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#1 Parkesi

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 14:43

German BILD Zeitung (yellow press with very big letters) claims that one of the two Mercedes Uhlenhaut Coupés was sold in a secret auction (Mercedes Museum/Stuttgart/06.05.22) for 135 millions of €. True or fake news? I think we should be told :)

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#2 Arjan de Roos

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 16:53

Hagerty Insider brought it as a rumor.... and noted it to be a developing story including informed speculation....



#3 Doug Nye

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 17:48

In truth there is one Uhlenhaut Coupe, the one that Rudi Uhlenhaut most adopted for his occasional personal transport, and then there's the sister car which he might have driven occasionally but did not really adopt in the same way.  

 

I may have it the wrong way round, but I think the red-upholstered Coupe was 'his', while the blue-upholstered Coupe was the lesser-used sister.  If D-B have in fact sold either - and it appears that they have indeed done so - then it is more likely to have been the blue-upholstered car, I would have thought.  

 

But a savvy buyer could have held out for 'The' Uhlenhaut Coupe, not its historically lesser sister.  There are strong rumours that the buyer is a much-respected Brit and he would certainly have factored-in the difference.  Where he is concerned, I hope these rumours are true.

 

Many people have tried to persuade D-B over many years that they really didn't need to keep both of these Coupes, particularly since neither of them have any race history, beyond one having done some practice laps at Dundrod before the 1955 RAC TT, driven mainly by 'Taffy' von Trips.  

 

Over many past years, some people have got quite close to sealing a deal with D-B over buying the extraneous Coupe, but ultimately the company had always shied away from signing an agreement.

 

One might suspect that 2-3 years of adverse economic conditions finally concentrated the corporate mind...  Not that $140-odd-million will plaster over many of the current cracks?

 

On a personal note, I was staggered to be invited to drive what I recall as having been 'the lesser' 300SLR Coupe during the Mille Miglia Retro some years ago.

 

I must confess it was a FABULOUS experience, something of a roofed-in Moss/Fangio experience on the course they once graced.

 

BUT - and it's a big 'but' - the Ferrari 250GTO remains nicer to drive, feeling lighter, with better steering and more responsive handling.  But then so it should, being seven years younger.  And even though the GTO V12 sounds lovely around peak revs, the 300SLR's straight-8 just sounds utterly, ear-splittingly fantastic throughout its entire range. Wonderful.  :love:

 

DCN



#4 Vitesse2

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 18:07

Motorious, which seems to have broken the story, suggested that the proceeds are going to an unnamed charity.

 

https://www.motoriou...-slr-uhlenhaut/



#5 Henk Vasmel

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 20:23

https://www.telegraa...9967527677E54A5

 

This site also shows the story. And it quotes Motorious. (Sorry it is in Dutch).

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

So we must believe that something has happened, indeed.

One of the conditions to the sale is that the new owner is not allowed to boast about it.

The most exciting thing in the story is that the "Uhlenhaut" participated in the Le Mans races of 1955 and 1956.

 

Please, please, please can somebody present a reliable story of what really happened?


Edited by Henk Vasmel, 13 May 2022 - 20:24.


#6 jtremlett

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 20:34

...The most exciting thing in the story is that the "Uhlenhaut" participated in the Le Mans races of 1955 and 1956...

Wow!  So Mercedes didn't withdraw from racing after Le Mans in 1955 then.  I can't read the Dutch but I feel reasonably confident in saying that part at least isn't true!



#7 Ray Bell

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 22:08

Unleashed or not...

 

0604-33-300slr.jpg

 

...you've got to love it.



#8 JoBo

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 22:09

German BILD Zeitung (yellow press with very big letters) claims that one of the two Mercedes Uhlenhaut Coupés was sold in a secret auction (Mercedes Museum/Stuttgart/06.05.22) for 135 millions of €. True or fake news? I think we should be told :)

German BILD newspaper claimed...nothing. What they did is, they reported about the rumor and also noted the source of it...Hagerty!


Edited by JoBo, 13 May 2022 - 22:10.


