Lo and behold! The most expensive car ever was sold in 2022 – and it’s not even a Ferrari or a Tesla. One of the popular Mercedes Benz vehicles had its wheels on auction and scored a whopping $142 million thanks to a wealthy buyer.
One Mercedes Benz For $142 Million
This Mercedes Benz car didn’t just sell for a huge price of$142 million, though! It also broke the record for the most expensive car to be sold. Working with RM Sotheby’s, the Mercedes-Benz company put out one of the two ever-built 300 SLR coupes. Previously, it was an unthinkable move. “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 honor,” said Peter Wallman, RM Sotheby’s chairman for the U.K. and EMEA. That said, the transaction is not just for money either. The huge sum will start a new charity from the vehicle company, which will focus on ecological trends and opportunities. Young people will receive “educational and research scholarships in areas of environmental science and decarbonization,” per the press release.
Why is the 300 SLR coup such an important figure in history? Well, this is one of the best well-known racing cars. Built in 1955, it became an essential racing machine in the history of Mercedes. It overthrew the value of the Ferrari 250 GTO, and even a 300SL by the same brand. Mercedes Silver Arrows won both Grand Prix racing and speed record attempts before World War II. Afterward, Formula 1 racing was granted with W196. It won nine out of 12 races overall, with driver Juan Manuel Fangio receiving World Championships twice.
Innovative Car
The Mercedes Benz car is unique in its kind as well. There were only two prototypes created in 1955, both named by the company’s chief engineer at the time – Rudolf Uhlenhaut. “We would like to encourage a new generation to follow in Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s innovative footsteps and develop amazing new technologies, particularly those that support the critical goal of decarbonization and resource preservation,” commented the CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group, Ola Kallenius. To understand the price, it’s also important to note that these cars have never been sold before according to Karl Ludvigsen, one of the best car historians. So, any 300 SLR deserves its millions. Ludvigsen also wrote “Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix W196: Spectacular Silver Arrows, 1954-1955.”
“The cars in that band have never been officially sold by M-B. Some have found private owners, like the W154 that ran at Indy after the war and stayed in the USA,” he explained. “It had been rescued from Eastern Europe by private parties. A similar rescue car was a 1937 W125. A W196 was controversially sold after it had been loaned by Mercedes-Benz to a museum.” This Mercedes Benz sale will definitely influence the car market. For example, it might raise the prices of other apex cars. That said, who’s the lucky buyer of the 300 SLR coup? Although they decided to stay anonymous, some speculate they are a well-known figure from Britain’s automotive industry, as well as a big car collector.
Whoever got that car, they also received an incredible opportunity to write off the price against personal tax liability – after all, the proceeds go to charity!