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    Legendary Mercedes driven by five-time F1 champion sold for £42.7MILLION – more than double previous record

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    AN ICONIC Mercedes Formula One car has made history by doubling the record for the most expensive Grand Prix car ever sold.The striking silver Mercedes W196 R Stromlinienwage, chassis number 00009/54, was sold for a staggering £42.7million (€52.92m) by an unnamed buyer.The Mercedes W196 R has been sold for £42.7m at an auction in GermanyCredit: PAThe car was driven in 1955 by F1 icons Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling MossCredit: Times Newspapers LtdThe striking silver car doubled the record for most expensive grand prix car soldCredit: PAIt is one of only four complete designs builtCredit: PAOne of only four complete versions ever built, it is only one of the most famous racing cars ever made having been driven by five-time F1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio and British icon Sir Stirling Moss.Boasting a top speed of 186mph, the remarkable machine that typifies the “Silver Arrows” nickname claimed victory on its debut in 1955 at the Buenos Aires Grand Prix, but with a cigar shaped open-wheel design.It won five more races that season to win both the driver’s and constructors’ championship.The car was sold by RM Sotheby’s on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.READ MORE IN F1The previous record for the most expensive grand prix car sold also belongs to a Fangio-driven Mercedes, the 1954 Mercedes W196 which sold at Goodwood, England for £19.6m ($29.6m) in 2013.However, it pales in comparison to the most expensive sports car ever sold.That title belongs to 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which was sold in May 2022 for £113m ($140m).The W196 R was donated to the IMS by Mercedes in 1965, and was held for almost 60 years before being auctioned off to raise funds for the museum’s restoration efforts.Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSIMS curator, Jason Vansickle, said: “It’s a beautiful car, it’s a very historic car, it’s just a little bit outside our scope window.”We’ve been fortunate to be stewards of this vehicle for nearly 60 years and it has been a great piece in the museum but with this auction and the proceeds raised, it really will allow us… to be better in the future.”Mercedes launch sleek new PureSpeed racer with NO windscreen & 195mph top speedMercedes withdrew from the motorsport in 1955 following a Le Mans 24 Hours disaster which tragically killed 84 people.They eventually returned in 2010, where they have since won eight constructors titles and seven drivers titles – six with Lewis Hamilton and one with Nico Rosberg. More

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      Who is Wheeler Dealers’ host Mike Brewer and what is his net worth?

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      THE car-lover is best known by petrol-heads as the Wheeler Dealers presenter.But who is Mike Brewer, and what’s his net worth? Here’s what we know.
      Mike Brewer presents Wheeler Dealers on the Discovery Channel, with co-host Marc PriestleyCredit: Alamy
      Who is Mike Brewer?
      Mark Brewer is a British television presenter and car enthusiast. 
      He was born in Lambeth, London, on August 28, 1964.
      Brewer is best known as the host of Wheeler Dealers, the Discovery Channel’s car programme, which he has presented since 2003. 
      The premise of the show is that Brewer and the other presenters have a mission to save old vehicles, fix up old cars on a budget, and sell them to a new owner.
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      Brewer’s co-presenter has changed over the years: Edd China was his first co-host, followed by Ant Anstead, and most recently, Marc “Elvis” Priestley. 
      But Brewer is not only a presenter — alongside his television work, he is still active in the motor industry, and opened Mike Brewer Motors in 2012, a dealership in Sheffield. 
      He also launched the annual Used Car Award for used car dealers in the UK, a black-tie event in London. 
      What is Mike Brewer’s net worth?
      Brewer has an estimated net worth between $1.5 million and $4 million (£1.2 million to £3.2 million), owing to his long presenting career, and other business ventures. 
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      Some sources also indicate that his annual salary is $250,000. 
      Despite his motor industry fame, Brewer is famously down-to-earth.
      Is Mike Brewer married?
      Brewer is married to Michelle Brewer, whom he married in 1992.
      Michelle was born on June 9, 1962. 
      The pair are thought to live in Warwickshire and have one daughter together. 
      In a 2023 interview, Brewer opened up about the impact his career has had on his marriage, saying: “I’ve literally dedicated my life – 26 years actually – dedicated to this craft.
      “And I feel like it’s given me an amazing life but it’s also come at the cost of my marriage.”
      “But there comes a time when I look and I think, maybe I should spend more time with my wife? She drives me mad but I love being with her,” he added.
      Brewer often posts photos of Michelle with his Twitter followers, with captions such as: 
      “Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife  .. life with Michelle is wonderful, I’m so lucky. I love you tons”.
      Michelle, meanwhile, posts on Twitter under the username @MrsMBrewer. 
      In her Twitter bio, she describes herself as “The driving force behind #WheelerDealer”, so it appears the pair work as a team, and Michelle has a lot of involvement in the car industry. 
      What other shows has Mike Brewer presented?
      Brewer started his television career in 1997, on Channel 4’s Deals on Wheels, and ITV’s Pulling Power. 
      In 1999, he presented Driven on Channel 4 for one year. 
      Then in 2003, Wheeler Dealers started, on the Discovery Channel, which Brewer has presented ever since. 
      In 2009, Brewer presented another show on the Discovery Channel — Auto Trader.
      Since 2020, Brewer has also hosted the Wheeler Dealers spin-off show on the Discovery Channel, Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car. 
      For the Discovery Channel, Brewer has also presented Deals on Wheels, Wrecks to Riches, and Frontline Battle Machines.
      In 2020, Brewer took a turn co-hosting a show called The World’s Greatest Cars, on Quest. 
      Alongside television presenting, Brewer launched the Wheeler Dealer Podcast in February 2023, which has so far run for two series. 
      What cars has Mike Brewer owned?
      It comes as no surprise that Brewer has a significant collection of classic cars. 
      Brewer’s first car was a beige Mini 850cc, but he has driven a wide range of cars in the interim period. 
      In 2021, Brewer announced that despite ridiculing electric cars, he’d taken the plunge and bought himself a Porsche Taycan. 
      That same year, Brewer decided to auction off a selection of his own cars, many of which he’s restored and maintained himself, at the Silverstone Auctions at NEC Classic Motor Show.
      In the lot were a 1972 Citroen SM 2.7 four-seat coupé, a 1967 Mini Cooper 1275 S, a 1961 Austin Seven Mini 1961, a 1966 Ford Cortina Lotus Mk1, and a 2002 Ferrari 360 Spider F1.
      Despite his love for his collection of cars, Brewer’s schedule didn’t allow him the time to drive and car for all of them. 
      Brewer has previously said he believes classic cars “are there to be driven. I know that first hand because I’ve got a collection.”
      He said: “Buy something you love, buy something you’re interested in because when you love the car you’re much more likely to be willing to spend time on it, to look after it, to drive it.”
      Brewer also revealed that his Ford Fiesta Mk1 was stolen in June 2023, a car that had been restored by Brewer and Priestly to mark the 20th anniversary of Wheeler Dealers.
      Despite offering a £5000 reward for the card, as of November 2023, it has not been recovered. More