#9 JoBo

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Posted 13 May 2022 - 22:12

In truth there is one Uhlenhaut Coupe, the one that Rudi Uhlenhaut most adopted for his occasional personal transport, and then there's the sister car which he might have driven occasionally but did not really adopt in the same way.  

 

I may have it the wrong way round, but I think the red-upholstered Coupe was 'his', while the blue-upholstered Coupe was the lesser-used sister.  If D-B have in fact sold either - and it appears that they have indeed done so - then it is more likely to have been the blue-upholstered car, I would have thought.  

 

But a savvy buyer could have held out for 'The' Uhlenhaut Coupe, not its historically lesser sister.  There are strong rumours that the buyer is a much-respected Brit and he would certainly have factored-in the difference.  Where he is concerned, I hope these rumours are true.

 

Many people have tried to persuade D-B over many years that they really didn't need to keep both of these Coupes, particularly since neither of them have any race history, beyond one having done some practice laps at Dundrod before the 1955 RAC TT, driven mainly by 'Taffy' von Trips.  

 

Over many past years, some people have got quite close to sealing a deal with D-B over buying the extraneous Coupe, but ultimately the company had always shied away from signing an agreement.

 

One might suspect that 2-3 years of adverse economic conditions finally concentrated the corporate mind...  Not that $140-odd-million will plaster over many of the current cracks?

 

On a personal note, I was staggered to be invited to drive what I recall as having been 'the lesser' 300SLR Coupe during the Mille Miglia Retro some years ago.

 

I must confess it was a FABULOUS experience, something of a roofed-in Moss/Fangio experience on the course they once graced.

 

BUT - and it's a big 'but' - the Ferrari 250GTO remains nicer to drive, feeling lighter, with better steering and more responsive handling.  But then so it should, being seven years younger.  And even though the GTO V12 sounds lovely around peak revs, the 300SLR's straight-8 just sounds utterly, ear-splittingly fantastic throughout its entire range. Wonderful.  :love:

 

DCN

Why should MB sell the Uhlenhaut-car, no matter which of them? They have all the money and don`t need this "silly" cash...

 

As long as MB confirms the sale of the car, I don`t believe it!



#10 BRG

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Posted 14 May 2022 - 09:41

Why should MB sell the Uhlenhaut-car, no matter which of them? They have all the money and don`t need this "silly" cash...

If the story is true, the cash has gone to a charity, not to MB.  

 

But the whole thing seems a little odd.  OK, if you have two examples of a unique (or should that be duique?) car, you can decide to dispose of one.  And you can offer the proceeds to charity.  But then why do it secretly?  What about all the potential bidders who never knew of the auction, although auction suggest multiple bidders.  Still, there might have been an Elon Musk type person prepared to bid even more but who never had the chance?

 

Maybe this sale was well known amongst the super-rich or at least, the right sort of super-rich (no Russian oligarchs wanted here, thank you very much), it was just us plebs who were kept in the dark.



#11 jtremlett

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Posted 14 May 2022 - 15:01

If the story is true, the cash has gone to a charity, not to MB.  

 

But the whole thing seems a little odd.  OK, if you have two examples of a unique (or should that be duique?) car, you can decide to dispose of one.  And you can offer the proceeds to charity.  But then why do it secretly?  What about all the potential bidders who never knew of the auction, although auction suggest multiple bidders.  Still, there might have been an Elon Musk type person prepared to bid even more but who never had the chance?

 

Maybe this sale was well known amongst the super-rich or at least, the right sort of super-rich (no Russian oligarchs wanted here, thank you very much), it was just us plebs who were kept in the dark.

I think you might do it like that if the objective wasn't just to allow anyone to buy it but rather to sell it to one of a small number of trusted car collectors.



#12 Doug Nye

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Posted 14 May 2022 - 20:27



In truth there is one Uhlenhaut Coupe, the one that Rudi Uhlenhaut most adopted for his occasional personal transport, and then there's the sister car which he might have driven occasionally but did not really adopt in the same way.  

