The Most Expensive Cars Ever Sold
A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé sold for €135 million in 2022, the most ever paid for a car.
Also known as: Highest-priced cars at auction
A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé sold privately in 2022 for €135 million (about $142 million), the highest price ever paid for a car.
What it is
The most expensive car ever sold is a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, one of only two ever built, which sold in a private auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on 5 May 2022 for €135 million (about $142 million). The buyer was a private collector, and proceeds funded a Mercedes-Benz scholarship programme.
| Rank | Car | Price | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé | €135 m (~$142 m) | 2022 |
| 2 | 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO | $51.7 m | 2023 |
| 3 | 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO | $48.4 m | 2018 |
| 4 | 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider | $35.7 m | 2016 |
| 5 | 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider | $22 m | 2022 |
The Uhlenhaut Coupé, named after Mercedes engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, roughly doubled the previous record set by a Ferrari 250 GTO. The €135 million Mercedes sold in a closed private auction; the highest price ever paid at public auction is the $51.7 million 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO in 2023. Values mix private and public sales, so figures are not strictly comparable.
Related entries
Sources & further reading
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR sells for record €135 million — RM Sotheby's / Mercedes-Benz (article)