When the talk comes to the most expensive cars in the world, European cars like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bugatti usually come to mind. That’s going to change soon. According to reports, a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Silver Arrow” has been auctioned for a whopping amount of USD 142 million (RM 623 million).
With this, the Mercedes has broken the record of Ferrari 250 GTO, which was sold for USD 70 million (RM 307 million) in 2018.
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What makes the Mercedes Benz SLR 300 “Silver Arrow” the most expensive car in the world
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The news about a 1956 model of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR being auctioned for USD 142 million has taken the auto world by storm. So far, the record for the world’s most expensive car was held by a 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO that was sold at a private auction for USD 70 million.
According to a report published in Hagerty, the authorities at Merc’s museum in Germany’s Stuttgart had invited 10 car enthusiasts for the auction of the Silver Arrow. The auto company selected only those auto enthusiasts who could be custodians of the Silver Arrow and take good care of the classic car.
Why is Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR expensive?
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The Silver Arrow has been sold for USD 142 million. In this amount, one could buy a dozen Lamborghini Aventador Ultimaes along with the soon-to-be-auctioned Ferrari 250 GTO.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR’s predecessor 300 SL was constructed from leftovers of a Formula 3 chassis and S-class parts during a post-war time when the auto company was short of money. The car is one of the two cars that were made by Mercedes after it exited the racing scene in 1955. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR were both called Uhlenhaut coupe, after Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the head of Merc’s test department.
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The car had also achieved the first and second positions at Le Mans in 1952. Did we mention that SL is short for Super Light, as mentioned in an official press release by Mercedes in 1952. According to a popular story, the car’s speed was put to test by Uhlenhaut, when he drove it from Stuttgart to Munich and completed the otherwise 2 and a half hour journey in just an hour.
What also adds to the value of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Silver Arrow are its specifications. The car features a straight-8 engine and delivers a power of 302 horsepower at 7,400 rpm. The car’s torque is 233 lb-ft at 5,950 rpm. The weight of the car is 1,117 kg, giving it a maximum speed of 180 mph. This made the car one of the fastest road cars during the 1950s.
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
