Throughout 2022 we have witnessed numerous auctions, although some of them have grabbed more headlines than others. It was not for less: they were led by cars that have broken records. So much so that, in the year that has just ended, we met the most expensive vehicle in history… for now. Do you remember which one it was? We refresh your memory with the five cars that broke the bank in 2022… and no, not all of them have been classics.
Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé (1956) – 135 million euros
The Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé is, since 2022, The most expensive car in the world sold, yes, at auction. It was in 1956 when Mercedes manufactured two road units of the Mercedes 300 SLR: one was baptized as ‘Red’ (Red) due to the color of its upholstery and the other received the nickname ‘Blue’ (Blue) for the same reason.
To this denomination was added the last name of the head of tests of the German house: Rudolf Uhlenhaut. For the last 67 years he had lived in the museum that the brand has in Stuttgart and it is the first time that one of these two copies has gone on sale. The bidding started at 50 million and a buyer paid 135 million euros, making it the most expensive car ever auctioned.
Ferrari 410 Sport Spider (1955) – 22 million euros
The Ferrari 410 Sport Spider was one of the prototypes than the Italian brand to compete in the 1955 Pan-American Race… which he never set foot on. They only shaped a couple of units and this, specifically, was the mount with which Carroll Shelby won the most races in his racing career: eight victories and ten podiums.
driven by a 4.9-litre V12 and three Weber 46 DCF carburettors, It also passed through the hands of pilots like Jo Bonnier, Juan Manuel Fangio, Richie Ginther, Masten Gregory and Phil Hill.
Ferrari F2003-GA (2003) – €14 million
The podium closes with a vehicle that needs no introduction. The Ferrari F2003-GA was the car with which Michael Schumacher won his sixth (and penultimate) Formula 1 World Championship in 2003. It bears the initials of Gianni Agnelli (GA) and, at the moment, it is the most expensive F1 car in history. Ferrari has kept it in perfect condition: so much so that it is ready to go out on the circuit, as Mick Schumacher demonstrated.
Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Goutte d’Eau (1937) – €12.57 million
It was the first time it was put up for sale since 1950 and it exceeded all expectations. It was not be for lowerly. This Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Goutte d’Eau was painstakingly restored in the year 200 to bring it back to its original appearance and color scheme when it left the factory.
However, its exclusivity lies in the shapes of its bodywork: it is one of the few signed by Figoni et Falaschi. Its exterior sports the ‘Modèle New York’ alloy, of which only two units in the world can boast. And as if all this were not enough, this Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Goutte d’Eau It is the only one of that pair of specimens with the exterior intact.
Bugatti Type 57S Atalante (1937) – 10 million euros
The Bugatti Type 57S Atalante has always been one of the most coveted models of the French house: one of the reasons that it was designed by Jean Bugatti himself, who conceived a two-seater coupe.
They only manufactured 17 units and the ‘S’ in its name reveals a unique feature of this model: its center of gravity was lower than the standard model… and it was also sportier. And it is that under that elegant black body hides an eight-cylinder in-line atmospheric 3.3-liter, which was supercharged to be around 220 CV.
