A rare Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's most expensive car after selling for £115.1 million ($142,769,250) including premium at a secret auction.
Record-Breaking Sale at Mercedes-Benz Museum
The auction took place on May 5, 2022, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, and was brokered by Sotheby's. The winning bidder chose to remain anonymous following the record-breaking sale. Only two prototypes of the iconic sports car were ever built by the German manufacturer.
The Uhlenhaut Coupé: A Racing Legend That Never Raced
Named after legendary Mercedes-Benz engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the 300 SLR Coupé was developed in 1955 as a closed version of the brand's dominant 300 SLR racing car. Despite being designed for endurance racing, the car never competed in a single race. Mercedes-Benz withdrew from motorsport at the end of the 1955 season following the tragic Le Mans disaster, leaving the two prototypes without a competitive future. Instead, the cars became engineering legends, earning the nickname 'fastest race car to never compete in a race.'
Engineering Marvel of Its Time
Built using technology derived from Mercedes-Benz's Formula One-winning W196 racing car, the Uhlenhaut Coupé was highly advanced for its era. The lightweight machine weighed less than a tonne and produced around 302 horsepower from its advanced straight-eight engine. With a top speed approaching 300 km/h (186 mph), it was considerably faster than most production sports cars of the 1950s, many of which struggled to exceed 200 km/h (about 124.2 mph).
Uhlenhaut's Personal Company Car
When Mercedes-Benz cancelled its racing programme after the Le Mans disaster, Rudolf Uhlenhaut famously used one of the prototypes as his company car, reportedly driving between Stuttgart and Munich in around an hour. Its distinctive gullwing doors, lightweight construction and race-bred engineering have made it one of the most admired cars in automotive history.
