The Mercedes that was bought was one among solely two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe prototypes. The 67-year-old vehicles had been named for Mercedes’ chief engineer on the time, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, and are claimed to have a prime velocity of 186 mph It was bought at a closed invitation-only public sale on the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart on Might 5. The public sale was held in cooperation with auto public sale firm RM Sotheby’s.
The opposite Uhlenhaut Coupe will stay within the Museum’s assortment, in line with a Mercedes-Benz assertion.
“Their racing vehicles from the Nineteen Thirties and Fifties are uncommon, and most are nonetheless owned by the manufacturing unit, so any that come to market are extremely wanted,” mentioned Brian Rabold, vice chairman for automotive intelligence at Hagerty.
Mercedes’ “Gullwing” SLRs — so-called due to the doorways that stand up like curved wings — are thought of to be among the many world’s most fascinating vehicles. And varied uncommon and racing variations are particularly useful.
The SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was, primarily, a hard-top model of Mercedes’ well-known open-topped SLR racing automotive, powered by a 300 horsepower eight-cylinder engine. The pondering was {that a} closed automotive would higher defend drivers from wind and climate at excessive speeds, whereas the closed roof would additionally enhance aerodynamics.
Shortly after the event of those vehicles, Mercedes stopped its involvement in motorsports, so the vehicles had been by no means utilized in competitors.
Whereas the id of the automotive’s new homeowners stays unknown, British basic automotive supplier Simon Kidston claimed in a press launch to have positioned the profitable bid on behalf of a buyer.