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.
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
The 1955 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 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.
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