Mercedes-Benz has managed to unseat Ferrari with the sale of the most expensive model in history. The model in question is a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé that sold at auction for a record price of €135 million to a private collector.
This amount has allowed the German group to surpass the Ferrari 250 GTO, from 1962, which was auctioned in 2018 for 45.7 million euros, that is, almost three times less than the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé.
This icon of automotive history is an absolute rarity, as it is one of only two prototypes built at the time. Named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, it is considered one of the finest examples of automotive design and engineering by automotive experts and enthusiasts around the world.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé with its creator, Rudolph Uhlenhaut
The president of Mercedes-Benz, Ola Källenius, explained that “the decision to sell one of these two unique sports cars was made with a very solid reasoning: to benefit a good cause. The proceeds from the auction will finance a global scholarship program ” .
Likewise, the member of the Board of Directors of the Mercedes-Benz Group for Integrity and Legal Affairs and responsible for the governance of the ‘Mercedes-Benz Fund’, Renata Jungo Brüngger, has pointed out that “the income from the sale of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé provide a unique opportunity to strengthen our commitment to a long-term flagship project: we will establish the ‘Mercedes-Benz Fund’ global scholarship program that supports young people in their studies, commitment and actions towards a more sustainable future.”
The sale of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé took place on May 5 at an auction held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in collaboration with the renowned auctioneer RM Sotheby’s. In addition, the auctioned 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé was part of the private vehicle collection belonging to Mercedes-Benz Classic, made up of more than 1,100 automobiles from the invention of the automobile in 1886 to the present day.
Mercedes-Benz Heritage Director Marcus Breitschwerdt added: “The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé will continue to be accessible for public display on special occasions, while the original second 300 SLR Coupé remains owned by the company. and will continue to be exhibited at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.”