A reliable source has tipped us off that Mercedes sold the world’s most valuable car.
Mercedes-Benz has said before that they would never sell the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR ‘Uhlenhaut Coupé’, but it appears just that may have happened in a secret auction. The source says the car was auctioned off for charity, and went for a price of 130 million Euros, or $136.8 million dollars. If true, this is easily the most expensive car ever sold at an auction.
Daimler-Benz created the hardtop version of the 300 SLR racing car for the 1956 season, but it was never used in racing because the brand ceased racing activities. During a June 11, 1955 24-hour Le Mans endurance race, disaster strikes as a major crash killed 83 spectators and racing driver Pierre Bouillin, and injured another 180 people. After the tragic accident, Mercedes decided to retire from racing until they returned in 1989. However, two of these coupe 300 SLR race cars were already made.
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Instead of heading to the race track, it was used as a company car by the head of the test department, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, earning it the nickname “Uhlenhaut Coupe”. Powering the Uhlenhaut Coupe was the fastest road car in the world at the time, with a top speed of 180 mph.
Mercedes has long stood by the decision not to sell either of the cars, but we tend to believe they have. At the time of the article, we have reached out to Mercedes to confirm, deny, or provide a statement. We will promptly update when we receive a reply.
