The rarest Mercedes-Benz in the world: the Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

The rarest Mercedes-Benz in the world is the stunning Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which is also the most expensive Mercedes ever sold.

Just two prototypes were built in the mid-1950s, meaning the value of them is incredibly high.

The prototypes formed the basis for the legendary 300 SLR/SL Gullwing coupe, one of the most famous cars ever made by the German manufacturer.

In 2022, one of the two SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés sold at auction, going for over $100 million, and setting a record for the most expensive car from the manufacturer in the world.

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The history of the Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

The 300 SLR came from the mind of Rudolf Uhlenhaut, hence the name for this rarest of Mercedes vehicles.

Uhlenhaut served as the head of passenger car development at the Silver Arrows and also oversaw the company’s racing division.

The Uhlenhaut Coupé was the peak of his work, coming into being in 1955.

The car was developed with both road use and racing in mind, and is arguably the first Silver Arrows supercar.

It would transpire that the Uhlenhaut Coupé would quickly become one of the world’s best performance cars, with a top speed of 180mph.

Uhlenhaut had ordered two of the nine W196 chassis to convert into an SLR/SL hybrid.

These had a more sculpted body compared to the standard 300 SL.

However, the tragic accident at Le Mans in 1955 involving the German manufacturer saw them withdraw from motorsport.

Because of that, the project was abandoned.

The two leftover chassis would become the only two Uhlenhaut Coupés ever made.

The most expensive Mercedes ever sold

With only two ever made, it’s clear to see why this is the rarest Mercedes ever made.

It is also the most expensive Mercedes ever sold at auction

In 2022, one of the two coupes sold for a staggering €135 million, which in 2025 equates to roughly $153 million.

The car earned legendary status in 1955 due to a story involving the car’s designer.

A story goes that Uhlenhaut was late for a meeting.

So he drove up the German autobahn from Munich to Stuttgart in just over one hour.

The total mileage for the trip is 137 miles, and in 2025 that journey now takes over two-and-a-half hours!

The coupe took its power from a 3.0-liter straight-eight engine.

This was derived from the 2.5-liter version used in its Formula 1 cars.

That engine was enough to give the Uhlenhaut 310hp.

It helped the car to become a symbol of the Silver Arrows’ motorsport heritage in the modern era.

The rarest Mercedes ever sold at auction

Perhaps the greatest legacy of the Uhlenhaut Coupé is how it influenced the development of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLRs.

These were some of the finest sports cars of their day.

Prior to the Le Mans disaster, they took part in the 1955 World Sportscar Championship.

It was a truly dominant car, easily beating rivals such as Jaguar.

Had the Silver Arrows not withdrawn from Le Mans after the crash, it would have easily won that race too.

After the Le Mans disaster, Uhlenhaut kept one of the Coupés as his personal car.

Thankfully, both examples of the Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé survive to this day.

It will likely hold the title of the most expensive Mercedes ever sold for some time.

They serve as reminders of the one of the world’s greatest performance cars, and a remarkable time during the company’s illustrious history.

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