World’s Most Expensive Car : 9 Things To Know About Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe Worth $142M

9 things to know about 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR ‘Uhlenhaut Coupe’ – which sold for a record price of $142 million.

The 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR ‘Uhlenhaut Coupe’ remained the most valuable car in the world, two years after a private collector paid a record price of €141 million (£138 million or US$142 million) to own the ultra-luxury sports car.

Below are some of the things to know about the 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe as compiled by Autojosh.

1) Most valuable car of all time

The 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was sold for US$142 million by renowned auctioneer RM Sotheby’s. The auction was held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum on May 5th 2022.

2) Formerly part of Mercedes non-public vehicle collection

Before the record-breaking sales, the car was part of the non-public vehicle collection belonging to Mercedes-Benz Classic. Mercedes-Benz Classic comprises more than 1100 automobiles from the invention of the automobile in 1886 until today.

3) Nearly double price paid for Ferrari 250 GTO

The price paid to own it was the highest ever – either at a private sale or public auction. It is nearly double the €69 million ($75 million) paid for the previous record-holder, a Ferrari 250 GTO.

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4) Proceeds goes to Mercedes-Benz Fund

According to Mercedes, all proceeds from the auction will be used to establish the global scholarship programme “Mercedes-Benz Fund” to support young people in their studies.

5) Based on W 196 R Grand Prix car

The remarkable road-legal 300 SLR was based on the hugely successful W 196 R Grand Prix car, which won two World Championships in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio.

6) Fastest street-legal car during its time

It is powered by a 3.0-litre straight-eight, which makes it capable of reaching speeds up to 290 km/h (180mph) – making it the fastest street-legal car during its time.

7) Only two in the world

There are only two original 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes in the world. The second example with blue interior still belongs to Mercedes-Benz. It is currently on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

8) Named after its creator

The 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, who used one of the coupes as his personal cars on public roads.

9) Very fast

While behind one of the two cars, Uhlenhaut reportedly drove up the autobahn from Munich to Stuttgart in just over an hour, a 220-kilometre (137 mi) journey that today takes two-and-a-half hours.

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