 

I may have it the wrong way round, but I think the red-upholstered Coupe was 'his', while the blue-upholstered Coupe was the lesser-used sister.  If D-B have in fact sold either - and it appears that they have indeed done so - then it is more likely to have been the blue-upholstered car, I would have thought.  

 

DCN

 

I am pretty sure I did get the two SLR Coupes the wrong way round.  Rudi Uhlenhaut's favoured car was 'blue', the second car 'red'.  Here's 'red' - of fond personal memory - on the 2010 Mille Miglia Retro.

 

GPL-2010-MM-MERCEDES-300-SLR-UHLENHAUT-S

 

This is no discreet, sleek beauty - here it is entering Siena, even at low speed its exhaust crackle battering back from the pressing buildings.

 

GPL-2010-MM-MERCEDES-300-SLR-UHLENHAUT-S

 

It was heart-warming to experience the interest it aroused from the welcoming Siena crowd...

 

GPL-2010-MM-DCN-MERCEDES-300-SLR-UHLENHA

 

At speed on the open road, in the passenger seat is the great Gert Straub of Mercedes-Benz Classic whose father Horst navigated 'Taffy' von Trips on the 1956 Mille Miglia when they shared a 300SL. They crashed.  (We didn't :smoking: )

 

Above photos by courtesy of the Mercedes-Benz Museum (and such a shame to see that gorgeous bodywork disfigured by those event decals)

 

IMG-3141.jpg

 

Here's why this SLR Coupe has become known simply as 'Red'.  Note the legs apart driving position, clutch pedal in the left-side footwell, brake and throttle in the right...prop-shaft tunnel between the driver's shins.

 

IMG-3132.jpg

 

Note instrument obscuration by the 4-spoke steering wheel

 

IMG-3124.jpg

 

IMG-3137.jpg

 

Photos Copyright: The GP Library

 

PS - Incidentally, there are also strong rumours emerging that a number of prominent car collectors around the world are "somewhat miffed" not to have been considered worthy of an invitation to the rumoured auction sale - tee-hee...

 

DCN


Edited by Doug Nye, 14 May 2022 - 22:40.


#13 marksixman

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Posted 14 May 2022 - 21:07

You lucky Dog ! Sorry, Doug !



#14 Odseybod

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Posted 14 May 2022 - 21:25

  At least they didn't give you the one with the great ugly exhaust silencer tacked onto its flank - that would surely have quite spoilt your enjoyment of its beauty  ...



#15 bradbury west

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Posted 14 May 2022 - 22:46

I recall my good fortune to have a conversation with the late Tony Dron after he had done his first run in “red” at the Festival of Speed a few years ago. He was ecstatic about the car.  The power delivery was  seamless,  but it was a bit noisy in the cabin, but what a noise….  He loved it. 
As an aside, I have always thought if any car warranted a  “continuation “ run it was  these two coupes. I would imagine there would be no problem  finding owners for a couple of dozen at  £30 million or so,  even with a modern MB engine.  The joy of being a dreamer…..

I was fortunate enough to  have my own shot of the cockpit, as above, but from the driver’s door opening, accepted to be hung in the celebrated Swift gallery a while ago, he says immodestly, but it is a wonderful shot.

 

I know Jenks would not approve as the continuations would  devalue the  originals, in ethos if not financially. The real thing would always be  the real thing.

I am  sure someone could fotoshop out those decals,  to  which Doug refers above

Roger Lund



#16 Tim Murray

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 08:42

Roger Lund has sent me this link to Tony Dron’s article on the car in the Daily Telegraph. It won’t open for me as I’m not a Telegraph subscriber, but might work for others:

https://www.telegrap...onsibility.html

#17 BRG

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 10:25

 

PS - Incidentally, there are also strong rumours emerging that a number of prominent car collectors around the world are "somewhat miffed" not to have been considered worthy of an invitation to the rumoured auction sale - tee-hee...

