit.jpg?v=1692965432","url":"https:\/\/www.amalgamcollection.com\/products\/mercedes-benz-w196-monoposto-1955-british-grand-prix-winner-stirling-moss","provider":"Amalgam Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}