Rare Mercedes-Benz becomes world's most expensive car as it fetches £114m at auction

It's the world most expensive car, costing the new owner £114.5 million.

So they probably can afford the petrol, even though it is so more expensive.

The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe was sold to a private collector.

It is one of only two in existence.

The vehicle sold for triple the previous record, which was set in 2018 by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that fetched over £38 million.

The invitation-only auction took place on May 5 at the MercedesBenz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

The gullwing car is one of just two prototypes built by the Mercedes-Benz racing department and is named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut.

The vehicle sold for triple the previous record (Mercedes-Benz AG/AFP via Getty I)

“The private buyer has agreed that the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe will remain accessible for public display on special occasions, while the second original 300 SLR Coupe remains in company ownership and will continue to be displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart,” the auction company said.

Sotheby’s said the proceeds from the auction will be used to establish a worldwide Mercedes-Benz Fund that will fund environmental science and decarbonisation research.