 

DCN

I have cut out your holiday snaps, Doug (jealousy is not strong enough word... ) but this was my thought.  Surely, if it was for charity, they could have invited everyone, held it in public ,and maybe made even more millions for the good cause - whatever it was - as well garnering great publicity.  As it is, it looks a bit like a stitch-up to pass ownership to a favoured individual.  

 

I take it that YOU weren't the buyer??   ;)



#18 Doug Nye

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 10:35

Dammit - rumbled!

 

One would assume that the 'proceeds go to charity' propaganda would relate merely to a percentage of the involved auction company's commission on the sale - NOT the full proceeds of such a sale being donated.  

 

Then there's the question of the car's long-time legal ownership.  Would the owning entity have been Daimler-Benz AG itself, or perhaps a discreet Daimler background Trust, or whatever legal entity this particular longtime Mercedes-Benz Museum exhibit reside(d) under as 'the owner/vendor'...?  

 

And of course even a percentage of the selling agent's commission would make a pretty darned formidable charitable contribution.

 

Always assuming, of course, that the entire story is essentially true.  It does - from what I hear - appear to be so.  But if these rumours are indeed unfounded, this would not be the first time, would it?

 

DCN



#19 10kDA

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 10:54

Dammit - rumbled!

...

Then there's the question of the car's long-time legal ownership.  Would the owning entity have been Daimler-Benz AG itself, or perhaps a discreet Daimler background Trust, or whatever legal entity this particular longtime Mercedes-Benz Museum exhibit reside(d) under as 'the owner/vendor'...?  

...

DCN

First thing, thanks for the pics!

 

Hmmm... this may have something to do with the selling/buying process. In the US, nonprofit foundations/trusts/museums must follow specific regulations re: buying and selling items, some of which may have been donated, and in the process realize significantly larger $$$ amounts than the original transaction. In other words, making a profit on a sale. It can be done without seeming to be a profit-making activity but it must be handled in such a way that the tax authorities grant approval.

 

Also, what if it was the buyer who requested anonymity? That seems to make more sense in the long run.



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#20 Doug Nye

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 11:07

I am confident that if a sale did take place the buyer would certainly, as you write, have requested anonymity.  Of course the press always regard such reservations as a challenge!

 

DCN



#21 Charlieman

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 11:23

We should assume that the sellers and the sale beneficiaries acted with good intent -- regarding sale proceeds, Mercedes-Benz reputation and the future of the car. 

 

The number of collectors who have 135 million Euros to spend on a car is incredibly small, so we can assume that those who met the trusted owner criteria were informed.

 

The value to the buyer of this car is roughly the sum required to run a middle-grid F1 team for a year.



#22 jcbc3

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 16:06

I am confident that if a sale did take place the buyer would certainly, as you write, have requested anonymity.  Of course the press always regard such reservations as a challenge!

 

DCN

 

Just to spell it out for the dimwit here (me):

 

You are the press in this sentence, Doug?



#23 Myhinpaa

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 16:34



 

I am pretty sure I did get the two SLR Coupes the wrong way round.  Rudi Uhlenhaut's favoured car was 'blue', the second car 'red'.  Here's 'red' - of fond personal memory - on the 2010 Mille Miglia Retro.

 

It seem indeed that the car with the blue interior was Uhlenhaut's car, usually on static display in the museum, chassis no. 0007/55.

The car was displayed at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2015, but unlike the sister wasn't run (?)

 

One of nine 300 SLRs, 0007 was the car Fangio/Moss shared at the tragic Le Mans. One of two 300 SLRs converted to coupe spec.

 

0007 was then used as a T-car at the Kristianstad GP in August and then at the Dunrod TT in September. 

 

Then used by Uhlenhaut as a company car....

 

art-VIN-mercedes300slr-07.jpg

 

The other coupe was chassis no. 0008/55 and had the red interior, this is the car that Mercedes allegedly have sold.

 

Kept in storage more than 0007, but since a rebuild in 2010 it was used on demonstration runs and events more frequently.

 

The car was supposedly built and prepared for an entry in the '55 Carrera Panamericana, but that was cancelled too, due to the tragedy at Le Mans. The car was then put in storage and didn't see much use, until the mentioned rebuild in 2010 and onwards.

