{"id":90764,"date":"2022-02-07T16:11:27","date_gmt":"2022-02-07T16:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.secret-classics.com\/mercedes-benz-300-sl-roadster-from-juan-manuel-fangio\/"},"modified":"2022-02-21T12:20:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T12:20:37","slug":"mercedes-benz-300-sl-roadster-from-juan-manuel-fangio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secret-classics.com\/en\/mercedes-benz-300-sl-roadster-from-juan-manuel-fangio\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster from Juan Manuel Fangio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For many decades, Juan Manuel Fangio was the most successful Formula 1 racing driver of all time. In the 1950s, he scored five world championship titles with Ferrari, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Mercedes-Benz, in addition to numerous race victories. Only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton were able to surpass this record decades later. While the latter two drivers already had access to numerous aids, the bolides in the 50s were still purely mechanical. In addition, there were hardly any safety-relevant components apart from a helmet shell and aviator goggles. Even seat belts were virtually unknown back then. Today’s generation of drivers is correspondingly impressed when they get the opportunity to drive an old race car. Fangio won 24 times in 51 Formula 1 races. This victory rate has never been surpassed. Moreover, at that time it was still normal for F1 drivers to take part in other car races on their weekends off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fangio drove without driver’s license<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fangio raced sports cars at the Targa Florio and the Mille Miglia. While he was able to take overall victory twice in three starts at the 12 Hours of Sebring, he wasn’t lucky at Le Mans. He competed there four times and never finished. It was also a sports car race that led to an unusual fringe story. In February 1958, the sports car elite was in Cuba, where a race was to be held at the invitation of Fulgencio Batista. Movimento 26 de Julio (the 26th of July Movement) under Fidel Castro kidnapped Juan Manuel Fangio and held him prisoner until the following day. However, by his own account, they treated him very well. In the same year, Fangio announced his retirement. He continued to compete in vintage car races for a few more years. In his native Argentina, he finally passed his driving test in 1961 and thus received an official driver’s license. In fact, the five-time F1 world champion had previously driven without one.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
\n
\"\"
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>