RM Sotheby's has sold a Mercedes for a record £115million!
Auction house RM Sotheby's sold the most expensive - and by some distance - motor vehicle in 2022. At the time, the sale price was almost three times the previous record. The car in question is one of just two 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes the German car firm built, which changed hands for a monumental $142,000,000 (£115million). It was bought by a private collector at an auction with a difference. That's because, while still a public sale, it was a secret, behind-closed-doors, invite-only event hosted by Sotheby's and Mercedes at the manufacturer's museum in Germany on 5 May 2022. Only those with pockets deep enough were deemed eligible for an entry ticket. RM Sotheby's said the car has 'always been regarded as one of the great jewels of motoring history' and its sale is a monumental moment with few ever imagining that it would be offered to a private buyer by the German manufacturer. The car is one of only two 300 SLR Coupes built in 1955 as hardtop versions of the roofless racing car Sir Stirling Moss drove to victory at the Mille Miglia race that year - arguably the Briton's most famous crown. It is powered by a roaring 3.0-litre straight eight-cylinder engine that produces a claimed 310bhp and top speed in the region of 180mph. It uses a lightweight aluminium body and features Mercedes' iconic gullwing doors. It is the car that inspired Mercedes to work with McLaren in the early noughties to create the iconic SLR supercar range, which included a convertible 722 Edition (the famed race number of the Moss car at Mille Miglia) and the SLR Stirling Moss - a roofless speedster without a windscreen, of which 75 were created in the legendary British racer's name. While the original cars were designed in 1955 with the intention to compete in endurance events, neither were raced. That's because the coupe was under development when motorsport's most tragic crash occurred, which is the darkest day in Mercedes-Benz's history. Disaster struck during the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 11 June 1955 - one month after Moss' famous win in Italy. While occupying first and second place, one of the team cars collided with an Austin Healy on the start-finish straight and was propelled into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and injuring another 100. The devastating accident sparked Mercedes' retirement from racing for the next three decades, with the Silver Arrows only officially returning to the track in 1989. The pair of prototype cars then under development were completed in 1955, despite there being no intention for them to be raced. They widely became known in the classic car world as the 'Uhlenhaut Coupes'. That's because Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the boss of Mercedes’ Test Department, used one as a company car. The 300 SLR Coupe was the fastest known closed-roof vehicle at the time and is said to have hit its maximum speed of 178mph during frequent autobahn runs. While neither coupe ever raced during their period, they have made numerous public appearances since, including a hair-raising hill-climb run at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed Media Day, piloted by German racing driver, Jochen Mass. Hagerty sources believe the coveted car sold for a record sum is chassis number 0008/55 - the second of the 300 SLR Coupes built. 'Rumours abound as to the identity of the buyer, with some suggesting it is a well-known figure from Britain’s automotive industry and a long-standing collector of specialist cars,' Hagerty told us last week. 'With interest rates rising rapidly, this purchase could be seen as a wise investment for someone with the means,' it added. #automotive #theafricancarguy #automobile