 

Both cars at Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2015, 0007 closest to the camera.

 

Mercedes-Benz-300-SLR-Uhlenhaut-Coupe-78

 

Image courtesy of Wouter Melissen and Pieter Melissen



#24 sabrejet

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 17:35

I don't see what the problem is with M-B selling the car to whoever it wishes to: it is their property after all. And if I were to sell a prized possession, I'd much rather it went to someone I knew would love and cherish it, than an individual who might only seek to make money from it. Much worse, someone who wanted to alter it in some way!

 

I think M-B has done a really responsible thing in doing it this way: hopefully it will also mean that the car will be seen in public instead of being stored away in an anonymous collection.

 

Or turned into an art installation. Remember the art auction where the painting was shredded as soon as the final bid was accepted? In a world of cash-rich media buffoons, eager to do the next daft stunt, let's just be happy that both cars are still safe. 



#25 Doug Nye

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Posted 15 May 2022 - 17:41



Just to spell it out for the dimwit here (me):

 

You are the press in this sentence, Doug?

 

No jcbc3 - absolutely not.  If a buyer wishes to maintain a low profile I just admire his taste in cars and will happily respect his (or her) wishes.  I can't say the same for other sectors of the media who will always grab a shovel and start digging, anonymity to those people is akin to a motoring tourist in Sicily waving two fingers at a local driver...   :eek:  The chase will be ON!

 

Monday update - a friend has just sent me these shots of one of the SLR Coupes being used as one of the works team's pre-race recce fleet, Targa Florio, 1955.

 

MERCEDES-300-SLR-COUPE-AT-55-TARGA-1.jpg

 

MERCEDES-300-SLR-COUPE-AT-55-TARGA-2.jpg

 

MERCEDES-300-SLR-COUPE-AT-55-TARGA-3.jpg

 

DCN


Edited by Doug Nye, 16 May 2022 - 15:06.


#26 Derwent Motorsport

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Posted 16 May 2022 - 16:39

The new owner will only be anonymous if the car is kept hidden away. Any attempt to display it or even use it would lead back to the owner. 



#27 kayemod

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Posted 16 May 2022 - 17:10

The new owner will only be anonymous if the car is kept hidden away. 

 

True of course, but rather sad. I saw and heard one of the pair at Goodwood, and noisy doesn't do it justice. The cars don't appear to have even token silencers, so I doubt if the new owner will be able to use his as a daily driver for the occasional run to Waitrose.or if the purchase has left him a bit skint, Lidl or Aldi.



#28 Beri

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Posted 17 May 2022 - 20:30

No jcbc3 - absolutely not.  If a buyer wishes to maintain a low profile I just admire his taste in cars and will happily respect his (or her) wishes.  I can't say the same for other sectors of the media who will always grab a shovel and start digging, anonymity to those people is akin to a motoring tourist in Sicily waving two fingers at a local driver...   :eek:  The chase will be ON!
 
Monday update - a friend has just sent me these shots of one of the SLR Coupes being used as one of the works team's pre-race recce fleet, Targa Florio, 1955.
 
MERCEDES-300-SLR-COUPE-AT-55-TARGA-1.jpg
 
MERCEDES-300-SLR-COUPE-AT-55-TARGA-2.jpg
 
MERCEDES-300-SLR-COUPE-AT-55-TARGA-3.jpg
 
DCN


Fantastic photos. Especially the first one where one can see the car work to tackle the corner. Thank you for sharing.

The new owner will only be anonymous if the car is kept hidden away. Any attempt to display it or even use it would lead back to the owner.


I am an absolute nobody in this kind of business. But I would assume that an owner of a car worth that much, has a team of employees that buff it up and transport it to various venues for display. And not the owner himself doing this. Also contact between said venues or events and the owner, to make certain demands or deals to display the car, will be run via intermediaries, I'd assume? Or am I completely off here?

