The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe

A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe has been sold for a record amount at auction. A classic the moment it was created, it was gaveled at an auction for a record price of €135 million ($142 million). This unbelievable purchase price makes it the highest paid for a vehicle ever. Napleton News is no stranger to the auto auction scene, but this one makes our eyes water.

Video courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

 

There were only two copies made of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe. Long considered an iconic coupe, it was built using the designs of creator and chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Its superior condition makes it one of the finest examples of automotive engineering and design in the world today.

Shaping the Mercedes-Benz brand.

“The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes are milestones in sports car development and key historical elements that have shaped our brand. The decision to sell one of these two unique sports cars was taken with very sound reasoning – to benefit a good cause,” said Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Proceeds will establish the Mercedes-Benz Fund to encourage a new generation to follow in Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s innovative footsteps and develop amazing new technologies,” he continued.

The rolling history of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe

The RM Sotheby’s auction was open to Mercedes-Benz customers and international collectors of cars and art who share the values espoused by the iconic German brand. The model sold at auction is part of the non-public vehicle collection that is part of Mercedes-Benz Classic. The collection numbers more than 1,100 vehicles ranging from the invention of the automobile. It includes models like the 1885 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, long considered the first automobile, to models of today.

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is considered a streetable race car. In that sense, it is a street-legal hardtop version of the Juan-Manuel Fangio-driven W196R Grand Prix car of 1956.

Mercedes-Benz said the new owner of the Uhlenhaut Coupe will make it “accessible for public display on special occasions.” The second coupe will remain under Mercedes-Benz ownership.

Mercedes’ Källenius wraps by saying, “Achieving the highest price ever paid for a vehicle is extraordinary and humbling. A Mercedes-Benz is by far the most valuable car in the world.”