The Mercedes-AMG One is currently the most expensive model in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, with a starting price of $2.72 million. However, this pales in comparison to the value of classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles, especially the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen featured here.
Earlier this month, auction house RM Sotheby’s successfully sold a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen for €51.2 million, making it the second most expensive car in the world and the most valuable Grand Prix racing car ever.
The second most expensive car in the world is also a Mercedes-Benz, selling for nearly €1.33 billion. Image: Carscoops
The title of the world’s most expensive car goes to another Mercedes-Benz, the 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which sold for a staggering $143 million in 2022.
If we consider private sales with undisclosed prices, the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen is likely in the top 3. In the early 2010s, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was rumored to have changed hands for $70 million, but the parties involved did not confirm this figure.
The single-seat racing car is exceptionally well-preserved by the museum. Image: RM Sotheby’s
The Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen has a design reminiscent of a long-distance racing car rather than a typical Grand Prix car. It was developed in the 1950s to meet the requirements of the time for racing cars with a 2.5-liter engine. Legendary drivers like Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio took turns behind the wheel, with Juan claiming victory three times.
Like most valuable classic cars, this second most expensive Mercedes-Benz in the world has a long and successful racing history. Image: RM Sotheby’s
A decade later, Daimler-Benz donated the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. In 2025, the museum decided to auction the car to raise funds for expanding its collection, which currently includes 150 vehicles and 55,000 artifacts.
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The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is an automotive icon, renowned for its distinctive gullwing doors and groundbreaking design. A true masterpiece, this car has an enduring legacy, with its innovative features and engineering brilliance capturing the imagination of car enthusiasts worldwide. With its sleek and muscular silhouette, the 300 SL is a testament to Mercedes-Benz’s rich heritage and their commitment to creating vehicles that are both aesthetically stunning and technically advanced. This classic car’s enduring appeal lies not only in its unique design but also in its powerful performance and the impact it had on the automotive industry. The 300 SL is a true legend, an iconic symbol of automotive excellence, and a testament to Mercedes-Benz’s unparalleled engineering and design prowess.
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The collection, an accumulation of automotive masterpieces from brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, and Porsche, was the life’s passion of Rudi Klein. Before his passing in 2001, Klein, a former butcher, had built a reputation for his meticulous restoration of classic cars, a pursuit that clearly paid dividends.
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“The enigmatic and ambitious Vietnamese entrepreneur, Dang Le Nguyen Vu, has an insatiable appetite for luxury and performance cars, particularly the elusive Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. With a passion for speed and style, he has scoured the country for these supercars, leaving a trail of envy and awe in his wake. Now, his ultimate dream lies in acquiring the pinnacle of the gullwing lineage, the iconic 300SL, a car that embodies both heritage and engineering excellence. As one of these rare beauties prepares to go under the auctioneer’s hammer, Vu’s automotive desires are about to take flight once more.”
