Photo: Spam Chronicles
On Thursday, one of the most expensive vehicles in history was sold for a mind-blowing €142 million! This 1955 Mercedes SLR coupe has been preserved in the luxury auto manufacturer’s collection until now, when it was auctioned.
Hagerty, a firm that keeps tabs on collector car values, stated that the price hails it as the most expensive car known ever to be sold.
The money raised by this sale will help launch the Mercedes-Benz Fund, which provides scholarships for students around the world, said the company.
The previous record-setting price was $70 million acquired in 2018 for a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO.
The sold Mercedes vehicle was among the only two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe models. The cars, 67 years old, were named after Mercedes’ then-chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, and are said to have the highest speed of 186 mph.
The highly sought-after model was sold at an exclusive auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on May 5, organized in partnership with auto auction company RM Sotheby’s.
“Their racing cars from the 1930s and 1950s are rare, and most are still owned by the factory, so any that come to market are highly sought after,” stated vice president of automotive intelligence at Hagerty, Brian Rabold.
Models from Mercedes, such as the “Gullwing” SLRs – dubbed due to their doors that hang in the air like curved wings – are deemed to be one of the most desirable vehicles in the world. And several varieties of unique and racing versions are particularly valuable.
The SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was a hard-top version of Mercedes’ highly-coveted open-topped SLR racing car, powered by a 300-horsepower eight-cylinder engine. The deliberation was that a closed car would protect drivers better from wind and weather at top speeds, and the closed roof would also upgrade aerodynamics.
Shortly after creating these vehicles, Mercedes pulled back from motorsports, so they have never been used in competition.
The company didn’t identify the car’s new owner, but British classic car dealer Simon Kidston said in a press release to have put a winning bid at the behest of a customer.
