Yesterday the redeeming word came: the Mercedes 300 SLR Coupé has indeed been sold for 135 million euros. This makes it the most expensive car ever sold. It was the company car of Mercedes engineer Rudolph Uhlenhaut, after Mercedes ceased its racing activities. The car was based on the W196 F1 car from Mercedes, so basically it was the spiritual predecessor of the Mercedes-AMG One, but already in 1955.
The fact that Uhlenhaut had a quasi-F1 car as a company car suited the man, if you hear the stories. We think this is a great opportunity to put an anecdote from the fifties in the spotlight. We are in 1955, when the 300 SLR Coupé was in its final stages of development. Even then, new (racing) cars were thoroughly tested on the Nürburgring Nordschleife; the most dangerous circuit in the world at the time.
The engineer behind the SLR was faster than Fangio
Legendary Formula 1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio was allowed to test the 300 SLR Coupé on the Nordschleife. After doing his rounds, he concluded that his Mercedes was not properly tuned. The stubborn engineer Uhlenhaut did not agree, and with an ‘lavish’ lunch in his stomach he got behind the wheel himself.
Dressed in his suit and tie, he got into the car and tested himself on the terrifying Green Hell. The result? He was three seconds faster than Fangio around the Ring. And don’t forget: Fangio was already a two-time (eventually five-time) F1 world champion back then, Uhlenhaut was ‘just’ an engineer. Rudy’s polite comments after the test? That Fangio – again, the Fangio – just had to ‘practice’ a bit. Hero.
The Mercedes 300 SLR Coupé has a new owner
In total, Mercedes built two copies of the 300 SLR Coupé. One with a blue interior and one with a red interior. The blue one stays in the museum and the red one goes to an anonymous collector. The money will go to a charity that Mercedes will set up. It is also agreed that the new owner will make his car available for special occasions.
#Engineer #Expensive #Car #Sold #Hero