Car Fule

One of all first supercars in history has been auctioned for a few days by Bonhams auction house. The auction takes place in Belgium, in Brussels, and it is expected that the stakes will reach peaks. The car in question is a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster from 1961finished in color « silver mechanic ».

According to the announcement of the sale, three bids have already been made, on May 11, 12 and 13. The amount offered is unknown, but the selling company appraised the vehicle at a value between 1.15 and 1.4 million euros. An incredibly high sum for a Mercedes, but which is not aberrant with regard to the model sold here. Highly sought after by collectors, they are generally traded at gold prices.

One of the first supercars in history

The 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster isn’t just a gorgeous car. It is also known as one of the first supercar models in history. Opinions are certainly divided on the question. For some, the very first supercar would have been the Jaguar XKSSbuilt in 1957. For others, it is rather necessary to wait until the end of the 1960s, with the first production of Lamborghini Miura.

Anyway, the 300 SL Roadster is one of the first road cars to have displayed outstanding performance. With its six-cylinder engine, it develops 240 hp at 6,100 tr/min. It thus reaches a top speed of 225 km/h. At the time of its release (in 1954), no automobile was going so fast.

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An auction at more than a million euros

Today, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadsters rarely sell for less than one million euros. The latest auctions show it well. In 2022, a 1961 model had left for more than 1.6 million euros chez Broad Arrow Auctions. RM Sotheby’s also sold several in 2023. In January, copy was acquired for the same amount in Phoenix. A 1959 model was purchased for 1,7 million d’euros in Paris.

The fact that it is one of the first supercars in history certainly does not explain all of its price. It is highly prized by collectors because of his style, typical of the post-war years. Rare fact for a car: it is equipped with so-called « papillon ». At the time of its production, it was phenomenally successful in the United States and was considered one of the best cars Mercedes had ever made.