The old idiomatic expression “worth its weight in gold” has always been used to highlight the incredible value of a particular thing. After all, the precious metal has forever been considered one of the best and most stable investments, especially in the current scenario where gold prices have hit an all-time high. But what if I tell you that there’s an automotive creation that fits the cliched phrase in its literal sense? Surprised? Classic cars have been a great form of investment, with prices skyrocketing for certain ultra-rare models over the last decade and a half.
While the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO topped the list for the most valuable car in the world for decades, the ultra-rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé snatched the title two years ago by selling for $143 million at a private auction.
At gold’s current value of $2400 per ounce, a typical family sedan weighing 4000 pounds has to be priced at $153 million to be worth its weight in gold. However, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé is a road-legal prototype based on the ultra-lightweight 300 SLR race car. As a result, the stunning sports car with gullwing doors weighs only 1117kg (roughly 39,401 ounces). After doing some simple calculations, we found out that the Uhlenhaut Coupé is worth $3629.3 per ounce, which makes it $1,231.34 per ounce more expensive than gold. How crazy is that! The record-breaking Mercedes’ curb weight in gold would be worth $94.48 million.
Almost 50 times more expensive than one of the most expensive liquids on the planet
You’ll be surprised to know that branded printer ink is more expensive than some of the rarest and costliest wines. The total cost of refilling the cartridge of the Epson WorkForce WF-7210DTW printer with its own ink is around $133 (around $3000/liter). Forget Dom Perignon champagne, printer ink is even more expensive than than Chanel no 5 perfume ($200 for 100 ml) as well. This makes it more By making volumetric conversions and with the help of simple calculations, we found out that the ink is worth $3.35 million in weight of the car. As a result, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé is worth 42.69 times its weight when compared to printer ink.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé – an automotive masterpiece
Mercedes had built only two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes that were named after their chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. It was designed as a road-going version of the W 196 R grand prix car, equipped with a larger 3.0-litre straight-eight engine enabling it to hit speeds up to 180mph. This earned it the reputation of being the era’s fastest road car. The record-setting car was chassis 00008/55 – the second of the two cars built and the one that was used by Uhlenhaut himself frequently.
