The car is one of only two prototypes built by the Mercedes-Benz racing department.
London:
A 1955 Mercedes-Benz, one of only two versions in existence, was auctioned earlier this month for a staggering 135 million euros ($143 million), making it the world’s most expensive car ever sold, RM Sotheby’s announced Thursday. .
“A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé from 1955 has been sold at auction to a private collector for a record $135 million,” the classic car auction company said in a statement.
The vehicle sold for nearly triple the previous record, set in 2018 by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO for more than $48 million.
The invitation-only auction took place on May 5 at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, the auction house said.
The car is one of only two prototypes built by the Mercedes-Benz racing division and is named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, according to RM Sotheby’s.
“The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé will remain open for public display on special occasions, while the second original 300 SLR Coupé will remain in the company’s possession and will remain on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart” the spokesman said. auction company added.
RM Sotheby’s said the proceeds from the auction will be used to establish a global Mercedes-Benz Fund that will fund environmental science and decarbonization research.
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