#29 arttidesco

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Posted 17 May 2022 - 20:38

Here is what Mercedes Benz had to say about the two 300SLR Coupes when they brought them to Goodwood in 2015, just hope they had them parked up the right way round ;-)

 

IMG-4760.jpg

 

IMG-4759.jpg

 

Note simple 'stern' on the grill additional intake on the bonnet, blue interior.

 

IMG-4762.jpg

 

IMG-4763.jpg

 

Note 'stern mit bar' grill no intake on bonnet, red interior. 



#30 jtremlett

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Posted 18 May 2022 - 07:42

So, just to confuse me(!), the car Uhlenhaut is photographed with in Myhinpaa's post above is not his own car but chassis number 8.

 

#31 Red Socks

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Posted 18 May 2022 - 09:42

So the gossip is that some Brit has paid 130 mill plus for this car.

Surely MB have two so getting out of one is smart and as for buying it......

Must have an awful lot of money doing nothing and at 10 plus per cent inflation can't see it'll ever come back.

Strange world.



#32 arttidesco

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Posted 18 May 2022 - 10:45


So, just to confuse me(!), the car Uhlenhaut is photographed with in Myhinpaa's post above is not his own car but chassis number 8.


That would be my understanding based on the 'stern mit stange' chrome and absence of intake on top of the bonnet which distinguish the red car from the blue one 👍

#33 Glengavel

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Posted 18 May 2022 - 11:56

Is it significant that one has an M-B badge above the grille and the other doesn't?



#34 Tom Glowacki

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Posted 18 May 2022 - 13:33

Is it significant that one has an M-B badge above the grille and the other doesn't?

or that one has amber turn signal lights, and the other clear?



#35 Henk Vasmel

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Posted 18 May 2022 - 17:00

And the original "Uhlenhaut", 07/55, "blue", had a bar on both sides of the star (see period pictures) and now it hasn't. The other one, 08/55, "red", not the preferred car by R.U., now has one. Did it have in period?

07/55 appeared several times at races in '55, even on track in practice, but never started a race. For 08/55 I have no appearances.



#36 Myhinpaa

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Posted 18 May 2022 - 19:49

Indicator lamps on (what's most likely) "0007" is closer to the headlamp covers than on "0008", the later also have the M-B badge on all photos.

Strange how "0007" have lost its bars on both side of the star and had an air intake and bug deflector added since period photos were taken.

 

Any available source that mentions Uhlenhaut's 300 SLR, Reg.no W22-2962 connects that to ch.no "0007/55"

 

How to find out for sure?



#37 Ray Bell

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Posted 18 May 2022 - 21:49

The addition of the air intake and bug deflector would be logical 'developments' as Uhlenhaut drove the car regularly...

 

His comfort in a car no longer having the 'outdoors indoors' would have become important.



#38 jtremlett

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 07:26

So, 8 is what 7 originally looked like, more-or-less?  I note a wing mirror in the picture with Uhlenhaut that is different from both cars today and not present at all in the Targa Florio recce pictures.



#39 Doug Nye

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 07:58

Simon Thomas in Ulster has just sent me these shots of the SLR Coupe plated 'W22-6962' which ran in practice for the 1955 RAC TT at Dundrod, before its exclusion for being occupied by not only the driver but also 'an observer'.  The RAC also ordered the D-B team to replace its most attractive white-outlined red numbers, as used during practice on all their cars, with regulation black race numbers presented upon white contrast discs (so contemporarily British, and in comparison to the practice form so very dull)

 

DCN

 

SIMON-THOMAS-1955-TT-001-1.jpg

 

SIMON-THOMAS-1955-TT-001-2.jpg

 

SIMON-THOMAS-1955-TT-001-3.jpg

 

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Edited by Doug Nye, 19 May 2022 - 08:00.


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#40 Henk Vasmel

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 09:04

Indicator lamps on (what's most likely) "0007" is closer to the headlamp covers than on "0008", the later also have the M-B badge on all photos.

Strange how "0007" have lost its bars on both side of the star and had an air intake and bug deflector added since period photos were taken.

