At Rs 1,105 Crore, This Is The Most Expensive Car Sold
This Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR recently became the most expensive car in the world when it fetched $143 Million (Rs 1,105 Crore) in an auction. Here are more details.
Stephen Neil
The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut
- Only two of these cars currently exist
- It is a racing prototype built to race at Le Mans
- Named after its creator & chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut
300 SLR Uhlenhaut Racing History
- The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Never Went Racing
- Before seeing some motorsport action, Mercedes withdrew from motorsport
- This was because of the 1955 Le Mans disaster where 84 people lost their lives
- Uhlenhaut then turned the two racecars into road-going prototypes
- This particular car was owned by Mercedes-Benz until now
- It toured America In The Early 60s
- Appeared at prestigious festivals like Goodwood, Pebble Beach, etc.
Auction
- This is the first time the car has appeared at an auction - The invite-only auction was conducted by RM Sothebys
- It shattered the world record for car auctions
Price
- The most expensive car ever sold prior to this was a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO for $48 Million (Rs 372 Crore)
- The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut fetched over thrice the amount and became one of the ten most expensive items ever auctioned