The Specialist | The Most Valuable Car in the World, with Gord Duff And Marcus Breitschwerdt

Summary

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Intelligence Squared: The Specialist | The Most Valuable Car in the World

Date: October 10, 2025
Guests: Gord Duff (President, RM Sotheby’s), Marcus Breitschwerdt (Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage)
Host: Intelligence Squared (narrated by Conor Boyle)

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Episode Overview

In this episode of The Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby’s, host Conor Boyle dives into the remarkable tale of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé—the most valuable car ever sold at auction. Through firsthand accounts from Gord Duff (RM Sotheby’s) and Marcus Breitschwerdt (Mercedes-Benz Heritage), listeners are given a behind-the-scenes look at the history, significance, and the unprecedented private auction of this legendary car, which sold for a record €135 million.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Historic Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé

[04:25–07:56]

• Origins & Rarity

  • Only two coupés were ever manufactured in 1955, intended for endurance racing, but never raced.
  • Named after chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, who envisioned safer long-distance competition vehicles.
  • Both cars remained with Mercedes-Benz, never entering private hands, making their sale almost unthinkable.

• Design & Legacy

  • “One of the most elusive cars…a racing version of the already-iconic road cars.” – Gord Duff [04:25]
  • Built with a magnesium body for ultra-lightness, powered by a racing-derived eight-cylinder engine.
  • Inspired by the 1955 Mille Miglia-winning roadsters—highlighted by details like the iconic side-exit exhaust.
  • Legendary as both an engineering marvel and an art object: long, sleek, beautiful, “one of the most beautiful car designs ever to be built.” [06:18]

2. Why Mercedes-Benz Decided to Sell

[07:56–10:30]

• Philanthropic Purpose

  • The sale was motivated not by profit, but to fund educational opportunities for talented but underprivileged youths.
  • “Talent in the world is divided equally…but the opportunities...are not. So let’s create a program to help younger people who do have the talent, but maybe not all the opportunities.” – Marcus Breitschwerdt [08:58]
  • All proceeds were earmarked for a multi-year fellowship to foster engineering, entrepreneurship, and societal impact—deeply tied to Mercedes’s historic values.

• A Secretive Approach

  • Mercedes initiated confidential talks with Sotheby’s, selecting RM Sotheby’s as an auction partner based on trust and prior collaboration.
  • Very few people inside Mercedes-Benz were aware of the plan; “it was kind of a little bit of a James Bond atmosphere…” – Marcus Breitschwerdt [13:32]

3. The Auction: Process, Secrecy, and The Result

[10:30–14:15]

• Private and Selective

  • Strict qualifications for bidders: “They didn’t want just anybody with a lot of money…It had to be someone they felt comfortable entrusting to be the next custodian.” – Gord Duff [11:36]
  • Auction held privately at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the same site where the cars were built and had resided for 70 years.

• The Unfolding Event

  • “The moment that 100 million was called out on the phone, that’s never been done before. And I don’t know if it’ll ever be done again.” – Gord Duff [14:15]
  • Bidding was intense and suspenseful, likened to “a thriller.”
  • The car ultimately sold for an unprecedented €135 million, making it the most expensive car—and the third most valuable auctioned object—ever.

4. The Legacy and Meaning of This Sale

[14:15–17:05]

• A New Standard for Collector Cars

  • The price more than doubled the previous car auction record.
  • “The intersection between art and cars is many of them. They’re beautiful to look at. Not only can you look at it, you can touch it, it has a sound, and you can use it.” – Gord Duff [15:44]
  • Connection between art and cars: appreciating beauty, history, and engineering alike.

• A Higher Calling

  • Marcus Breitschwerdt emphasized the purpose: “We would never do something like this to simply get money for any kind of industrial activity…But for a good purpose, going back to our roots…” [17:06]
  • Proceeds bring opportunity full circle; Mercedes’s founders benefited from scholarships, and now the legacy supports future generations.