 

Any available source that mentions Uhlenhaut's 300 SLR, Reg.no W22-2962 connects that to ch.no "0007/55"

 

How to find out for sure?

Denis Jenkinson's (old) Profile on the MB 300 SLR already mentions license plates. 08/55 has none and 07/55 is erroneously listed as W21-6962. 03/55 - 06/55 indeed had W21 numbers, but this one clearly has W22.


Edited by Henk Vasmel, 19 May 2022 - 17:05.


#41 JoBo

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 16:55

For me the main question remais:

WHY should MB sell this car?

 

They have "all the money in the world" and don`t need it to re-finance anything because any development of new cars cost more than that rumoured price.

 

And -very curious!- for charity? This means MB is giving this rumoured cash away for charity? And what kind of charity??? All is very strange, sorry....

 

JoBo



#42 arttidesco

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 17:17

 

So, just to confuse me(!), the car Uhlenhaut is photographed with in Myhinpaa's post above is not his own car but chassis number 8.

 

 

 

 

That would be my understanding based on the 'stern mit stange' chrome and absence of intake on top of the bonnet which distinguish the red car from the blue one

 

 

The addition of the air intake and bug deflector would be logical 'developments' as Uhlenhaut drove the car regularly...

 

His comfort in a car no longer having the 'outdoors indoors' would have become important.

 

I think Ray has hit the nail on the head , the period photo's in this thread show No:7 various stages so sans mirror on various tracks in 1955, then car registered W22 6962 with a mirror and Rudi sitting on the drivers side would be the next development of No:7, not number 8 as I previously suggested.

 

1955-mercedes-300-slr-uhlenhaut-coupe-3.

 

It would appear the next development of No:7 was when it was used on a banked test track with the intake on top of the bonnet and the flyscreen. Wonder where that might have been ? I believe Nardo and Unterturkheim banked cicuits were still 15 to 20 years away from completion.


Edited by arttidesco, 19 May 2022 - 17:19.


#43 BRG

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 17:32

If I was the mystery buyer, and had read this thread, I would be increasingly concerned about exactly what MB had sold me.  Is it the real thing?  Or is it the sister of the real thing?  OR are neither of them the real thing?  



#44 arttidesco

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 17:42

If I was the mystery buyer, and had read this thread, I would be increasingly concerned about exactly what MB had sold me.  Is it the real thing?  Or is it the sister of the real thing?  OR are neither of them the real thing?  

 

So long as it does not have a yellow or black interior there should not be 'too' much to worry about ?



#45 jtremlett

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 18:43

Karl Ludvigsen article about the two cars on the Magneto magazine website: www.magnetomagazine.com/uhlenhaut-mercedes-300slr/



#46 arttidesco

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 20:33

Karl Ludvigsen article about the two cars on the Magneto magazine website: www.magnetomagazine.com/uhlenhaut-mercedes-300slr/

 

Thanks for sharing seems no doubt about the sale or who brokered it, I wonder if when and or where we might see No;8 again ?


Edited by arttidesco, 19 May 2022 - 20:56.


#47 Henk Vasmel

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Posted 19 May 2022 - 21:11

OK, It appears now that most of the story is out and everything is known except for the person who bought 08/55. And that will not be easy to find out, so let's leave it at that.

In the meantime we have done a good investigation on the two coupé's in existence, and we seem to know most of what important events they were present, and a lot about modifications to them over the years.

 

Now for me, there is one thing left. I have in my database the presence of 07/55 at the sports car race at the British Grand Prix (Aintree) in July. Start number T1, no driver listed. Presumably a demonstration only. Race was odd start numbers only and (1) was Peter Collins' Aston Martin.

I have no idea where to look for more details on this, but many of my friends here are more knowledgeable on British races. Could this have been an error, or does someone have more information here?



#48 Doug Nye

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Posted 20 May 2022 - 04:16

Now it's official.  From the Mercedes-Benz AG Group this morning:

 

The most valuable car in the world: Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé sold for an all-time record price of 135 million EUR to establish “Mercedes-Benz Fund”

  • All time record: One of two ultra-rare original 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Collection has been auctioned for 135 million EUR to a private collector, making it the most valuable car of all time.
  • Using this value to drive change: The proceeds will be used to establish a worldwide “Mercedes‑Benz Fund” that will provide educational and research scholarships in the areas of environmental science and decarbonisation for young people.

