See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (2024)

2022-05-20T17:27:47Z

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (1)

An ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz just sold for $142 million at an invite-only auction.
The 1955 race car is by far the most expensive car ever auctioned off.
It's also one of the most valuable items ever sold at auction, according to RM Sotheby's.

Advertisem*nt

An extremely rare, 67-year-old Mercedes-Benz just sold for a whopping $142 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (2)

The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is a prototype race car built for the 1956 season.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (3)

Advertisem*nt

It obliterated the previous record for the priciest car ever auctioned off by around $95 million.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (4)

The previous record holder was a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for around $48 million in 2018, according to auction house RM Sotheby's, which was involved in both sales.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (5)

Advertisem*nt

The coupe also ranks in the top 10 most expensive items ever sold at auction, RM Sotheby's said.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (6)

Mercedes-Benz sold the 300 SLR during an invite-only auction on May 5 at its museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (7)

Advertisem*nt

It sold to classic-car dealer Simon Kidston, who placed the winning bid on behalf of an anonymous buyer.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (8)

In part, the 300 SLR is so valuable because Mercedes built just two of them.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (9)

Advertisem*nt

To be fair, it's also gorgeous.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (10)

The coupe was never raced, and instead was used by Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the head of Mercedes's testing department, as a company car.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (11)

Advertisem*nt

The eight-cylinder race car was rated at roughly 300 horsepower.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (12)

It had a top speed of 180 mph, making it one of the fastest road-legal vehicles of its time, according to RM Sotheby's.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (13)

Advertisem*nt

The 300 SLR Coupe was developed as a hardtop version of Mercedes's successful open-top 300 SLR race car.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (14)

Both SLR Coupes have been in Mercedes-Benz's private collection since new.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (15)

Advertisem*nt

The one sold — nicknamed "Red" for its red interior — only shows a little over 6,000 kilometers on the odometer.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (16)

Its sibling, "Blue," will remain on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (17)

Advertisem*nt

The 300 SLR isn't to be confused with the Mercedes 300 SL, another highly collectible 1950s Mercedes that's only worth a measly $1 million.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (18)

Why would Mercedes-Benz part with such a valuable car and such an iconic piece of its history?

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (19)

Advertisem*nt

It was sold for a good cause.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (20)

Mercedes says it will use the proceeds from the sale to set up a scholarship fund to support education and research into environmental science and decarbonization.

See the $142 million Mercedes that just became the most expensive car ever sold (21)

FAQs

Who owns the 142 million Mercedes-Benz? ›

It sold to classic-car dealer Simon Kidston, who placed the winning bid on behalf of an anonymous buyer.

Find Out More ›

What is the most expensive car sold by Mercedes? ›

That title belongs to the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which was sold to an unnamed private collector in 2022 for the stunning price of €135 million (approx. $203m at the time), which makes it the most expensive car ever sold - from any brand.

Keep Reading ›

What Mercedes sold for 140 million? ›

An ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz race car sold for $143 million earlier this month, making it the most expensive car ever sold. RM Sotheby's announced it auctioned off a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe for 135 million euros, or about $143 million.

Explore More ›

What is the most expensive car in the world? ›

List of Top 10 Most Expensive Cars in the World in 2024:

S.No.	Car name	Price (as on 06-06-2024)
1.	Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail	₹267.1 crores
2.	Rolls-Royce Boat Tail	₹233.7 crores
3.	Bugatti La Voiture Noire	₹156.2 crores
4.	Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta	₹146.7 crores

6 more rows

View Details ›

Who owns the most Mercedes? ›

Mercedes-Benz Group

Central headquarters in Mercedes-Benz complex Untertürkheim, Stuttgart
Owners	Institutional investors (52.7%) Private shareholders (22.8%) BAIC Group (9.98%) Tenaciou3 Prospect Investment Limited (Li Shufu) (9.7%) Kuwait Investment Authority (6.8%)
Number of employees	166,056 (2023)
Subsidiaries	show List

21 more rows

See Details ›

Who owns the most expensive car in the world? ›

It's worth a whopping Rs 232 Crore and only 3 people in the world own it. Amongst the three owners of the most expensive car in the world is music power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé…

Learn More ›

Which is the most luxurious Mercedes? ›

The automaker has several classes for its impressive auto lineup, but which Mercedes-Benz line is the most luxurious? The answer is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It covers all the bases of what a luxury car should offer and provides the best performance, technology, exclusive features, and fine-quality materials.

Learn More Now ›

How much does a Mercedes Maybach cost? ›

New 2024 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Pricing

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Maybach S-Class starts at $199,350. At the other end of the price spectrum, the range-topping Mercedes-Maybach S-Class S 680 4MATIC starts at $235,350.

What is the most sold Mercedes model of all time? ›

Brand bestsellers

Brand	Image	Units sold
Mercedes-Benz	Merceds-Benz C-Class.	6,900,000 to November 2006.
Mercury	1994-1997 Mercury Cougar XR7	2,972,784
Messerschmitt	1955 Messerschmitt KR200.	30,286
Metropolitan	1959 Metropolitan	55,215 as a separate marque under AMC.

57 more rows

Show Me More ›

What is the world record Mercedes sold? ›

On 5 May 2022, in Stuttgart, Germany, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was sold for $142,769,250 (£115.1 million; €135.1 million), becoming the most expensive car ever sold. But what makes this car so special?

Discover More ›

What is the most expensive car in the world, USD? ›

The most expensive car ever sold in the world is the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which sold for $142 million in 2022 through RM Sotheby's. The sale was completed on behalf of Mercedes-Benz during a very special auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

Find Out More ›

What is the highest class of Mercedes? ›

The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.

Who is the real owner of Mercedes-Benz? ›

Mercedes-Benz Corporation has been a division of a larger German automobile manufacturer, Daimler AG—but as of February 1, 2022, Daimler AG is now officially known as Mercedes-Benz AG!

Learn More Now ›

What car sold for 142 million dollars? ›

A very rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR coupe that had been kept in the German automaker's collection was sold to a private owner for €135 million, the equivalent of $142 million. That price makes it the most expensive car known to ever have been sold, according to Hagerty, a company that tracks collector car values.

Discover More ›

Which celebrity owns Mercedes-Benz? ›

Other Mercedes-Benz Cars Owned by Bollywood Celebrities

Taapsee Pannu: Mercedes Maybach GLS600. Munmun Dutta: Mercedes Benz A-Class Limousine. Karishma Tanna: Mercedes Benz GLS 450. Shilpa Shetty: Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600.

View Details ›

Who is Mercedes Group owned by? ›

Germany's Daimler AG is one of the biggest producers of luxury cars and the largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles. The company has numerous brands and a financing unit called Mercedes-Benz Bank. Mercedes-Benz, which is best known for its luxury vehicles, is a subsidiary of Daimler AG.

Explore More ›