A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé from 1955 has been sold at auction for a record price of €135 million (AED524 million) to a private collector.
The car, which is one of two created, was a prototype built by the Mercedes-Benz racing department and named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. It is often cited as being ‘the most beautiful car in the world’ by automotive experts and enthusiasts worldwide.
The car was capable of 180 mph (290 kph), making it one of the fastest road legal cars to have ever been created at the time. It was sold at an auction held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart by RM Sotheby’s.
The winning bid, making it the most valuable car ever sold, beat the existing record by more the €90 million (AED349 million). This was a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold in 2018.
RM Sotheby’s said the Mercedes-Benz Uhlenhaut Coupé 300 SLR now sits in the top ten most valuable items ever sold at auction. It added that the proceeds will be used to establish a worldwide “Mercedes-Benz Fund” that will provide educational and research scholarships in the areas of environmental science and decarbonisation for young people.
The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé will remain accessible for public display on special occasions, while the second original 300 SLR Coupé remains in company ownership and will continue to be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, Oliver Barker, said: “What an absolute thrill to bring the hammer down on this masterpiece of design and engineering, which now stands shoulder to shoulder with the greatest works of art ever sold. Few ever dreamt that this great jewel of motoring history would ever come for sale.”
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