Earlier this month, an ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz race car was sold for $143 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold.

A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s for $143 million. 

Also Read|Happy Birthday Nawazuddin Siddiqui: Most-expensive items owned by the actor

Also Read|Ratan Tata visits Taj Hotel in Nano without security, watch video

Sotheby said in a statement- “A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé from 1955 has been sold at auction for a record price of EUR135,000,000 to a private collector.”

The sale set a new record for the most expensive car sold, surpassing the previous record by more than $95 million and more than doubling the previous mark for a car sold privately ($70 million). It also surpassed the $70 million record for a private sale.

Also Read|Tata Motors announces EV ‘Avinya’ concept, to hit the market by 2025

It was a covert auction, British vehicle collector Simon Kidson placed the winning offer on behalf of an unknown customer.

Mercedes-Benz chairman Ola Kaellenius announced the record sale was reached during a secret auction on May 5 at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

“We wanted to demonstrate the power of the Mercedes brand with one single act,” Kaellenius stated in an interview near Monte Carlo on May 18.

Also Read|Kia India surpasses the four-lakh mark in domestic sales

A vehicle acquisition agent who sources rare cars, Stephen Serio said – “That car is 100 per cent worth what it sold for and some people would tell you even that number was low. “

“No one ever expected Mercedes to sell it.”

Speculators are trying to limit the list down to a dozen potential bids, but Mercedes refuses to reveal the buyer.

Only a small number of collectors and Mercedes-Benz customers were invited.

Also Read|Images of first Ferrari SUV leaked before official debut. See pics

The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was one of only two built-in 1955 and is considered one of the most valuable automobiles ever made. It was created by Mercedes’ race department and named for Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the company’s chief engineer and designer.

The car was based on the W 196 R Grand Prix car, which won two World Championships with Juan Manuel Fangio as the driver. With a larger 3.0-litre engine and a top speed of 180 mph, the 300 SLR was one of the quickest road-legal cars at the time.