Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum to sell off some of its collection

A 1954 Mercedes W196 streamliner is among 11 astonishing cars to be put up for sale this autumn by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, in a bid to secure the collection’s financial future.

Sotheby’s auction house will oversee a number of sales, as the museum lets go of significant cars that have no direct association with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself. Along with the Mercedes, cars include the 1965 Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250 LM and Craig Breedlove’s famous needle-shaped Spirit of America Land Speed Record contender.

The sale is predicted to raise more than £95m. The W196 alone will likely enter the list of most expensive cars ever sold. An ex-Juan Manuel Fangio open-wheel version sold for £19.6m when auctioned by Bonhams in 2013.

“If we can have that kind of funding in the bank, the interest income alone is going to allow us to buy new things for our collection, take care of our staff and take care of our cars,” said museum president Joe Hale. “It is going to guarantee the future of this museum.”

The museum is currently closed for restoration and is due to re-open in April 2025.

Hammer time