After 46 million Ferrari: This Mercedes is even more expensive

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Last Monday, auction house RM Sotheby’s managed to sell a rare Ferrari 250 GTO from 1962 at auction. The price of an Italian horse? Equivalent to approximately 46 million francs (US$51.7 million)! This makes it the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction; but is only the second most expensive classic at auction. As much as $70 million was paid for 250 GTOs in private sales without auction. But it still doesn’t come close to being the most expensive car of all time.

History lesson

Mercedes has been building cars since 1886 and collecting cars for almost as long: the museum is magnificent, the huge old warehouse is legendary – because no other car manufacturer has kept everything history-making so early. The full result: Although a dozen or so were built and many blank checks were received, none of the 1970s orange dream Mercedes C 111 sports cars, for example, were sold. It was known: “In Daimler” (as the Swabians say), no icon will ever fall into private hands for money or kind words. But in May 2022 it was time: a gullwing (300 SL) from the factory collection was sold. But not just anyone; The perfect gullwing, one of only two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut coupés produced.

Only two pieces ever built

The Uhlenhaut Coupé is named after legendary Mercedes developer Rudolf Uhlenhaut (1906–1989). As the father of Silver Arrows’ racing successes in the 1950s, he had a closed version with gull-wing doors built for long-distance racing in 1955, based on the open 300 SLR racers (winning the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, among others). Two of these, each with 302 hp, eight cylinders and a top speed of 290 km/h – but they never raced: the Le Mans race accident in 1955, which killed 84 people, not only caused Mercedes to withdraw from the race, but also led to Mercedes’ withdrawal from the race. It also caused him to withdraw from the race. Swiss circuit ban.

For a long time, Uhlenhauts were driven as company cars by the head of the Uhlenhaut testing department. Then they came to the museum. A vehicle to be displayed and admired, an Uhlenhaut to be used for classic events. It seemed hard to believe that Mercedes could sell one.

for 141 million francs

On May 5, 2022, one of the two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés was auctioned by Mercedes in conjunction with the auction house RM Sotheby’s at the Mercedes Museum. The hammer fell to 135 million euros, which equates to 141 million francs; this is a world record. This makes the Uhlenhaut Coupé the most expensive car of all time!

So why sales? “As a global company and a luxury brand, we bear a high degree of responsibility towards society,” said Renata Jungo Brüngger (62), Swiss and Mercedes-Benz Board Member for Integrity and Legal Affairs. Therefore: The proceeds from the sale formed the basis of the future “Mercedes-Benz Fund”.

Support for environmental projects

It is aimed to support young scientists in two ways if they do not have the necessary financial resources for education or specific projects in the field of environmental protection and technology: On the one hand, students should be supported with scholarships in environmental science education, and on the other hand, environmental projects related to the subject should be supported in schools. Mercedes-Benz plans to implement the fund with a partner.

At least fans of Uhlenhaut Coupés can breathe a little easier: the unnamed buyer agreed to make the car available for occasional events – and the result is still the second vehicle, along with more than 1,100 others on display in the Mercedes collection. But: Would the Louvre in Paris sell Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”?

Source: Blick