While the prestigious Mercedes Benz brand was established in 1926, the history of the iconic automotive manufacturer dates back further still. The brains behind the operation had been pushing boundaries since 1886 with the invention of the internal combustion vehicle, although at the time it was the work of two separate parties, both unaware of each other’s work. Just 60 miles apart in the Southwest of Germany, Karl Benz produced a petrol-powered three-wheeler car, while Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach launched the first petrol-powered stagecoach. The competitors continued to work independently for decades, hot on each other’s heels with new automobile innovations and developments. Eventually, the economic pressures in the aftermath of the First World War brought the two powerhouses together in collaboration, and two years later in 1926 they officially merged to form Daimler-Benz AG. From this point forward, a range of luxury vehicles – from large passenger cars and racing models to trucks, coaches, and buses – were produced under the name Mercedes Benz.
The brand quickly became a highly sought-after status symbol, synonymous with elegance, high performance, exquisite craftsmanship, and technological innovation. Today, Mercedes Benz continues to push boundaries and set new standards in the industry, not least with the significant price points and record-breaking auction sales of its rare, historic, and special models. Representing the pinnacle of automotive heritage and luxury, these models are sought after by the rich and the famous – and they’re not afraid to fork out for the privilege of ownership. Here, we explore the most expensive Mercedes cars sold to date.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
Not just the most expensive Mercedes Benz of all time, but the highest-valued car in the world to date, is the 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe. Just two of the legendary racing prototypes were built at the time as part of the 1,100+ vehicle Mercedes Benz Classic collection. The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was named after its creator and chief Mercedes Benz engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. With its gullwing doors, ultra-light magnesium bodywork, and three-litre straight-eight engine, it entered the market as the fastest road car in the world, capable of reaching speeds of over 180mph. The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe not only represented a significant milestone in 20th-century sports car innovation but also a defining point in the manufacturer’s history and reputation. While one of the iconic models is kept on display at the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the other was auctioned off to a private collector in May 2022 at an incredible €135 million (around $145 million). With the proceeds of the sale forming the seed capital for the Mercedes Benz Fellowship, be Visioneers, which provides educational and research scholarships for young people in environmental science and decarbonisation, the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe leaves an impressive legacy, through and through.
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1954 Mercedes-Benz W196
Produced for the 1954 and 1955 F1 seasons, the Mercedes Benz W196 featured an eight-cylinder in-line engine, desmodromic valves, and mechanical direct fuel injection – a principle adapted from a World War Two fighter jet. This, along with its lightweight space frame and streamlined design, earned the race car its name, ‘Silver Arrow’. Just 14 of the vehicles ever existed, and as well as marking many firsts in racing car design, the model carries a special legacy as the car was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio in his F1 victories in Switzerland and Germany before Mercedes Benz withdrew from competitive racing for three decades. In addition to its impressive racing history, the W196 broke records in 2013 when it was sold for a stunning $29,650,095 in the Bonhams auction at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, making it the most expensive car in the world at the time (since surpassed by the $145 million 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe).
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1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
A decade on from the inception of the Mercedes Benz brand, the vehicle manufacturer had firmly established itself at the pinnacle of luxury automobiles, highly sought after by the wealthiest and noble in society. As such, a custom version of the 540K was commissioned by Baroness Josephine von Krieger in the 1930s as a graduation present for her son. The high-door, long-tailed custom model featured sports pigskin upholstery and a Telefunken radio, with a sleek black exterior and von Krieger family crest hand-painted on the driver's door. Baroness Josphine mainly used the car herself until the family relocated to the US after World War Two, and the vehicle sat unused in a garage for 40 years. The elegant one-of-a-kind was later expertly restored and sold for an astounding $11.77 million at the Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach Auction in August 2012, marking its position as the third most expensive Mercedes car in history.
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2011 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren 999 Red Gold Dream
In 2009, Swiss designer and businessman, Ueli Anliker, set out to transform his McLaren Mercedes SLR into the ‘perfect’ SLR in an extravagant makeover on a level never seen before or since. His ‘999 Red Gold Dream’ was customised with no less than $5.4m worth of materials in 2011, including 24-karat gold plating on the wheels, steering wheel, headlight surrounds and parts of the interior trim, and 600 rubies bejewelling parts including the wheel nuts, gear shift, and indicators. No expense was spared on the car’s bodywork either, with 11 pounds of gold dust mixed into the 15 layers of paint. Not just content with the opulent additions to the car’s aesthetic, Anliker also set out to boost the car’s 5.4-litre engine, increasing its standard 640bhp to 999bhp to achieve a maximum speed of 210mph. The result took a team of 35 people over 30,000 hours to achieve, and as an extravagant symbol of wealth, indulgence, and opulence, its $11 million price tag is perhaps not surprising.
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1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
An exquisite pre-war grand touring car, the 540K Special Roadster became one of Mercedes Benz’s flagship models, characterised by its high door and long tail, brightly polished paintwork, and luxurious fine hardwood and leather interior. The models featured a 5.4-litre engine and were only built by special request. Just 13 are known to have existed, with the bright red beauty sold by R.M. Sotheby’s in 2016 for $9.9 million being one of the earliest. This particular example of the 540K had its original left-hand drive and came with an almost complete account of its unique history, documenting its journey across the globe and time under various high-profile owners.
Despite the range of contemporary, futuristic, and ever-advancing models on the market today, the Mercedes cars with the highest price tags are typically those of great racing heritage or rich history – a testament no doubt to the exquisite craftsmanship, luxury, and performance of the vehicles themselves, but also to the value and significance placed on the brand’s unique story and its place in history.