• Emotional Impact

  • “Some of us had tears in the eyes actually. So it was worth the effort and still is.” – Marcus Breitschwerdt [17:35]
  • Broader message about societal responsibility, opportunity, and the critical role of engineers in facing humanity’s grand challenges. “Leonardo da Vinci was also an engineer…We need very good engineers to apply science to resolve the challenges ahead.” [17:49]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the car’s significance:
  “It was just something that you can’t replicate. All those items is what made this sale so unique and so once in a lifetime.”
  — Gord Duff [02:57]

• On the decision to sell:
  “Talent in the world is divided equally…But the opportunities…are not.”
  — Marcus Breitschwerdt [09:17]

• On the auction day:
  “Only five people have known what’s really going on…it was kind of a little bit of a James Bond atmosphere…a real bidding fight. It was like a thriller.”
  — Marcus Breitschwerdt [13:32]

• On the auction result:
  “The moment that 100 million was called out on the phone, that’s never been done before. And I don’t know if that will ever be done again in the future.”
  — Gord Duff [14:15]

• On collector cars as art:
  “People that collect art are very similar to people that collect cars. Your first attraction is the beauty of the item.”
  — Gord Duff [15:50]

• On the philanthropic impact:
  “Some of us had tears in the eyes actually. So it was worth the effort and still is.”
  — Marcus Breitschwerdt [17:36]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:57 – The story of the Uhlenhaut Coupé’s uniqueness (Gord Duff introduction)
• 04:25–07:56 – Vehicle history, technology, and racing background (Gord Duff)
• 07:56–10:30 – Mercedes’s motivation for selling: educational philanthropy (Marcus Breitschwerdt)
• 10:30–14:15 – Arranging the private auction, criteria for bidders, and record-breaking result (Gord Duff, Marcus Breitschwerdt)
• 14:15–17:05 – The aftermath, the art-car connection, and the meaning of trust and legacy (Gord Duff, Marcus Breitschwerdt)
• 17:05–17:56 – Emotional significance and the purpose behind the sale (Marcus Breitschwerdt)

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Summary Flow

This episode weaves together the intrigue of one of the world’s greatest automotive legends, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, with the human and cultural meaning behind its sale. Through personal accounts and reflective dialogue, Gord Duff and Marcus Breitschwerdt illuminate both the technical brilliance and the profound impact that can arise when icons of heritage are leveraged for the greater good. Whether a car lover, art aficionado, or advocate of philanthropy, listeners are left with a sense of wonder—not just at the price tag, but at the values, trust, and vision that defined this historic event.

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Transcript

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[Conor Boyle]

Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet. I'm Head of Programming Conor Boyle. Today, something a little different. We're excited to share with you a handpicked episode of a brand new series, the Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. We've all heard the stories of the record breaking works, headline grabbing auctions and moments that shock the art world and beyond. But have you ever wondered what's happening behind the scenes? What goes into valuing a masterpiece? Or who the people are really behind the gavel? The Specialist brings you Art's most extraordinary stories told by the experts who witness them in short episodes. Perfect for a weekend listen. Now over to the Specialist.

[Gord Duff]

Not only is the Vehicle. Incredible. One of those vehicles that we never thought would have ever have been sold or brought to auction, but the fact that it was at the home of where this car was created and where this car lived for 70 years of its life was just something that you can't replicate. All those items is what made this sale so unique and so once in a lifetime.

[Narrator]

Sotheby's is the temporary custodian of some of the world's most rare, remarkable and coveted art and objects. In each episode, we'll be exploring the significance and journey of an extraordinary work. Title told by those who know it best. This is the specialist on this episode, the extraordinary story of the 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhardt Coupe, a car so rare and revered that few believed it would ever leave the Mercedes Benz museum to become the most expensive automobile in history. To tell this story to full effect, this episode will feature two voices. Gord Duff, President of RM Sotheby's in Blenheim, Ontario, and one of their leading car specialists is joined by Marcus Breitschwerd, Executive Vice President of Mercedes Benz and CEO of Mercedes Benz Heritage. Let's join Gord and Marcus now with more.

