One of two ultra-rare, original 1955 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes from the Mercedes-Benz Classic Collection has been auctioned for 135 million EUR to a private collector, making it the most valuable car of all time. The sale of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe took place on May 5th at an auction held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in cooperation with renowned auctioneer RM Sotheby's. The invitees were among selected Mercedes-Benz customers and international collectors of cars and art, who share the corporate values of Mercedes-Benz. The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sold at auction was part of the non-public vehicle collection belonging to Mercedes-Benz Classic, comprising more than 1100 automobiles from the invention of the automobile in 1886, until today. Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, had this to say: "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 proceeds will be used to establish a worldwide "Mercedes-Benz Fund" that will provide educational and research scholarships in the areas of environmental science and decarbonization for young people. This icon of automotive history is an absolute rarity – one of just two prototypes built at the time. Named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, it is considered to be one of the finest examples of automotive engineering and design by automotive experts and enthusiasts worldwide. "The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes are milestones in sports car development and key historical elements that have shaped our brand. The decision to sell one of these two unique sports cars was taken with very sound reasoning – to benefit a good cause. The proceeds from the auction will fund a global scholarship program. With the 'Mercedes-Benz Fund' we would like to encourage a new generation to follow in Rudolf Uhlenhaut's innovative footsteps and develop amazing new technologies, particularly those that support the critical goal of decarbonization and resource preservation," says Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. "At the same time, achieving the highest price ever paid for a vehicle is extraordinary and humbling: A Mercedes-Benz is by far the most valuable car in the world." 
The special circumstances behind its creation, its unique design and its innovative technology have endowed the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe with a remarkable level of mystique that endures to this day. The design of the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe set benchmarks that put it among the world's most significant automotive icons – not least on account of its distinctive "gullwing" doors. Added to this is the outstanding performance delivered by its thoroughbred racing technology. Together, both have secured the 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe its acclaimed position in sports car mythology and a very special place in the hearts of Mercedes fans around the world. More information about the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is available in a web special. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Rudolph Uhlenhaut was an absolute legend. The Chief Engineer for Mercedes-Benz racing during that era, he would regularly take the Grand Prix and sports cars out in testing to see what the drivers were experiencing on the track. And he would not only match their lap times, but often go faster at racetracks around the world. And remember, this was the era when Mercedes-Benz had Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss - the best in the world at the time - as their team drivers. He was an incredible talent and a remarkably gifted engineer. And he drove his “Uhlenhaut Coupe” flat-out on the Autobahn on a regular basis well into his 80s. The price for the car is hard to comprehend, but the provenance is indisputable. A fantastic machine and incredible legacy. -PMD
In conjunction with its 50th birthday celebration, BMW M GmbH has unveiled a very special limited-edition model: The new 2023 BMW M4 CSL. The machine "fuses old-school racing passion with innovative technology to create an inimitable performance experience," according to BMW PR minions. What do you get? Power is boosted to 543HP, an increase of 40HP; weight is reduced by 240 pounds; a suite of unique chassis enhancements is included; exclusive seating for two, with track-ready M Carbon full bucket seats. How fast? It achieved the fastest lap of any production BMW around the Nurburgring Nordschleife with a time of 7:20.2. How many? Global production limited to 1,000 units. How much? Base price starts at $139,900 plus $995 destination. Production begins in July 2022.
