MOTOR: Sales of competition icons will make big $$$$

A group of the world's most iconic competition cars is going up for auction, led by a Mercedes-Benz grand prix streamliner that could become the costliest Formula One car on record.

It's the super-slippery version of the open-wheeled Mercedes W196 that dominated F1 racing in 1954 and 1955 in the hands of legendary drivers Juan-Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.

The dream machine is tipped to fetch around $80 million when it is auctioned by RM Sotheby's this weekend at a special event – it is the only car in the sale – in Germany.

A similar car, but without the Stromlinienwagen bodywork, currently holds the world record at just under $40 million.

If you want to see more on the car, Mercedes-AMG team boss Toto Wolff has his say, with some great historic footage, here:

But the brilliant Benz is not the only car that will bring big bucks in 2025, thanks to a clean-out of the museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Ferrari 250LM that won at Le Mans in 1965 is also for sale, and so too is an original Ford GT40 that raced at Le Mans in 1966, as well as a rare prototype Chevrolet Corvette special from 1957.

Away from the Indy grid, record numbers are also expected for the ridiculously comprehensive collection of 69 Formula One and grand prix cars owned by Bernie Ecclestone, which is tipped to reach a total sale price of around $500 million by the time Mr E has cleared his giant hanger at the former World War II air base at Biggin Hill in Britain.

The cars from the Indy collection are being removed to make space, to renew the focus on cars with a history at The Brickyard, and also to make money – plenty of it – for new purchases.

Yet, ironically, the original cost of the collectible cars was surprisingly low, as the Benz – one of only four W196 racers built – the GT40 and the Corvette were all donated to the museum.

The Ferrari was purchased from the US distributor, Luigi Chinetti, in 1970 after competing in the Daytona 24-Hour race.

The 250LM has an incredible history as, apart from its Le Mans win in '65 with future (postumous) world champion Jochen Rindt sharing the driving with Masten Gregory, it successfully completed six 24-hour races – three times at Le Mans and three times at Daytona.

The Ford GT40 was less successful at Le Mans with Mark Donohue and Australian driver Paul Hawkins in 1966, retiring with gearbox trouble as its sister cars scored an iconic 1-2-3 sweep.

Chassis number P/1032, one of just eight full-factory GT40s built, managed a better result in the 12-Hour race at Sebring in the USA, finishing second.

It is tipped to return a minimum of $13 million at an RM Sotheby's sale late in February.

The Chevrolet Corvette prototype will be a relative bargain by comparison, with its sale priced tipped to 'only' top $8 million.

It was the first purpose-built race car produced by General Motors, in a personal passion project led by engineering boss Zora Arkus-Duntov, who was known as the 'father of the Corvette' in the 1950s.

The prototype, known as the SS Project XP-64, raced in the 1957 Sebring 12-Hour race in the USA and wore unique magnesium bodywork.

It was one of the first Corvettes to wear SS badging for the 'Super Sport' model, and was later used to trial engineering innovations on its V8 engine, including an early fuel-injection system.

But it never hit the target of racing at Le Mans, as GM withdrew from motorsport as part of an agreement between the major American carmakers.