1954 MERCEDES BENZ W196 STREAMLINED, REIMS F1 Cover

MotorsportMemorabilia 1954 Grand Prix commemorative cover

The 1954 was a complex season with Juan Manuel Fangio being signed up for Mercedes but being free to drive for other teams until the cars were ready to race. Fangio won the first 2 races of the season, in a Maserati 250F, at Buenos Aires and Spa-Francorchamps; he then won a further 4 races in the Mercedes-Benz W196 to become World Champion by a clear margin. Unusually, the W196 was produced in open wheeled and streamlined versions, the latter being raced on the faster circuits. Despite the late introduction the Mercedes W196 took 4 pole positions for the season and led for 376 laps versus Ferrari's 304, despite the German cars missing the first 2 races. Ross Wardle has produced artwork that compliments our 1955 cover, showing Juan Manuel Fangio crossing the line at Reims, finishing just 0.1 seconds ahead of his team mate, Karl Kling.