{"id":1094758,"date":"2022-05-21T13:50:54","date_gmt":"2022-05-21T13:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/05\/21\/mercedes-just-sold-the-worlds-most-expensive-car-for-142-million\/"},"modified":"2022-05-21T13:50:54","modified_gmt":"2022-05-21T13:50:54","slug":"mercedes-just-sold-the-worlds-most-expensive-car-for-142-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/05\/21\/mercedes-just-sold-the-worlds-most-expensive-car-for-142-million\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes just sold the world’s most expensive car for $142 million"},"content":{"rendered":"

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1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR \u201cSilver Arrow\u201d | Mercedes-Benz \/ James Lipman
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Mercedes-Benz confirmed on Thursday that it recently sold the world\u2019s most expensive car.<\/p>\n

A very rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR coupe that had been kept in the German automaker\u2019s collection was sold to a private owner for \u20ac135 million, the equivalent of $142 million. <\/p>\n

That price makes it the most expensive car known to ever have been sold, according to Hagerty, a company that tracks collector car values.<\/p>\n

Money from the sale will be used to establish the Mercedes-Benz Fund, a global scholarship fund, Mercedes said in an\u00a0announcement.<\/p>\n

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The previous record sale price for a car was reportedly $70 million paid in 2018 for a\u00a01963 Ferrari 250 GTO.<\/p>\n

The Mercedes that was sold was one of only two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe prototypes. <\/p>\n

The 67-year-old cars were named for Mercedes\u2019 chief engineer at the time, Rudolf Uhlenhaut,<\/strong>\u00a0and are claimed to have a top speed of 186 mph It was sold at a closed invitation-only auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on May 5. The auction was held in cooperation with auto auction company RM Sotheby\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The other Uhlenhaut Coupe will remain in the Museum\u2019s collection, according to a Mercedes-Benz statement.<\/p>\n

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1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Silver Arrow from behind | James Lipman
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\u201cTheir racing cars from the 1930s and 1950s are rare, and most are still owned by the factory, so any that come to market are highly sought after,\u201d said Brian Rabold, vice president for automotive intelligence at Hagerty.<\/p>\n

Mercedes\u2019\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cGullwing\u201d SLRs \u2014 so-called because of the doors that rise up like curved wings \u2014 are considered to be among the world\u2019s most desirable cars. And various rare and racing\u00a0<\/strong>versions are especially valuable.<\/p>\n

The SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was, essentially, a hard-top version of Mercedes\u2019 famous open-topped SLR racing car, powered by a 300 horsepower eight-cylinder engine. <\/p>\n

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1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Silver Arrow 2 | Mercedes-Benz \/ James Lipman
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The thinking was that a closed car would better protect drivers from wind and weather at high speeds, while the closed roof would also improve aerodynamics.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the development of these cars, Mercedes stopped its involvement in motorsports, so the cars were never used in competition.<\/p>\n

While the identity of the car\u2019s new owners remains unknown, British classic car dealer Simon Kidston claimed in a press release to have placed the winning bid on behalf of a customer.<\/p>\n

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