To put things into perspective, the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé’s opening bid was actually higher than the selling price of the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, the car which previously ranked as the most valuable ever sold at auction (USD 48,405,000 or around P 2.52 billion).

The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé is regarded as one of the great jewels of motoring history, so few imagined that it would be offered for sale. One of just two prototypes built by the Mercedes-Benz racing department, the car is named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, and is considered to be one of the finest examples of automotive engineering and design. It is often cited as being ‘the most beautiful car in the world’ by automotive experts and enthusiasts worldwide.

This particular example is owned by Mercedes-Benz from new, and accumulated just 3,756 miles (6,044 kilometers) in seven decades.

The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé was based on the hugely successful W 196 R Grand Prix car (itself one of the most expensive cars) which won two World Championships in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio, but with its inline-8 engine enlarged to 3.0 liters for sports car racing. The car was capable of 180 mph (290 km/h), making it one of the fastest road legal cars to have ever been created at the time.

The proceeds from the auction will be used to establish a worldwide “Mercedes-Benz Fund” that will provide educational and research scholarships in the areas of environmental science and decarbonization for young people.

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.