Fangio in 1:18: the Mercedes W196 Streamliner and the Maserati 250F
One driver, two Silver Arrows — and a red Maserati
Look for a Fangio model car and you inevitably end up with two cars: the Mercedes-Benz W196 and the Maserati 250F. Juan Manuel Fangio won three of his five world titles with them. CMC built both in 1:18 — and both are now in our shop. Time to tell the story behind them.
1954: Reims and the Streamliner
When Mercedes-Benz returned to Grand Prix racing in 1954, it surprised the entire racing world: at Reims the W196 appeared with a fully enclosed streamliner body covering all four wheels. Three cars started — and the very first race brought a one-two, Fangio ahead of Karl Kling. From then on Mercedes ran the Streamliner on fast circuits and the open-wheeled W196 Monoposto on twisty ones. Fangio was world champion in 1954 and 1955, and as at Reims, the Streamliner also won the last race of the 1955 season at Monza — the W196's final start before Mercedes withdrew from racing.
The model: CMC M-044 W196 Streamliner
CMC hand-assembles the W196 Streamliner from more than 1,100 parts. Its party piece: the complete body is held by just six screws and comes off. Underneath sit the precisely made tubular space frame, the eight-cylinder in-line engine in its angled installation, the inboard drum brakes and the fuel and oil tanks in their authentic positions. Our example is a numbered limited edition (#0530 of 2,000) in near-mint condition.
1957: The Nürburgring and the greatest win
Three years later Fangio was driving a red car. The Maserati 250F was the car of the 1957 season — and on 4 August Fangio drove the race at the Nürburgring that is still counted among the greatest in Formula 1 history. In front of more than 200,000 spectators he fought his two greatest rivals, Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins in Ferrari 801s. After a botched pit stop he clawed back the deficit lap after lap on the Nordschleife and won by 3.6 seconds, securing his fifth and final world title.
The model: CMC M-051 Maserati 250F
CMC simply calls the Maserati 250F "Das Weltmeisterauto" — the World Champion's car. The hand-assembled full-metal model shows the tubular frame, the six-cylinder in-line engine with all lines and cabling, open-cut ventilation gills across the whole body and two-eared central locks with the embossed Borrani logo. The tail is the most impressive part: 301 rivets, set individually by hand, some with washers. Our example is in excellent condition; the fine hairline cracks in the windscreen — a known weakness of this model — are disclosed in the condition report.
What collectors should check
Both models have been sold out for years and now turn up almost only on the secondary market. With the W196 Streamliner, check how well the removable body fits and look at the certificate: numbered limited-edition pieces are more sought after than examples without proof. With the Maserati 250F, the clear windscreen is the known weak spot — fine cracks appear on many examples, even if sellers rarely mention them. Also check the central locks and the delicate ventilation gills for damage. For both: a well-kept original box with its foam inserts adds clearly to the value.
Why the two belong together
The W196 and the 250F stand for two sides of the same career: the German precision machine with which Fangio dominated 1954/55, and the Italian car with which he proved in 1957 that his talent needed no machine to shine. A detail for collectors: Fangio won the first two races of 1954 in a Maserati 250F before switching to Mercedes. Put both models side by side and you tell the whole story.
Both cars are no longer available from CMC. At AMS you buy them in CHF, with an honest condition report under our grading system and insured shipping within Switzerland — no customs, no waiting.