1954d MERCEDES BENZ W196 STREAMLINED, REIMS F1 Cover signed HANS HERRMANN

£13.00

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MotorsportMemorabilia 1954 Grand Prix commemorative cover signed HANS HERRMANN

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.

The extra special has been signed by HANS HERRMANN who showed great potential when racing Veritas and Porsche in 1953, earning him a place in the Mercedes-Benz team for 1954. His 10 Grand Prix points were gained in the Mercedes W196 during the 1954 & 55 seasons, finishing once in third place and twice fourth. Further F1 races with Maserati, Porsche and several British teams yielded finishes but no points. However, he was most successful in sports car events, winning the 1960 Targa Florio, 1960 & 68 Sebring 12-hour, 1968 Daytona 24-hour and the 1968 Paris 1000 kms. He retired from racing after his greatest achievement, winning the 1970 Le Mans 24-hour race in a Porsche 917, co-driving with Richard Attwood.