CONFIRMED: World’s most expensive car confirmed as Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR

The record for the world’s most costly car has been shattered, with an mysterious billionaire forking out big cash for an automotive icon.

Subsequent media rumours very last 7 days, Mercedes-Benz has verified 1 of its two 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes was offloaded for €135 million ($AU203 million).

The auction reportedly took place on May possibly 5th 2022 at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, with a compact group of collectors and lovers of the manufacturer in attendance.

The prosperous bidder has not been exposed, even so is reportedly a “well-recognized determine from Britain’s automotive field and a extended-standing collector.”

Ineos CEO Jim Ratcliffe has been cited as a feasible candidate, owing to his own connections to Mercedes-Benz motorsport and sizeable non-public car assortment.

The value dwarfs the earlier report set by by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which sold for $US48.4 million ($AU70 million) at a California auction in 2018.

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe ranks in the leading-ten most expensive objects at any time offered at auction, according to British-American broker Sotheby’s.

“The buyer has agreed that the [car] will continue being obtainable for public display screen on unique situations,” Marcus Breitschwerdt – the Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage – mentioned in a media statement.

“Meanwhile, the 2nd authentic 300 SLR Coupe remains in corporation ownership and will keep on to be shown at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.”

The 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut coupes have been road-legal variants of the 300 SLR race car – best known for a catastrophic accident at Le Mans that still left 83 spectators dead.

A 3.-litre straight-eight petrol engine sends 228kW/317Nm to the rear wheels by way of a 5-velocity handbook transmission, letting the -100km/h sprint to be concluded in a claimed 7.7 seconds.

Verified prime speed arrives at 290km/h, making it easily the quickest street-registrable automobile to have ever been crafted at the time of its launch.

While a number of examples were established to be constructed for customer sale, the task was cancelled next the incident and Mercedes-Benz’s subsequent exit from motorsport.

Just two examples were designed, and both equally had been retained in the Mercedes-Benz private selection till the the latest sale.

According to the German car giant, the dollars lifted from the auction will be utilized to fund environmental education and research scholarships.