AN ultra-rare Mercedes dubbed the “world’s first supercar” is set to become the most expensive antique motor ever to be auctioned.
The plush former racer was the fastest production car in the world when it was made in 1903 boasting a whopping… 60 horsepower.
It is one of just five known to have survived this long.
The “Roi des Belges” body, meaning “King of the Belgians”, boasts two rows of swish leather armchairs as seats and has no roof, but is still capable of speeds up to 80mph.
Its listing describes it as a “powerful, reliable touring car” and an “irreplaceable heirloom”.
The car even has a prestigious racing history, posting the fastest time at the 1903 Nice Speed Trials in France and winning Ireland’s Ballybannon Hill Climb in the same year.
The model attracted global interest from the uber-wealthy and was counted among the collections of millionaire American business tycoon William Vanderbilt and the French playwright and nobleman Baron Henri de Rothschild.
The example on offer was built for one of Britain’s most prominent motoring enthusiasts, Alfred Harmsworth, also known by his title Viscount Northcliffe.
The publishing magnate reportedly referred to the car as his “Old Sixty” and passed it on to his son upon his death in 1922.
The number plate bears an ‘A’ registration, telling us it was only the 740th vehicle ever registered with London City Council.
It has remained in the family ever since and was restored and exhibited in the Beaulieu Motor Museum in Hampshire for over 60 years.
Sadly, it no longer runs after being decommissioned in the 1960s.
Despite that, it is still set to shatter records when it goes under the hammer in Florida on February 29, with a guide price of around £7.9 million.
The top spot for an antique car is currently held by a 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C ‘Tulipwood’ Torpedo, which sold for around £7.3 million in 2022.
The listing from Gooding & Co stated: “An irreplaceable heirloom, treasured by one of Britain’s most prominent families for 121 years, this Mercedes 60 HP is surely among the most important and historically significant antique automobiles ever presented at public auction.
“Gooding & Company is honoured to have been chosen to find a new home for the Harmsworth Sixty, knowing that its second owner will be acquiring one of the truly great motorcars of all time.”
And Charlie Ross, pro auctioneer and Bargain Hunt star, echoed this sentiment, describing the Sixty as “magnificent” and “truly historic”.
