A rare Mercedes-Benz race car was auctioned for a massive $143 million earlier in May. It has become the most expensive car to ever be sold.
The car, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, is just one of the two created in 1955, its auctioneer RM Sotheby's said.
"The remarkable 300 SLR was based on the hugely successful W 196 R Grand Prix car which won two World Championships in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio," Sotheby's added, describing the car as one of the "great jewels of motoring history".
The car's auction took place in Stuttgart in Germany on May 5. The winning bid was made by a private collector.
“The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé will remain accessible for public display on special occasions, while the second original 300 SLR Coupé remains in company ownership and will continue to be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart," said Marcus Breitschwerdt, head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage.
Breitschwerdt added that Mercedes-Benz was proud to contribute to the effort of connecting "the past with the future of engineering and decarbonisation technology".
Sotheby's Europe chairperson Oliver Barker said the auction house was "thrilled" to have sold a design and engineering masterpiece
"Few ever dreamt that this great jewel of motoring history would ever come for sale, and how fitting that it should happen now, just as we embark on a new and exciting chapter with our partners at RM Sotheby’s," Barker added.
Peter Wallman from RM Sotheby's said words could not do justice to the significance of the sale.
"It’s reasonable to say that nobody ever imagined that this car would ever be offered for sale, so for Mercedes-Benz to ask RM Sotheby’s to conduct the auction was an absolute honour," he added.
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