One of the very first Alloy-bodied 'Gullwings', chassis 5500190 was built to custom order for Juan Manuel Fangio, who was a Mercedes-Benz works driver. He had the car fitted with the tallest final drive ratio and Dunlop racing tires and also had the bumpers removed as he intended to use the car for road races in South America. Shortly after taking delivery, he finished second in the gruelling Ciudad de Tres Arroyos. Fangio subsequently sold the car. |