A 1955 MERCEDES-BENZ, one of only two such versions in existence, was auctioned off earlier for a whopping €135 million (RM626 million) this month, making it the most expensive car ever sold in the world, announced RM Sotheby’s yesterday.

“A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe has been sold at auction to a private collector for a record price of €135 million,” said the classic car auction company in a statement.

The vehicle sold for almost triple the previous record, which was set by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that fetched over US$48 million (RM211 million) in 2018.

The invitation-only auction was held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on May 5.

The car is one of just two prototypes built by the Mercedes-Benz racing department and named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, according to RM Sotheby’s.

“The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe will remain accessible for public display on special occasions, while the second original 300 SLR Coupe remains in company ownership and will continue to be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.”

It said the auction proceeds will be used to establish a worldwide Mercedes-Benz Fund that will fund environmental science and decarbonisation research. – AFP, May 20, 2022.