Mercedes-Benz W25, Monaco Grand Prix 1935 #4

The W25 was Mercedes' answer to the 750 kg formula of 1934, and by 1935 it had been developed into the dominant car of the season, winning nine major races. Monaco, on 22 April, was one of them, and it belonged to Luigi Fagioli. Starting from the front row, the Italian made the better start, took the lead and was never headed, leading every lap around the harbour and setting the fastest lap. Behind him, Manfred von Brauchitsch's gearbox failed on the opening lap, and Rudolf Caracciola retired after 65 laps with a broken valve. Fagioli won by 31.5 seconds from René Dreyfus's Alfa Romeo, with Antonio Brivio's Alfa Romeo third.

CMC's W25 wears Fagioli's red #4 on the nose, sides and tail. The bonnet, cut with open air louvres, lifts off on spring-loaded hooks to expose the supercharged straight-eight with its pipes and cabling, and the radiator grille is made by hand in stainless steel with soldered bars and wire mesh. Each wire wheel is laced with stainless spokes, every one with its own nipple, and held by a two-eared centre-lock nut. The driver sits on textile upholstery against a real leather headrest, facing a wood-rimmed wheel and instruments set in a marbled stainless panel. A limited edition of 2,000 pieces; CMC builds it at 1:18, from more than 890 parts.