The 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SLR “Silver Arrow,” which reportedly sold for $142 million, is thought to have broken the record for the most expensive automobile ever sold. However, this is unverified news, and Mercedes-Benz has not commented on this one as well.
Only two of the renowned 1950s cars were built after Mercedes left the racing scene in 1955. They were given the moniker Uhlenhaut coupe after Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the head of the automaker’s test department began driving one as his company car. In short, it was a street-legal race car.
The duo had been under Mercedes’ supervision for many years and were primarily considered the most valuable vehicles globally. But, obviously, there is a gap between valuable and expensive, since the latter needs someone to pay money. This sale occurred around May 6, with Hagerty stating that a small group of automobile collectors were invited to an event at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
Mercedes apparently requested that the elite group meet additional standards despite having the financial means to do so. It may seem obvious to assure the car’s future maintenance, but the automaker wanted to make sure the buyer wasn’t just wanting to make a quick profit.
Given the vehicle’s high price and great exclusivity, it’s conceivable we’ll never learn the whole truth behind this sale. If the car actually got sold for $142 million, it would more than treble the previous high of $70 million for a Ferrari 250 GTO in 2018. Unless someone steps forward to corroborate this Mercedes rumour, Ferrari will continue to keep the title of the world’s most expensive car.
Source: Hagerty UK