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1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sold for a record $143 million


One of two 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes sold for 135 million euros ($143 million at current exchange rates), making it the most expensive car of all time, Mercedes claims. learned on Thursday in a press release.

The gullwing coupe came from Mercedes’ private collection and was acquired by an unnamed collector in an auction held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum on 5 May. The sale was arranged with the help of support from RM Sotheby’s auction house. The carmaker said that proceeds from the car sales will go to the Mercedes-Benz Foundation, which will provide education and research scholarships in the fields of environmental science and decarbonisation.

The coupe is named after its creator, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the boss of Mercedes’ racing division in the years immediately before and after the Second World War. In addition to the coupe that bears his name, Uhlenhaut’s credits include the W196 Grand Prix car and the award-winning 300 SLR sports racer Mille Miglia in the hands of Mr. Stirling Moss.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe

The Uhlenhaut Coupe was intended to be the successor to Moss’ roofless 300 SLR. It features a boring and slick version of the W196’s straight 8 and is wrapped in a streamlined bodywork incorporating the gullwing doors that have appeared on Road 300 SL in this moment.

However, the Uhlenhaut Coupe never got a chance to race. Shortly after it was completed, Mercedes withdrew from the race after a catastrophic crash at Le Mans in 1955. In addition to a number of protests and private effortMercedes wouldn’t officially return to the track until the 1980s.

Two Uhlenhaut Coupe prototypes have been consigned to Mercedes’ undisclosed classic collection, where the second prototype will remain. Marcus Breitschwerdt, head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, said one of the conditions of the sale was that the car “will remain usable for public display and special occasions”. So the privately owned Uhlenhaut coupe can actually see the light of day more often than it did when it was owned by Mercedes.



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