[Gord Duff]

So RM Sotheby's originally started as RM Auctions, and we're a company that not only restores, but mainly auctions off antique, classic and modern hypercars of all eras around the globe. The car we're going to be speaking about today is the 1955 Mercedes Benz SLR Ulenhaut Coupe. One of the most elusive cars, a car that nobody ever thought would ever exchange hands, considering that it's been with its original owner, the manufacturer, since new. And it is one of just two coupes that were constructed in 1955 that was originally scheduled to be raced for endurance racing. Carrera Pan America. Rudolf Ulenhout, who was the engineer behind their racing division, wanted to pull two of the chassis aside to build a coupe version for long distance enduring racing. Safer for the drivers, that kind of thing. Of nine vehicles that they built, they pulled two off to build these coupe bodies for they never decided to go into production to build more of them since they weren't going to race them. So they became prototype cars that were built and just used with the factory and never left the possession of the factory. The 300 SLR coupes and even the roadsters are very iconic, iconic car. I think people that aren't necessarily even into classic cars by any means know what a 300sl gullwing is. And this is kind of A racing version of that road car that Mercedes built in 1954, 1955, 1956. But it's longer, it's lighter, it's got an eight cylinder engine, but it's really a racing chassis, a racing motor. All the technology that was put into their racing teams that dominated throughout the 1950s was put into this car. And then they sculpted a magnesium body which allowed it to be super light. On top of it. They created one of the most beautiful car designs ever to be built. I think one of the interesting things about this car for people that know is it's very recognizable because they built a roadster version that won the 1955 Mille Miglia. That is a very famous car. Won the Mille outright, world record time. Sterling Moss was the driver. 722 was on the door. That was the time that he left in the morning. So it's a very iconic car. And this is very similar to that with a roof put on top of it. The exhaust coming out the driver's side is one of those instant things that's very recognizable that weren't on any other road cars at the time, but is on this car because of its relationship to racing. Of the two Ullenhau coupes that they built, they stayed with Mercedes Benz since they were created. Mercedes Benz is very much about their heritage back to day one. So it's a very important piece of that. And it was just something that would have never been on our radar that they would want to sell one of these vehicles.

[Marcus Breitschwerd]

The Ulenhag coupe. The exterior design of the whole thing certainly is quite outstanding. Simply well balanced optically, but also technically, literally and in a design sense. So without any doubt, one of the most beautiful cars ever conceived. We some years ago were considering how to reshape and rebuild our ESG activities. Something which is very close to our hearts in terms of giving something back to society. Of the three founders of our company, Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, all the three of them came from rather restricted backgrounds. Two of them could only develop their talents because they were supported by public educational scholarships. It is our clear understanding the talent in the world is divided equally between all people, regions and so on. But the opportunities to develop such talents are not. And this is why we have said, let's create a program which will help younger people who do have the talent, but maybe not all the opportunities. The idea was to create a three year program, a fellowship to to develop educational skills in terms of entrepreneurship and then to support Them also to bring such a project to life, to scale it and to bring it to reality. We were of the opinion if you do something like that, you need a significant amount of money. So we decided why not selling one of our iconic cars in a way which really creates a most impressive result. And this is why I have started talks to well known auction houses, Sotheby's and RM Sotheby's being one of them, and after a serious and substantial process decided to go with RM Sotheby's and Sotheby's. And this is how it all started.

[Gord Duff]

We've had a great relationship over the years and done other things here and there for Mercedes Benz. And they called up one day and asked if we could come to Stuttgart for a meeting. They wouldn't tell us what it was about, but they wanted to meet in person and they had something that they wanted to discuss with us. And a few of my colleagues from our European team went and called me up after and said that they're wanting to sell one of two of the Ullenhout coupes and they want us to be the company to conduct the auction for them. It's such an honor for our company to be the ones that get the call to come and have the meeting. And they want us to sell something for them. Mercedes Benz being the oldest car manufacturer in the world, they're a luxury brand in the car world. And just everything they've done and the fact that they, they wanted to have the discussion with us. We were the only people that they discussed this with and felt we were the right company to represent them and make sure that this was as successful as possible. That's the great thing about our business are these opportunities that come up. You never know what's happening the next day or the phone call you might get. It was something that really made us all proud before we even got into doing it. The auction took place on May 5th of 2022. We probably started discussions in February of that year. So there wasn't a long timeline between initial discussion and us selling the vehicle. The most interesting thing was that Mercedes Benz wanted to have a private auction. They didn't want anybody to know about it. They wanted to announce the results later on. And they had a very specific criteria if you wanted to become a bidder. They didn't want just anybody with a lot of money buying this car. It had to be somebody that they felt comfortable entrusting to be the next custodian. People wanted it even more because they wanted to be allowed inside that was the most unique thing that I've never seen before. The price was the big thing that I remember of like, okay, great, they want us to sell this vehicle. What do they want for it? And you know, when 100 million came out or more, that's a lot of money. The most expensive car up to that point was around 50 million that we sold back in 2018. It took a bit to wrap your head around $100 million. But Mercedes were very confident to see us open the car for 50 million Euro, which was more than the most expensive car ever sold at auction, was pretty incredible to see it.

