A 1955 Mercedes-Benz was auctioned off earlier this month for 135 million euros ($143 million), making it the world’s most expensive car ever sold, according to RM Sotheby’s.
“A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe from 1955 has been sold at auction for a record price of 135,000,000 euros to a private collector,” the classic car auction company said.
The car nearly tripled the previous record, achieved in 2018 by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for more than 48 million dollars.
According to the auction house, the invitation-only auction took place on May 5 at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
According to RM Sotheby’s, the car is one of just two prototypes created by the Mercedes-Benz racing department and is named for its designer and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut.
“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,” the auction company added.
According to RM Sotheby’s, the proceeds from the auction will be used to establish a global Mercedes-Benz Fund to support environmental science and decarbonization research.