 

Stuttgart.  A Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé from 1955 has been sold at auction for a record price of 135 million EUR to a private collector. This icon of automotive history is an absolute rarity – one of just two prototypes built at the time. Named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, it is considered to be one of the finest examples of automotive engineering and design by automotive experts and enthusiasts worldwide.

 

“The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupés are milestones in sports car development and key historical elements that have shaped our brand. The decision to sell one of these two unique sports cars was taken with very sound reasoning – to benefit a good cause. The proceeds from the auction will fund a global scholarship programme. 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 decarbonisation and resource preservation,” says Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. “At the same time, achieving the highest price ever paid for a vehicle is extraordinary and humbling: A Mercedes-Benz is by far the most valuable car in the world.”

 

“As a global company and as a luxury brand we bear a great level of responsibility towards society,” says Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG for Integrity and Legal Affairs, who is responsible for the governance of the “Mercedes-Benz Fund“. “The proceeds from the sale of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé provide us with a unique opportunity to strengthen our commitment with a long-term flagship project: We will establish the global scholarship programme “Mercedes-Benz Fund” supporting young people in their studies, commitment and actions towards a more sustainable future. We are convinced that access to education in these areas will be crucial in encountering the great challenges of our time and contribute to greater stability, prosperity and social cohesion.”

 

Seed capital for scholarship programmes from proceeds

The proceeds from the auction of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé serve as seed capital for the global initiative. Mercedes-Benz is committed to investing additional resources in the coming years. The “Mercedes‑Benz Fund” will be divided into two sub-categories: University Scholarships in order to connect, educate and encourage students to realize/conduct research on environmental science projects and School Scholarships focussing on pupils to realize local environmental projects in their communities. The programme funds will be directed to individuals who otherwise do not have the financial means for their projects and career paths. The programme will go beyond financially supporting the young people and include extracurricular elements like Mercedes-Benz mentorships opening up new career prospects. The “Mercedes‑Benz Fund” will be jointly developed with and managed by an experienced partner which is currently being evaluated. The detailed set-up and roll-out planning as well as the partner organisation will be announced later this year.

 

History and auction of 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

The sale of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé took place on May 5th at an auction held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in cooperation with renowned auctioneer RM Sotheby’s. The invitees were among selected Mercedes-Benz customers and international collectors of cars and art, who share the corporate values of Mercedes-Benz. The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé sold at auction was part of the non-public vehicle collection belonging to Mercedes-Benz Classic, comprising more than 1100 automobiles from the invention of the automobile in 1886 until today.

 

“We are proud that we can contribute with our historical collection to this initiative connecting the past with the future of engineering and decarbonisation technology”, says Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes‑Benz Heritage. “The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé will remain accessible for public display on special occasions, while the second original 300 SLR Coupé remains in company ownership and will continue to be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.“

 

The special circumstances behind its creation, its unique design and its innovative technology have endowed the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé with a remarkable level of mystique that endures to this day. The design of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé set benchmarks that put it among the world’s most significant automotive icons – not least on account of its distinctive “gullwing” doors. Added to this is the outstanding performance delivered by its thoroughbred racing technology. Together, both have secured the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé its acclaimed position in sports car mythology and a very special place in the hearts of Mercedes fans around the world.

---------------------------------------------

 

Note "the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé"?  Sloppy Press Office wording becoming "the official version"?

DCN



#49 BRG

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Posted 20 May 2022 - 08:49

Ah, now I see why I wasn't invited to bid.  I don't share the corporate values of Mercedes-Benz.

 

Still, at least they are using the proceeds constructively.



#50 stevewak

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Posted 20 May 2022 - 08:51

Winning bid from Simon Kidston (who had lobbied M-B for 18 months to release car) on behalf of unnamed private collector.