[Marcus Breitschwerd]

We have decided that there is only one place where it has to happen, which is our museum here at Stuttgart. The museum is built right at the location where it all started, where the first cars actually were tested on the roads of Stuttgart. We had a great team experience with the colleagues from arms, Sotheby's and Sotheby's. It happened really in a top secret way in our company. Only five people have known what's really going on. It was kind of a little bit of a James Bond atmosphere. Oliver Barker was the auctioner who did a marvelous job. And then the whole thing started and I thought that might stop within five minutes, but actually it took significantly longer. It was a real bidding fight. It was most exciting. It was like a thriller.

[Gord Duff]

The moment that 100 million was called out on the phone, that's never been done before. And I don't know if that will ever be done again in the future. Think back a few years or ten years ago of like, could you imagine someday you're going to sell a car for 100 million-plus. That was an incredible moment. And then obviously final selling price, €135 million, was just unbelievable. It's the most expensive vehicle that has ever been sold at auction. It was the third most valuable item that Sotheby's had ever sold ever. And it's. It's one of the top 10 most expensive items ever sold, period. I grew up being into cars, not cars of the caliber that we saw, but always had an interest in four wheels and a motor. And coming to work for RM Sotheby's definitely opened my eyes into even today, 27 years in, they'll still be the odd car that I've never heard of. I think it's interesting to be able to touch all these different types of vehicles, learn about them and the history of them. I think the intersection between art and cars is many of them. They're beautiful to look at. It's not only are you able to look at it, you're able to touch it. And it has a smell and it has a sound and you can use it. You can drive your vehicle and get out and look at it like a painting or touch it like a sculpture. People that collect art are very similar to people that collect cars. You're buying something for the beauty of it and then you get some engineering and different aspects. But your first attraction is the beauty of the item. You have a duty to look after the consigner as much as the potential buyer. You're looking for long term, right, Looking after both clients, but thinking long term of doing the right job for the consigner. Making sure that the person that I'm trying to sell it to that I'm doing the right thing, I'm advising them correctly that that would fit into your collection because of certain specifications on the car. And trust is the biggest thing. I think any specialist at any auction house would say that if you want to be in this business for a long time, you need to have discretion and you need to have trust with your clientele that you know you're always in it for the right reasons. And the energy of selling at auction is something that is hard to describe unless you're in the business and seeing the results of hard work or relationship you were building for a long time. It's a feeling that's kind of hard to describe.

[Marcus Breitschwerd]

For us, it was worth the effort. We would never do something like this to simply get money for any kind of a, of an industrial activity or so. We never would do that but for the good purpose. Going back to our own roots when our founders really had to rely and could rely on scholarships and public support to develop their talents. We think that was a wonderful concept. And all of us who also have later on had the opportunity to see some of the young people in our program. They are so enthusiastic and they are so spirited. Some of us had tears in the eyes actually. So it was worth the effort and still is. Leonardo da Vinci was also an engineer to a certain degree. So I think that's an important message to our time because we need very good engineers to apply science to resolve the challenges which are ahead of us.

[Narrator]

Thank you for joining us on the specialist. This has been brought to you by Sotheby's Financial Services. SFS offers asset based loans to unlock the value of your fine art, automobiles and other luxury collectibles. To step further into the world of Sotheby's, visit any one of our galleries which are open to the public. Go to sotheby's.com to find out more.

[Conor Boyle]

Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Specialist, produced by Intelligence Squared in partnership with Sotheby's. If you enjoyed the episode, there's a bounty of others ready for you to listen. With topics ranging from South Asian surrealism to Chinese porcelain to Persian manuscripts, you can find them being released weekly. Just search the Specialist or Sotheby's talks wherever you're listening to this and follow the show.

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[Gord Duff]

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