Fangio Merc W196...

[Alan Cox]

Originally Posted by terence bower

Hope the buyer/s kept something back for the resto! Quite amazed this has been in hiding for so long.

Originally Posted by simon drabble

Terry that is a valid point - which is why it will be a shame in many ways if that M-B is ever raced as origanlity is easliy lost.

Don't forget that it was raced back in 2000 by Willie Green at Monaco Historics, and it also ran at the 1999 Festival of Speed, so some of its originality had already been lost

[terence]

Yes,exactly. How many "Historic" racers could claim 100% originality? I very much doubt that ANY cars running these days could claim that Title.

[john ruston]

The certainty is that the amount of money mention is nothing to the people selling it.
Just changing direction and selling a bunch of superfluous stuff.

Not a lot you can do with 196 apart from looking at it.

[Tim the Grey]

Or pay Lord March to steer it up his hill?
I remember sitting in Jim Allington's 250TR, some years back. I suspect before he sold the original, as he had the OLD Borani's up on a shelf, plus the 1960 LM windscreen.
No matter what had been replaced, it FELT like I had shared a seat with Phil Hill, and Dan Gurney.
So how much is that feeling worth for Fangio's bum?
You could keep large chunks, and run cloned wearing parts, so the original bits go back in when it's sold, I guess. Or do nuts n bolts count to originality?

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

You could keep large chunks, and run cloned wearing parts, so the original bits go back in when it's sold, I guess. Or do nuts n bolts count to originality?

... or just build a clone for a fraction of the price and have infinitely more fun and none of the worry.

[zefarelly]

Cars need repairing and replacement parts, for some they're easy to come by.

what irks me, personally, is seeing a brand new car that was built entirely from scratch last week turn up and then claim its en exact replica of a car which competed in a spurious event somewhen back in the aulden days.

It bears absolutely no resemblance to anything historic, even a period road car converted to race is still a period car.

the W196 is a show piece now, nothing more, it just needs preserving.