► Plus the most expensive cars sold at auction
A Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe has become the most expensive car ever sold at auction – leapfrogging a string of Ferraris at the top of the world’s most valuable cars. The 1955 gullwing was sold by Mercedes at an RM Sotheby’s auction for €135 million to a private collector. Funds raised will establish a Mercedes-Benz fund to provide education and research into environmental science and decarbonisation projects for young people, Stuttgart said.300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe’s rarity: it is one of just two prototypes made and was named after its chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut. It was released from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Collection.
The 300 SLR was based around the W196 R Grand Prix car which won two world championships in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio. It was capable of 180mph, making it one of the fastest cars available in period.The delectable 300 SLR has overtaken the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which sold in 2018 for a record $48m at the prestigious RM Sotheby’s sale at Monterey Car Week. That record stood for four years until the May 2022Tellingly, 16 of the top 27 most expensive cars ever sold at auction were Ferraris .