Mega Mercs sell for 1.9 million
29.10.2009 - Vijay Pattni
(46)
Four collector's edition Mercedes-Benz models sold for more than £2 million at auction last night. The most expensive was a 2006 CLK GTR Roadster which fetched an astonishing £616,000, followed up by its 'sister' car, a 2005 CLK GTR Coupe which went for £522,500.
A pair of classic 1950s Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'Gullwing' models rounded up the mega Merc haul, with a 1954 300SL model going under the hammer at £451,000, and a 1956 300 SL selling for £302,000, before tax.
The super-rare Mercs were sold at the annual RM Auctions 'Automobiles of London' event held in south London's striking Battersea Evolution Centre.
The event - which two years ago saw F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone sell a vintage Mercedes-Benz roadster for over £2 million - played host to automobile collectors from across the globe.
Mercedes made 25 CLK GTRs, of which just five were Roadster versions, built to meet FIA racing standards. This particular CLK GTR Roadster has covered just 34kms - 21 miles - and is equipped with a 6.9-litre V12 engine developing a prodigious 612bhp.
But not everything went for eye-watering sums. The biggest shock of the night came when a classic, mint condition 1963 ATS 2500 GT went for just £280,000 - from a projected auction price of £1,000,000.
Away from the German exotica on display there was a treat for fans of classic British supercars - a 1950 Aston Martin DB2 Team Car which went under the hammer for an astonishing £550,000.
