See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (2024)

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An extremely rare, 67-year-old Mercedes-Benz just sold for a whopping $142 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction. The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is a prototype race car built for the 1956 season. It obliterated the previous record for the priciest car ever auctioned off by around $95 million. The previous record holder was a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for around $48 million in 2018, according to auction house RM Sotheby's, which was involved in both sales. The coupe also ranks in the top 10 most expensive items ever sold at auction, RM Sotheby's said. Mercedes-Benz sold the 300 SLR during an invite-only auction on May 5 at its museum in Stuttgart, Germany. It sold to classic-car dealer Simon Kidston, who placed the winning bid on behalf of an anonymous buyer. In part, the 300 SLR is so valuable because Mercedes built just two of them. To be fair, it's also gorgeous. The coupe was never raced, and instead was used by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the head of Mercedes's testing department, as a company car. The eight-cylinder race car was rated at roughly 300 horsepower. It had a top speed of 180 mph, making it one of the fastest road-legal vehicles of its time, according to RM Sotheby's. The 300 SLR Coupe was developed as a hardtop version of Mercedes's successful open-top 300 SLR race car. Both SLR Coupes have been in Mercedes-Benz's private collection since new. The one sold — nicknamed "Red" for its red interior — only shows a little over 6,000 kilometers on the odometer. Its sibling, "Blue," will remain on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. The 300 SLR isn't to be confused with the Mercedes 300 SL, another highly collectible 1950s Mercedes that's only worth a measly $1 million. Why would Mercedes-Benz part with such a valuable car and such an iconic piece of its history? It was sold for a good cause. Mercedes says it will use the proceeds from the sale to set up a scholarship fund to support education and research into environmental science and decarbonization.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (1)

  • An ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz just sold for $142 million at an invite-only auction.
  • The 1955 race car is by far the most expensive car ever auctioned off.
  • It's also one of the most valuable items ever sold at auction, according to RM Sotheby's.

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An extremely rare, 67-year-old Mercedes-Benz just sold for a whopping $142 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (2)

The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is a prototype race car built for the 1956 season.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (3)

It obliterated the previous record for the priciest car ever auctioned off by around $95 million.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (4)

The previous record holder was a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for around $48 million in 2018, according to auction house RM Sotheby's, which was involved in both sales.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (5)

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The coupe also ranks in the top 10 most expensive items ever sold at auction, RM Sotheby's said.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (6)

Mercedes-Benz sold the 300 SLR during an invite-only auction on May 5 at its museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (7)

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It sold to classic-car dealer Simon Kidston, who placed the winning bid on behalf of an anonymous buyer.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (8)

In part, the 300 SLR is so valuable because Mercedes built just two of them.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (9)

To be fair, it's also gorgeous.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (10)

The coupe was never raced, and instead was used by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the head of Mercedes's testing department, as a company car.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (11)

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The eight-cylinder race car was rated at roughly 300 horsepower.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (12)

It had a top speed of 180 mph, making it one of the fastest road-legal vehicles of its time, according to RM Sotheby's.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (13)

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The 300 SLR Coupe was developed as a hardtop version of Mercedes's successful open-top 300 SLR race car.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (14)

Both SLR Coupes have been in Mercedes-Benz's private collection since new.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (15)

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The one sold — nicknamed "Red" for its red interior — only shows a little over 6,000 kilometers on the odometer.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (16)

Its sibling, "Blue," will remain on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (17)

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The 300 SLR isn't to be confused with the Mercedes 300 SL, another highly collectible 1950s Mercedes that's only worth a measly $1 million.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (18)

Why would Mercedes-Benz part with such a valuable car and such an iconic piece of its history?

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (19)

Advertisem*nt

It was sold for a good cause.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (20)

Mercedes says it will use the proceeds from the sale to set up a scholarship fund to support education and research into environmental science and decarbonization.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (21)

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See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (2024)
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