Step away, Ferrari 250 GTO; a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe has just become the most expensive car ever sold after trading hands for €135 million - the equivalent of £114.4 million
when it was sold in 2018 for £52 million - less than the bidding price opened at for the 300 SLR.
Just two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés were made by Mercedes-Benz, taking their name from the firm’s chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. The car was designed as a road-going version of the W 196 R grand prix car, with an enlarged 3.0-litre straight-eight engine allowing it to hit speeds of up to 180mph. The car sold was chassis 00008/55 - the second of the two cars built and the one that Uhlenhaut himself used frequently. The sale makes the 300 SLR one of the top 10 most expensive items ever sold at auction.
All proceeds from the sale will be used to establish a worldwide “Mercedes-Benz Fund”, which RM Sotheby’s says will aim to “provide educational and research scholarships in the areas of environmental science and decarbonisation for young people.” Simon Kidston, who placed the winning bid for the unnamed buyer, said:"If you had asked classic car experts and top collectors over the past half a century to name the most desirable car in the world, there's a good chance that they would have come up with the same model: the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. It's a combination of exotic engineering, all-conquering racing history, the power of the three-pointed star on its nose and the fact that one had never, ever been sold.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
An off-grid Starlink user achieves 'infinite WiFi' with 300 watts of solarA Starlink user from the U.S. is powering the system on solar energy. And the setup could be used to help hikers on extreme Sawtooth Mountain trails.
Read more »
Report: Russia Fires S-300 Missiles at Israeli Jets, Signalling Possible Shift in RelationsThe Russian military opened fire on Israeli jets with advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missiles after an alleged Israeli strike on Iranian targets in northwestern Syria last Friday, Israeli media reported.
Read more »
A 1955 Mercedes Just Nabbed $143 Million at Auction, Making It the Most Expensive Car Ever SoldThe 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe smashed the previous record for the most expensive car sold at auction by more than $95 million.
Read more »
The craziest concept cars ever made | AutocarToo many concepts nowadays are just watered-down previews of production cars. But not these – they were all far too mad to ever be sold
Read more »
Mercedes Vision AMG concept reveals electric performance futureMercedes reveals how future AMG models could look with sleek new concept
Read more »
The $920 Million Macklowe Art Collection Is Now the Most Expensive Ever SoldThe Macklowe Collection featured works by Rothko, Warhol, Pollock, and more great artists.
Read more »