The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is a beautiful work of art. Only two were made, and one just sold at auction for a record $143 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold. The previous record for an automobile was $95 million.
The sale was managed by RM Sotheby’s and took place May 5th in a secretive and highly unusual auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany:
The winning bid was made by British car collector, advisor and dealer Simon Kidston on behalf of an unnamed client. Kidston lobbied the Mercedes-Benz board for 18 months to consider selling the car.
Mercedes owned both cars, so selling one at a staggering price actually made some sense.
Many of us love classic cars, and car collecting seems like a very cool hobby, but this number is staggering. We’re living in an age of staggering wealth, so these types of indulgences shouldn’t be surprising.
The good news is that Mercedes-Benz will be donating the proceeds to create a fund for scholarships and educational research into the environment and decarbonization.
