Sale Of The Most Valuable Car In The World

In the most remarkable car auction ever conducted, RM Sotheby’s in association with Mercedes-Benz has sold one of the two famed 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés to a private collector, and will donate the proceeds to establish a worldwide “Mercedes-Benz Fund” that will provide educational and research scholarships in the areas of environmental science and decarbonization for young people.

• The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé has been sold at auction for a record price of €135 million to a private collector
• An icon of the automotive world, the car is one of just two prototypes built and named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut
• The car has been owned by Mercedes-Benz since its creation in 1955 and its selling price exceeds the previous record price for a car by more than €90,000,000 and places the car in the top 10 most valuable items ever sold at auction in any collecting category

The remarkable 300 SLR was based on the hugely successful W 196 R Grand Prix car which won two World Championships in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio, but with its engine enlarged to 3.0 litres for sports car racing. The car was capable of 180 mph, making it one of the fastest road legal cars to have ever been created at the time.

The sale of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé took place on May 5th at an auction held at the Mercedes­Benz Museum in Stuttgart, with RM Sotheby’s working in close cooperation with Mercedes-Benz throughout the entire process to ensure the sale was concluded to the highest possible standard. Among the invitees were selected Mercedes customers and international collectors of cars and art who share the corporate values of Mercedes-Benz.