The
racing
prototype,
one
of
just
2
in
the
world
sold
for
$143
Million
at
an
invite-only
auction
conducted
by
RM
Sotheby’s
at
the
Mercedes-Benz
museum
in
Stuttgart.
The
300
SLR
Uhlenhaut
Coupe’s
final
price
tag
was
nearly
triple
the
amount
paid
for
the
previous
record
holder
–
a
1962
Ferrari
250
GTO
that
fetched
over
$48
million
in
2018.
So
what
exactly
is
the
Mercedes
300
SLR
Uhlenhaut
Coupe
and
what
makes
it
so
special
to
attract
the
big
bucks
it
did
at
auction?
The
Mercedes
300
SLR
Story
–
From
Stillborn
Racer
To
Record
Breaking
Prototype
The
record
breaking
car
is
one
of
just
two
prototypes
coupes
built
by
Mercedes-Benz
to
go
racing
at
Le
Mans
and
is
named
after
its
creator
and
chief
engineer,
Rudolf
Uhlenhaut.
However,
before
the
tin-top
300
SLR
could
go
racing,
Mercedes
withdrew
from
racing
following
the
1955
Le
Mans
disaster
which
saw
84
people
lose
their
lives
and
left
120
more
injured.
The
crash
between
Mercedes
Benz
300
SLR
piloted
by
French
driver
Pierre
Levegh
and
Austin-Healy
100S
driven
by
Lance
Macklin
flung
the
Frenchman
out
of
his
car
killing
him
instantly
while
his
car
landed
in
the
crowd
and
burst
into
flames.
Mercedes
withdrew
from
the
race
as
a
sign
of
respect
to
the
victims
of
the
disaster
and
later
stepped
away
from
motor
racing
altogether,
only
returning
in
1989.
In
1955,
Rudolf
Uhlenhaut
had
already
made
plans
for
a
hardtop
version
of
the
300
SLR
before
the
Le
Mans
disaster
and
had
ordered
his
team
to
build
two
cars
based
on
the
W196
chassis,
with
the
intention
of
competing
in
the
Carrera
Panamericana
race.
However,
the
decision
by
Mercedes
to
cancel
its
racing
program
altogether
dashed
any
plans
to
build
more
of
these
ultra
rare
cars.
Uhlenhaut
then
decided
to
make
the
two
cars
that
had
been
built
into
road-going
prototypes.
These
prototypes
of
the
300
SLR
nicknamed
the
‘Uhlenhaut
Coupe’ featured
a
3.0-litre,
front-mounted,
straight-eight
engine
and
weighed
only
998
kilogrammes.
These
coupes
featured
inboard
drum
brakes
which
were
accommodated
in
the
engine
bay
to
help
reduce
unsprung
weight
and
could
hit
a
top
speed
of
180miles/hr
(289.6km/h).
The
car
sold
at
auction
was
the
second
prototype
300
SLR
Uhlenhaut
coupe.
This
car
is
chassis
number
196.110-00008/55
and
was
driven
by
Uhlenhaut
himself.
The
car
left
the
factory
in
December
1955
and
returned
6
months
later
to
get
an
Eberspächer
silencer
installed.
It
is
said
that
Uhlenhaut
became
hard-of-hearing
in
later
life
because
of
the
noise
made
by
his
fearsome
coupe.
The
car
till
now
had
been
retained
by
Mercedes
since
the
first
time
it
left
the
factory
and
was
used
to
ferry
dignitaries
and
also
toured
the
United
States
in
the
early
1960s.
Between
January
and
July
1986,
this
rare
coupe
was
restored
by
Tony
Merrick,
one
of
the
pre-eminent
historic
vehicle
restorers
and
race
preparation
specialists
of
his
era.
Following
the
restoration,
the
car
made
appearances
at
motor
shows
and
races
and
even
appeared
multiple
times
at
the
Goodwood
Festival
of
Speed
and
stopped
by
the
Pebble
Beach
Concours
d’Elegance
in
2001.
In
2003,
this
very
car
was
featured
in
the
brochure
of
the
newly
launched
Mercedes
SLR
McLaren.
The
private
invite-only
auction
at
the
Mercedes
museum
in
Stuttgart
was
the
first
time
the
car
was
offered
up
for
auction
and
it
ended
up
shattering
the
world
record
for
cars
at
auction
while
also
becoming
one
of
the
10
most
expensive
items
ever
sold
at
auction.
Thankfully,
the
new
owner
has
agreed
to
display
the
record-breaking
Mercedes
300
SLR
‘Uhlenhaut
Coupe’
to
the
public
on
special
occasions.
The
other
‘Uhlenhaut
Coupe’
will
continue
to
be
displayed
at
the
Mercedes-Benz
Museum
in
Stuttgart.
Thoughts
On
The
Mercedes
300
SLR
‘Uhlenhaut
Coupe’
The
Mercedes
300
SLR
‘Uhlenhaut
Coupe’
is
one
of
the
rarest
racing
prototypes
in
the
world
and
it
comes
as
no
surprise
in
the
current
market
that
it
commanded
such
a
massive
price
tag.
The
new
owner
has
got
himself
a
very
important
part
of
automotive
history
that
will
only
get
more
valuable
as
time
goes
by.
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