The 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe ran with the record for the most expensive car ever sold with an auction sale price of 135 million euros.
see photos1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhout with Coupe manufacturer Rudolf Uhlenhout.
A Mercedes-Benz now holds the record for the most expensive car in the world. The German carmaker put one of its two 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes on the block at a recently held private auction, with the car earning a record 135 million euros (about $143 million). The coupe prototype is named after its creator and chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhout. The previous record for the most expensive car sold was held by the iconic 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which sold for $48.4 million at auction in 2018.
“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 made with very good reasoning – for the benefit of a good cause. Proceeds from the auction will fund a global scholarship program,” said Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kelenius.
The auction took place on 5 May, with the vehicle itself being part of the company’s own collection in the Mercedes-Benz Classic. The model put up for auction was a non-public display unit placed with the company. The auction was conducted in association with RM Southby with a select group of Mercedes-Benz customers and car collectors who were invited to the event.
Mercedes has said that proceeds from the auction will go towards its “Mercedes-Benz Fund” global scholarship program. The fund will provide scholarships to students at the university and school level and encourage students to conduct research on environmental science projects. The company says that the scholarship is for those students who do not have the financial means for their projects and career path.
Gullwing doors were an iconic design element of the 300 SL and 300 SLR coupes.
“The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhout Coupe will remain accessible for public display on special occasions, while the second original 300 SLR Coupe will remain company owned and continue to be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.” Marcus Breitschward, head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage.
The Uhlenhout Coupe was originally developed to go into racing for the 1956 season, although it was never used as Mercedes-Benz went out of racing at the end of the 1955 season. The 300 SLR was powered by a 3.0-litre 8-cylinder engine that produced 298 bhp and was capable of taking the car to a top speed of 290 kmph. Mercedes has produced only two race cars from this series, the second of which is on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
The 1955 300 SLR earned the Uhlenhout Coupe nickname after the cancellation of the race schedule, a model Rudolf Uhlenhout used as his company’s car.
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In addition to the 300 SL and SLRs coupes, the styling and racing pedigree are also noted for their distinctive gullwing doors – a feature that Mercedes would later use in the SLS AMG. However, doors were required for these iconic coupes due to their tubular frame chassis and low mounted bodyshells, with the chassis taking up a greater portion of the space required for frame doors – a design that was later solved in the Roadster.
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