Most expensive car in the world sold for $142,400,000 and its record is unlikely to ever be beaten
Published on Nov 23, 2025 at 9:12 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Nov 21, 2025 at 2:32 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
The most expensive car in the world sold for a staggering $142,400,000 at auction and has held onto that record since 2022.
The incredible sale absolutely obliterated records, with some folks suggesting it could even be unbreakable.
For some context of just how high the figure is, the second most expensive car to ever be sold was a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 that was bought for $53,917,370 in February this year.
While still a mind-blowing sum, the second on the list is less than half the price of the record-holder.
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The most expensive car in the world
Take a quick look at the top 10 most expensive cars in the world, and you’ll find a bunch of Ferraris, including a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for $51.7 million, a 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti that was snapped up for $35.7m, and a 1967 Ferrari 412P that went for $30.2m.
However, it’s actually a Mercedes-Benz that holds the top spot.
A one-of-two 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, to be exact.
The super-rare prototype is based on the W 196 R Grand Prix, and was designed by Mercedes chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut.
The cars were amongst the fastest around at the time with a top speed of 180mph.
They were built to compete in Mexico’s Carrera Panamericana road race.
However, that never happened because the Mexican government decided to cancel the race.
So, the cars ended up back with Mercedes where they stayed until one of them appeared at an invite-only auction in May 2022.
At the RM Sotheby’s auction, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was sold to a mystery car collector for $142,400,000.
The Mercedes absolutely smashed through the previous record and set a figure so high that there are some people out there who think it’s unbreakable.
What happened to the other car?
The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe were a pair – one with a red interior, nicknamed Red, and one with a blue interior, which was given the equally imaginative nickname Blue.
Red became the most expensive car in the world, but what became of Blue?
Well, you’ll be pleased to know the car is still out there.
More specifically, it has been expertly preserved by Mercedes-Benz and is on display at its corporate museum in Bad Cannstatt.
Some more of Mercedes most significant models
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing: The first to feature its iconic gullwing doors
1999 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: Born of a collaboration between two incredible carmakers
2023 Mercedes-AMG One: A limited production hybrid made using F1 technology
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.