Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR: the race car that gained a roof and became priceless
The Uhlenhaut Coupé combined gullwing doors with Grand Prix technology.
It looks like an elegant relative of the 300 SL, but beneath the bodywork lies far more serious hardware. Two examples of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé were built in 1955—and one of them sold in 2022 for 135 million euros. The story begins not with money, though, but with a racing engineer who wanted to push further.
By Henrik SjöbergReporter · Special cars and classic carsTranslated from Swedish with the help of AI.
A race car, not a refined 300 SL
The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé is a closed-body racing prototype, built by Mercedes-Benz in two examples. Its nickname comes from Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the engineer who led the brand’s race car development. It never became a regular showroom model. Instead, it found an afterlife as one of the most written-about company cars in automotive history.
The gullwing doors make it tempting to call it an extra-powerful 300 SL. But the relationship lies primarily in its looks and certain engineering principles. Beneath the skin, the 300 SLR, internally designated W 196 S, is related to Mercedes’ successful W 196 R Formula 1 car. This is racing technology in a tailored suit, not a road car with a tuned engine.
The open-top 300 SLR won the 1955 Mille Miglia with Stirling Moss and navigator Denis Jenkinson, among other victories. The coupe was developed as a closed-body variant for sports car racing, where a body with less aerodynamic drag could offer an advantage on fast circuits. The basic idea was practical: the same racing machine, but better equipped for higher speeds and longer distances.
Gullwings out of necessity
The body was built from lightweight alloy over a frame of thin steel tubes. The frame’s high sides provided rigidity but left little room for conventional doors. The solution was openings extending into the roof. In other words, the gullwings were not just a way to make an entrance at a hotel; the structure beneath them dictated their shape.
The long hood, covered headlights, and rounded rear end give the car a remarkably cohesive look. At the same time, the side-exit exhausts reveal that the comfort department did not have the final say. The two examples are usually distinguished by their red and blue interiors, respectively. Both are original factory-built prototypes, not later conversions of regular 300 SLs.
The cabin seats two, but it is shaped around the race car’s needs. High sills require some thought when getting in, and the driver sits behind a large steering wheel with the instruments clustered closely ahead. Adding a roof did not turn the car into a plush grand tourer. Here, the elegance lies more in how much technology has been fitted beneath a beautiful surface.
The engine is a straight-eight with direct fuel injection and desmodromic valve actuation: the valves are closed mechanically rather than relying solely on valve springs. This was advanced technology for high engine speeds. The engine is steeply canted to keep the hood low. The brakes also reveal its origins; large drum brakes were used, mounted inboard toward the center of the car to reduce unsprung mass.
The career that never began
The coupe emerged during a season that proved both triumphant and catastrophic for Mercedes. At Le Mans in 1955, an open-top 300 SLR was involved in the accident that killed driver Pierre Levegh and more than 80 spectators. Mercedes withdrew its remaining cars from the race and left factory racing at the end of the year.
The Uhlenhaut Coupé therefore never had the racing career it had been developed for. Instead, Uhlenhaut used one of the cars for journeys on public roads. That is where its reputation as the ultimate company car comes from. But stories of his alleged record-setting journeys should be treated with caution; the car’s actual engineering is spectacular enough without stopwatch legends.
We have not test-driven the car. Its intended use nevertheless says a great deal: high speeds over long racing stints, not quiet conversation between traffic lights. Mercedes quotes a top speed of around 290 km/h. For a car from 1955, that is a figure that still raises eyebrows.
Two built, one sold
On May 5, 2022, the example with the red interior was sold at a private auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, held in conjunction with RM Sotheby’s. The price was 135 million euros. That was a documented auction result for that particular car, not a general price list for the model.
Mercedes kept the other example in its collection. For an interested reader, a museum visit is therefore far more realistic than a for-sale listing. The combination of two cars built, factory-preserved history, and the connection to Uhlenhaut explains its unique standing. Here is both a technological crossroads and an interrupted racing dream—with doors that still know how to make an entrance.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz Museum, Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé”
- RM Sotheby’s, 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé (2022)
- Karl Ludvigsen, Mercedes-Benz Quicksilver Century (1995)
Ask questions about “Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR: the race car that gained a roof and became priceless”. Answers are based on the magazine's own articles.
