Collectors are crazy, and when a car pops up that no one else has ever owned in a private collection it attracts the heavy hitters. We’ve already seen it play

The Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Streamliner, a rare Formula 1 race car from 1955, was auctioned for $53.9 million, becoming the second most expensive car ever sold.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is selling a selection of rare cars to raise funds for renovations, and it won't have any trouble generating cash, as its 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Monza Streamliner just sold for nearly $54 million courtesy of RM Sotheby's.

There’s more than one reason why this 1954 Mercedes Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is the most valuable Grand Prix car ever sold. Not only was it the first Streamliner-bodied W 196 R ever offered for private ownership,