Tag Archives: mercedes-benz

AMG GT Project One

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2022 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series Project One Edition

Offered by Bonhams | Knokke-Heist, Belgium | October 8, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

The Mercedes-AMG Project One (or just the “ONE”) is a hypercar that has seemed to be in development forever. So while the lucky 275 folks who ordered one waited, Mercedes decided to try and keep them happy by offering them an excusive version of their getting-long-in-the-tooth AMG GT sports car.

But no base car here as the starting point was the top-tier Black Series. That means it is powered by a 720-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. It has all of the aero bits that set Black Series cars apart, and, in Project One Edition spec, has a pretty awesome painted three-star motif that is excusive to this car.

Only 275 of these were built, and they were only offered to Project One orderers. More than a few have hit the market, and this one has an estimate of $425,000-$640,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $412,302.

Mercedes 170H Convertible

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1938 Mercedes-Benz 170H Convertible Sedan

Offered by Bonhams | Brussels, Belgium | May 13, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Not a Volkswagen. But not all that different. Mercedes-Benz introduced the W23 130H in 1934. It was their smallest car to date. The related W28 170H debuted in 1936 and was produced as the rear-engined alternative to the front-engined 170 V.

The 170 models shared an engine: a 1.7-liter inline-four that was rated at about 37 horsepower. The 170H was produced until 1939, with just 1,507 built – only 250 of which were made in 1938. Low demand was due mostly to the fact that it cost more than the 170 V but had less room and was altogether a worse car.

The restoration on this convertible version was completed in 2020. These rear-engined Mercs are a rare sight, and this one is about as good as they come. The estimate is $66,000-$100,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $67,054.

SLR McLaren 722 S

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2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 16, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

The SLR McLaren was Mercedes-Benz’s halo car produced between 2004 and 2009. It was actually developed in conjunction with McLaren, and various variants were produced after the initial coupe. These included the 722, a high-performance coupe, the Roadster, a drop-top version of the base coupe, and this, the 722 S Roadster, the hot convertible.

It debuted in Frankfurt in 2007, and just 150 were built. Power is provided by a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that made 641 horsepower in 722 spec. Top speed for the roadster was a remarkable-for-a-convertible 208 mph.

This one-owner car has only covered about 60 miles since new. It’s finished in Sienna Pearl and features lightweight wheels, a revised suspension, and some design tweaks over the base car. The pre-sale estimate is $490,000-$735,000. These cars are still very expensive, which, frankly, I don’t quite understand. But anyway. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $854,283.

Coachbuilt 230SL

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1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL Coupe Speciale by Pininfarina

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 19-20, 2022

Photo – Gooding & Company

The W113 was Mercedes-Benz‘s first real SL class, in the terms we think of it today. It was the “replacement” for the 300SL and 190SL, and three models were offered between 1963 and 1971. There was the initial 230SL, which was sold from 1963 through 1966. It was replaced by the short-lived 250SL and then by the 280SL.

The 230SL was powered by a fuel-injected 2.3-liter inline-six rated at 148 horsepower. The W113 was sold with a removable hardtop, which earned the cars the nickname “Pagoda.” They all had that removable hardtop. Except this one.

Pininfarina wanted to design a true coupe version of the car, and Mercedes sent them a 230SL to do just that. Tom Tjaarda styled it. The design is interesting… from the fenders on back. The front end is a little droopy. There were 19,831 230SLs built, and only one coupe. The pre-sale estimate is “in excess of $1,000,000.” Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $1,215,000.

Uhlenhaut Coupe

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1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe

Sold by RM Sotheby’s | Stuttgart, Germany | May 5, 2022

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

We rarely feature a car after it sells, but this one sort of snuck up on everybody. The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart owned both examples of the “Uhlenhaut” coupe until recently, when they decided to part with one of the two. Why? Who knows. Maybe Daimler is cash-strapped. It’s kind of a weird situation when a well-funded museum decides to do a quick cash grab for a priceless piece of automotive history. Supposedly there were conditions on this private auction, like that the new owner isn’t allowed to re-sell it.

Anyway, a little history. This is not a 300SL Gullwing coupe. The 300 SLR was a full-fendered open-cockpit racing car based on the W196 Formula One car. The SLR was the company’s entry into the World Sportscar Championship. The cars won the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio before the program was quickly shuttered after the 1955 Le Mans disaster.

Meanwhile, motorsport chief Rudolf Uhlenhaut designed a road-going coupe version of the SLR, later dubbed the Uhlhenhaut coupes. Two were built. The engine was a 3.0-liter straight-eight that made about 305 horsepower. This coupe could do 180 mph. In 1955.

