In brief
- The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé was sold for 135 million euros on 5 May 2022 by RM Sotheby’s, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, approximately 143 million dollars at the time.
- It is the most expensive car ever sold: it exceeded the previous record by more than 90 million euros.
- Only two examples were built; Mercedes-Benz is keeping the second, on display at the Stuttgart museum.
- The proceeds from the sale fund the “Mercedes-Benz Fund”, scholarships dedicated to environmental sciences and decarbonisation.
Number one in our ranking of the most expensive cars in the world, the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé has held a record since 2022 that no sale has come close to. A racing car born for the roads, kept for sixty-seven years by its manufacturer, then sold at a confidential auction. Here is its exact price, its history and what makes it unique.
How much did the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut cost?
On 5 May 2022, RM Sotheby’s auctioned one of the two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés for 135,000,000 euros, during a confidential auction organised at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, in close collaboration with the manufacturer. Only a few Mercedes-Benz clients and international car and art collectors were invited. The auction house announced the result on 19 May 2022.
The amount exceeds the previous record by more than 90 million euros, held by the Ferrari 250 GTO sold by RM Sotheby’s in 2018, and places the car among the ten most expensive objects ever sold at auction, across all categories. At the exchange rate on the day of the sale, it represents approximately 143 million dollars. The buyer, a private collector, has not been identified.
The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut in figures
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Daimler-Benz, Mercedes-Benz racing department |
| Year | 1955 |
| Examples | 2 coupés, derived from the 300 SLR racing car |
| Engine | 3-litre straight-8, approximately 300 hp |
| Top speed | approx. 290 km/h (180 mph according to RM Sotheby’s) |
| Technical basis | W 196 R, single-seater double world champion with Juan Manuel Fangio |
| Sale | RM Sotheby’s, Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, 5 May 2022 |
| Price | €135,000,000 (approx. 143 million dollars) |
| Buyer | unidentified private collector |
| Second example | kept by Mercedes-Benz, on display in Stuttgart |
A racing car that drove on the road
The 300 SLR is the sports version of the W 196 R, the single-seater with which Juan Manuel Fangio won two world championship titles. In 1955, the 300 SLR barchetta won the Mille Miglia with Stirling Moss. The racing department then built two coupé versions intended for competition, but Mercedes-Benz withdrew from racing after the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans tragedy. The two coupés never raced.
Chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, who designed it, then used it as a company car, hence its nickname. Capable of nearly 290 km/h, it was one of the fastest road-legal cars of its time. Its gullwing doors and silver bodywork often earn it, according to RM Sotheby’s, the title of “the most beautiful car in the world”.
Far ahead of the rest of the ranking
No sale has come close to this amount since 2022. The second most expensive car in history is another Mercedes, the 1954 W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, auctioned for 51,155,000 euros by RM Sotheby’s in Stuttgart on 1 February 2025. Then comes the 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO, sold for 51,705,000 dollars by RM Sotheby’s in New York in November 2023. The major record of 2026, the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé auctioned for 42,905,000 dollars at Gooding Christie’s in Pebble Beach, is worth less than a third of the Uhlenhaut.
The price today
The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut has not returned to the market since 2022. Its buyer has committed to lending it for public exhibitions on special occasions, and Mercedes-Benz keeps the second example, on display at the Stuttgart museum. Any new valuation would be theoretical: it is the absolute rarity, two examples and a seller who was the manufacturer itself, that made the price. For the rules governing the value of vintage cars, consult our guide to buying a classic car.
Prices verified and updated on 13 October 2026. Sources: RM Sotheby’s (press release of 19 May 2022 and sales results), Mercedes-Benz Heritage, Gooding Christie’s.
← Back to the ranking: The most expensive cars in the worldAll luxury records, gathered on one page →
