Test drive: 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a flagship model filled with a boatload of luxury and tech, but is missing one thing according to Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu.
Sometimes wild rumors turn out to be true.
One of the world's most famous cars has been sold at a private auction at a closed museum for an astonishing price, as was first reported through whispers and hearsay last week.
Not to a James Bond-style villain with their eyes set on taking over the world, however, but someone looking to help save it.
THESE 5 USED CARS' TRADE-IN VALUES ARE SKYROCKETING
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that a private collector has purchased one of the two 300SLR "Uhlenhaut" Coupe racing cars in its collection for 135 million euros, which is $143 million today.
Rudolf Uhlenhaut was the chief engineer for the 300SLR. (Mercedes-Benz)
The proceeds from the sale will go toward the establishment of the Mercedes-Benz Fund, which will support research and scholarship in the fields of environmental sciences and decarbonization.
The price is more than double the previous record of $70 million reportedly paid for a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO in a private sale in 2018 and triple the $48.4 million that a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO went for at a public RM Sotheby's auction the same year.
The 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was developed for racing. (Mercedes-Benz)
The car's name comes from its chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, who was developing it for the 1956 racing season, before a disastrous crash that claimed 84 lives at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans led Mercedes-Benz to drop out of competition for three decades.
Two 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes were built. (Mercedes-Benz)
"With the ‘Mercedes-Benz Fund’ we would like to encourage a new generation to follow in Rudolf Uhlenhaut's innovative footsteps and develop amazing new technologies, particularly those that support the critical goal of decarbonization and resource preservation," Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said.
The buyer's name has not yet been made public, but Hagerty, with inside knowledge of the transaction, reports that it is "a well-known figure from Britain's automotive industry and a long-standing collector of specialist cars."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
It's not known if they will ever come forward, but Mercedes-Benz said that they have agreed to make the car "accessible for public display on special occasions," so it won't be disappearing into a secret lair forever.