A freshened 2023 BMW 3 Series will arrive at U.S. dealers in July. Updates include subtle tweaks to the exterior and a newly designed cockpit with a BMW Curved Display comprised of a 12.3-inch information display and a control display with a screen diagonal of 14.9 inches. Drivetrains available include the 2-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder in the 330i, a plug-in hybrid in the 330e, and the 3-liter TwinPower Turbo inline-6 enhanced with 48V mild hybrid technology. All are available with optional xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive. The standard full-LED headlights are slimmer, with clear contours and daytime driving lights. The outer daytime driving light elements serve as turn indicators. The air intakes are in high-gloss black and positioned below the kidney grille while directing cool air to the front brakes. The flared rear wheel arches accentuate the width and rear stance of the new 3 Series. And, as usual with BMW, there is much, much more. Vehicles for the U.S. market will be built exclusively in BMW’s newest plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Editor-in-Chief's Note: Will it drive any better? That's all we care about. -PMD
(BMW)
The Bugatti 57 S was declared the overall winner of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2022 on the shores of Lake Como on Sunday. The impressive convertible, built in 1937, is owned by Andrew Picker from Monaco. It was also the winner of the Trofeo BMW Group. The Bugatti 57 S is an Italian and French co-production. Bugatti and the traditional coach builder Vanvooren, located in Courbevoie near Paris, created the exquisite machine. The Bugatti 57 S triumphed in a carefully curated field of participating rare jewels from eight decades of automobile history. The winning car from Class A “The golden Age of Elegance: The Art Deco Era of Motor Car Design” is the first of just four Bugatti Type 57 S automobiles reputed to have been bodied by Vanvooren as convertibles. One of the previous ten owners, a Vice President of General Motors, swapped the Bugatti inline eight-cylinder powerhouse for a Buick V8 for test purposes. The fact that after four decades the long-sought original engine turned up in an Internet search and found its way back to the car is almost a modern-day miracle. A total of 51 outstanding classic cars from different eras of automobile history were nominated for the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2022.
(Toyota)
The Toyota 4Runner will reach the 40-year mark with the 2023 model year and to celebrate, Toyota is offering a 4WD-only 2023 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition. Based on the SR5 Premium grade, it will be available in three colors: White, Midnight Black Metallic and Barcelona Red Metallic. It also comes with bronze-colored 17-inch alloy wheels, a body-color-matching TOYOTA heritage grille, a bronze-colored 40th Anniversary exterior tailgate badge and a heritage retro-inspired yellow/orange/red body graphics package created as an homage to Toyota’s successes in off-road racing. The 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition gets exclusive badging on the center console and features a bronze-colored cross-stitch shift knob, bronze-colored seat stitching, 40th Anniversary floormats (I mean, you gotta have those, right? -WG) and a 40th Anniversary logo on the Black SofTex-trimmed seats. A power moonroof is standard. Toyota will make 4,040 of these special editions available for the U.S. market. No word on pricing as of yet.
The AE Song of the Week:
I'm gonna fight 'em all
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Taking their time right behind my back
And I'm talking to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette
And the message coming from my eyes
Says leave it alone
Don't want to hear about it
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell
And if I catch it coming back my way
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do
And the feeling coming from my bones
Says find a home
I'm going to Wichita
Far from this opera for evermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding, and I'm bleeding
Right before the lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will sing no more
And the stains coming from my blood
Tell me go back home
"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes, from the album "Elephant" (2003)*. Watch the Original Music Video here.
*The title of the song originates from what Jack White thought the Salvation Army was called when he was a child. White will often take a distinctive phrase he finds interesting and use it as the title of a song - "Rag And Bone" is another good example. This song deals with The White Stripes' rising popularity and the negatives that came with it. After White came up with the riff, he devised a storyline in which a protagonist comes into town and all his friends are gossiping about him. "He feels so bad he has to leave town, but you get so lonely you come back," said White. "The song's about gossip. It's about me, Meg and the people we're dating." The White Stripes had no bass player, so the popular riff is actually a guitar with an octave effect to sound like a bass. The video, while novel and cleverly directed, has gained a reputation as one of the most effective motion-sickness-inducing devices since the invention of spinning carnival rides. Jack White once said that the main riff was the riff he planned to use if they ever got asked to write the theme to the next James Bond film. He decided it was unlikely and used it in this. Five years later, he was asked to write the theme song for the Bond film Quantum of Solace. On the album, it states: "No computers were used during the writing, recording, mixing or mastering of this record." In the video when Jack White points to his hand as he begins the third verse, he's showing you where he is from. The state of Michigan is shaped like a mitten and people in the state often point to a spot on their hand when asked where they are from. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG