RM Sotheby’s & IMS Museum Plan ‘Stories Behind the Spectacle’ Auction

RM Sotheby’s and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum have announced the sale of some historically significant cars to support the museum’s long-term financial sustainability and allow it to further enhance the care of its collection of artifacts. 

While the IMS Museum has thousands of unique and historic racing artifacts, some of them do not align with the museum’s mission. After much consideration, the museum decided to sell the last of the vehicles in its collection not directly connected to the Indianapolis 500 or Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The proceeds will provide for enhanced restoration, care, and display of the museum’s current collections through advanced and new technologies, such as an archival storage system, state-of-the-art fire suppression, and mounting materials for displays.

“Our Stories Behind the Spectacle campaign is helping to fund the reimagining of the IMS Museum. The deaccession and sale of these artifacts are earmarked specifically to help us create a more robust endowment to be used for caring for our collection,” said Joe Hale, president, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

“We’re excited to partner with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum to ensure that it is able to continue sharing the stories of the Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway for generations to come. From the Moss/Fangio-raced W196 to the Le Mans-winning 250 LM, and even a land speed record car, these aren’t just significant; they are the pinnacle of collecting,” said Gord Duff, global head of auctions, RM Sotheby’s.

Vehicles in the sale include:

1954 Mercedes-Benz  W196 Streamliner ‘Monza’ – Originally featuring an open-wheel body, Juan Manuel Fangio would pilot this car in a non-points race in Buenos Aires in 1954. Later on, was driven by Sterling Moss at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. At the race Moss would achieve the fastest lap earning him one point in the World Drivers’ Championship that year. This Mercedes-Benz was donated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1965 directly from the factory.

1964 Ferrari 250 LM  – This Ferrari 250 LM was the Chinetti/NART entry for the 1965 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race in which Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt achieved an impressive first overall finish, a feat not accomplished again by a Ferrari until 2023. This 250 LM would go on to compete at Le Mans two more times, making it a three-time entrant in the 24-hour endurance classic, and one of just six Ferraris to compete at Le Mans three times in the Enzo era (1947 to 1988). Incredibly, of the eight races it participated in during its racing career, seven were 24-hour endurance races—a three-time entrant in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a four-time entrant in the 24 Hours of Daytona. The Ferrari was acquired by the IMS Museum in 1972 from Kirk F. White.

1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS Project XP64 – The Corvette SS was Chevrolet’s first purpose-built race car utilizing the best materials and proven designs of race cars of the 1950s and may be the only magnesium-bodied Corvette ever made. It also marked the first use of SS on a Chevrolet product, two letters synonymous with performance and the Chevrolet brand today. This Corvette SS is one of just two examples built, this and a prototype. Corvette SS made its racing debut at Sebring 1957 to critical acclaim, earning a pole position to start the race for team drivers John Fitch and Piero Taruffi. Sebring would mark the car’s first and only race as just a few weeks later the Automobile Manufacturers Association (AMA) enacted a ban on motor racing for member companies which included GM and its Chevrolet Division. Zora Arkus-Duntov who was involved in the project would later play a role in this car being donated to the IMS Museum in the late 1960s.

1991 Benneton B191 Formula 1 Car – With Benneton’s new car not yet ready for the 1992 season, 1991 cars were utilized for the first three races of the year. Camel Benneton-Ford team drivers for 1992 were Martin Brundle and Michael Schumacher. Schumacher had competed in the last five races of the 1991 season and 1992 marked his first full year in Formula 1. This car was used by Schumacher in the very first race of the 1992 season, the South African Grand Prix, a race in which Schumacher started sixth and would finish fourth behind Nigel Mansell, Riccardo Patrese, and Ayrton Senna, respectively.

The Spirit of America – Named after Craig Breedlove’s goal of breaking the sound barrier, Sonic I would go on to set the ultimate land speed record five times, the fastest being 600.601 mph. Craig’s wife, Lee, set the women’s land speed record in this car, averaging 308.56 mph.