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

Tim LevinMay 20, 2022, 23:35 IST

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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.

An extremely rare, 67-year-old Mercedes-Benz just sold for a whopping $143 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.RM Sotheby's

The1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is a prototype race car built for the 1956 season.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.RM Sotheby's

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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.

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

To be fair, it's also gorgeous.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.RM Sotheby's

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.RM Sotheby's

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.RM Sotheby's

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.RM Sotheby's

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.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

It was sold for a good cause.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.Kidston Motor Cars

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.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe.RM Sotheby's

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

An extremely rare, 67-year-old Mercedes-Benz just sold for a whopping $143 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

The1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is a prototype race car built for the 1956 season.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

To be fair, it's also gorgeous.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

It was sold for a good cause.

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.