Mercedes-Benz: The Brand of Auction Records
30 September 2023 12 min read 9 images
Photo credit: Artcurial, Bonhams, RM Sotheby’s, Gooding
Mercedes-Benz, along with its predecessors Mercedes and Benz, has always been a game changer, starting with the 1886 Benz 3/4hp, the first car with a gasoline engine, through to the 1930s Silver Arrows, the famous Gullwing, and the recent AMG One that set the new Nürburgring record. I could also mention the ABS, Level 3 autonomous driving, the 6.9 engine. In short, every time a new generation of the Star is released, there is a "before and after". Even in auctions, the prices reached by Mercedes cars have marked turning points. Let's examine which ones, by looking at the past twenty years.
In 2004, the first major "shift" in auctions was set by the famous 1929 Mercedes-Benz 38/250 SSK Short Wheelbase bodied by Carlton, known as "Milligen", after its last owner, George Milligen, who had purchased it on June 10, 1941, and kept it for over six decades. Bonhams offered it at the Goodwood Revival on September 3, 2004. The estimate was on request, but it was rumored to be £1.5-2.5 million, a figure equivalent to fifteen Gullwings. But collectors went far beyond, and the bids didn’t stop until the hammer fell at £4,181,500. It became the most expensive car of the year and the second-most expensive car ever sold. A few years later, it was revealed that the buyer was Dutchman Evert Louwman, Europe’s top collector with his magnificent museum in The Hague, and the SSK became the centerpiece of his collection.
Let’s move to 2012. The name Mercedes-Benz 540K already makes car lovers shiver, but adding “Spezial Roadster” takes us to the highest levels of collecting: Gooding offered the example that belonged to Baroness Gisela Von Krieger at Pebble Beach. The car, owned by the noblewoman until 1989, barely used and still in its original condition, also had the best specifications: “high door” and “long tail”. There was no official estimate, but the result was spectacular: $11,770,000, making it the most expensive car of 2012 and the most expensive pre-war car ever sold at that time.
A few years later came another pivotal moment with Artcurial at Le Mans, July 7, 2018: Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadsters had valuations that were very well aligned and accessible. But from one day to the next, this changed entirely. It’s important to note that the 300SL Roadster offered had all the best features, in addition to being in perfect condition: alloy block, disc brakes, hardtop, and from 1963 with only 1,372 km driven. It was offered without reserve, with proceeds going to charity, and was estimated at €1.5-2 million. It sold for €3,143,440. Since then, Roadsters have risen in value, and today three million euros is no rarity.
Now, let’s turn to the highly coveted 300 SL Gullwing. It’s 2022, and the record set then still stands: a 1955 car, the thirteenth of the 29 examples produced in aluminum, with a sport “NSL” engine, matching numbers, Rudge wheels, sport suspension with 3.42 rear axle, belly pans—what more could you want? The price soared to $6,825,000, truly spectacular.
In 2022, Mercedes again stunned the market: in May, one of the two 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé” models was sold. Both belonged to Mercedes-Benz Classic, and chassis number 8 was offered in a highly exclusive, invitation-only auction. Its price made headlines worldwide: €135,000,000. That the entire proceeds were donated by Mercedes to charity was a positive note. Congratulations, Mercedes!
More recently, Mercedes set a double record: in Las Vegas, RM organized a sale during the U.S. Grand Prix. Among the lots was the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster, an exceptionally rare example (only six were built, and this was the third) with just 170 km on the odometer. Expectations were high, as it’s one of the unicorns of car collecting, and they were not disappointed. It sold for $10,235,000. It was the first car from this millennium to sell for a seven-figure sum.
On the same night, the most expensive Formula 1 car ever was also sold. It was a 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04. This was the first Mercedes-AMG F1 car to be taken to victory by Lewis Hamilton, and the Mercedes-AMG and Hamilton partnership has since become legendary: 6 world titles, 81 wins, 143 podiums, and 77 pole positions. No other pairing has reached such a level. It all started with this car, which sold for $18,815,000, more than double the previous record.
In 1903, newspaper magnate Alfred Harmsworth bought a brand-new Mercedes-Simplex 60hp Roi-des-Belges, which could exceed 100 km/h thanks to its powerful 9.3-liter engine—a remarkable speed for the time. Offered by Gooding in March 2024, it sold for $12,105,000, shattering the record for cars of the same era, which had been $4,845,000.
To conclude, let’s look ahead: in a few days, on October 26, RM will offer the most anticipated collection of the year, that of Rudi Klein, featuring two crown jewels: the 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy Gullwing once owned by Luigi Chinetti, which, despite needing restoration, could break the $6,825,000 record, and the unique Mercedes-Benz 500K “Caracciola” Special Coupé, estimated at $4-6 million, custom-made for the famous driver. Surprises are expected—follow us on Roarington.com. But that’s not all: the International Motor Speedway Museum has tasked RM with offering the legendary 1956 Mercedes-Benz W196 Monza Streamliner Formula 1, driven by Stirling Moss and Manuel Fangio. What new record will fall under Mercedes' star?
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