This one was the second one built and has been owned by Mercedes-Benz since new. It was restored in the 1980s and has been displayed and demonstrated on various occasions over the years. So how did it fare?

Sold: $142,000,000.

Mercedes-Benz 230 N

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1937 Mercedes-Benz 230 N Cabriolet A

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | April 30, 2022

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

The Mercedes-Benz W143 launched in 1936 as the 230. The following year, the 230 N (for Normal) was introduced as a short-wheelbase variant of the 230. It actually shared its wheelbase with 1933’s W21 200 model.

The 230 N was only produced for a single year, with approximately 963 built. Like the standard 230, the N is powered by a 2.2-liter M143 inline-six that was rated at 55 horsepower when new.

This car wears Sindelfingen Cabriolet A coachwork, one of a variety of styles offered on the 230 N. The car looks to have been restored, at least in part, over the years. It’s not a classic Benz that crops up often, and bidding on this one ends in just a few days. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $165,000.

The King of Iraq’s 770K

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1930 Mercedes-Benz 770K Four-Door Three-Position Cabriolet by Voll & Ruhrbeck

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | January/February 2022

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

The first comment on this auction was to the effect of “This is BaT at a completely different level.” And they ain’t kidding. The 770K was not only extremely exclusive when new, but also ultra rare. And they trade hands (at least publicly) very infrequently. The W07, which was the first generation of the 770 range, went on sale in 1930, making this an early example, in terms of timing. It would be replaced by the W150 in 1938.

They were very expensive cars, intended for high-ranking government officials. The (second-generation) 770K is largely remembered for being the choice cars of Nazi officials. But this car was produced before the Nazis were even in power. And it was sold new to the King of Iraq, remaining in his family until the 1950s.

Power is from a supercharged 7.7-liter inline-eight that made 200 horsepower with the supercharger engaged. Mercedes built 205 examples of the 770 in total, with 117 being the first-gen style. This one was bodied by Voll & Ruhrbeck of Berlin as an imposing, intimidating car. Which was probably the desired effect considering the type of people who owned them.

The car has about 10 days left at auction by the time this posts, and bidding was up to $600,000 at the time of this writing. The cheaper of the two 770Ks we’ve featured in the past sold for $2.5 million, with the other one not selling at a bid of $7 million. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $2,555,555.

190E DTM

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1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 DTM

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

The 190E Evolution is one of the coolest homologation road-car specials of all time. And the because of the stellar job it did… homologating… we have this. The actual real-deal DTM version of the 190E 2.5-16.

This car is one of two campaigned by Team Snobeck during the 1991 DTM season. For 1992 and 1993 it competed with a privateer driver in the Belgian Procar series. The current livery is a replica of an entirely different team’s, because “the owner of the car likes it.” If you don’t like it, buy it and change it.

The car retains a race version of the road car’s 2.5-liter, 16-valve Cosworth-developed inline-four. In race spec, output is around 335 horsepower. This car is not only one of the most badass touring cars ever built, but it’s just stunning in presentation. The pre-sale estimate is $340,000-$460,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $248,084.

Mercedes 260 Stuttgart

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1930 Mercedes-Benz 260 Stuttgart Cabriolet C

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6-16, 2022

Photo – Mecum

So, no, this is not a Ford Model A. It’s a Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes’ W11 was produced as a few different model names between 1929 and 1934. The Stuttgart was offered in a variety of factory bodies as well as a bare chassis for coachbuilders.

This car features “factory” Cabriolet C coachwork that was actually built by Reutter. The 2.6-liter inline-six made about 49 horsepower when new. Top speed was 56 mph.

During production, the factory churned out 6,757 standard-wheelbase units. This one was brought to the U.S. by a servicemember in the 1950s. It’s being offered from 70 years of family ownership. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $90,000.

500K Roadster by Windovers

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1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Three-Position Roadster by Windovers

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Amelia Island, Florida | May 22, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

Mercedes-Benz offered a variety of factory body styles for their 500K touring car. These included sedans, various roadsters, and the very popular cabriolets. But there were outside coachbuilders that also put their personal touch on examples of this chassis. And this one is brilliant.

The 500K was sold between 1934 and 1936 before it was replaced by the 540K. It is powered by a supercharged 5.0-liter inline-eight that was rated at 160 horsepower with the supercharger engaged. Top speed was over 100 mph.

Only 41 500Ks were sold as bare chassis to be bodied by independent coachbuilders. This car features one-off coachwork from Windovers, a British coachbuilder. It’s a three-position roadster, meaning the top can be all the way up, all the way down, or at an awkward place in the middle.

The car was purchased by the current owner in 2006 and later restored. It has a real Count Trossi SSK vibe to it, which is awesome. No pre-sale estimate is available, but you can read more about it here. Check out more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $1,600,000.