What does it take to become the most expensive car ever sold? In the case of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe — universally known as the Uhlenhaut Coupe, after the engineer who brought it to life — the answer is a combination of breathtaking performance, singular design, and a story steeped in both triumph and tragedy. Only two were ever built, and the car’s legacy runs so deep that it later served as the spiritual inspiration for the modern SLR, the iconic result of Mercedes-Benz’s celebrated collaboration with McLaren.
Â
