RM Sotheby’s Offers the Last Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
In 1955, Sir Stirling Moss, the legendary British Formula 1 and endurance racer, took a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR to victory in that year’s Mille Miglia road race with brave navigator Denis Jenkinson at his side. Their average speed over 1,000 treacherous miles of public roads? A staggering 97.96 mph. It’s still considered to be one of the greatest single drives in motorsport history.
To celebrate the achievement, Mercedes-Benz, with a lot of help from McLaren, created a special speedster-bodied version of its scissor-doored SLR coupe called, naturally, the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss edition. Between June and December 2009, just 75 examples were built.
This 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss will be offered in an RM Sotheby’s Sealed auction running from November 25 through December 2.
Robin Adams, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Like Sir Stirling’s 300 SLR, the McLaren version is completely open with no windshield or side windows—only small glass wind deflectors for driver and passenger were added to deflect the bugs. Powered by a Mercedes-AMG 5.4-liter supercharged V-8, delivering 650 hp, the car hits 60 mph from standstill in 3.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 220 mph. Now, the last Stirling Moss example to come out of the McLaren factory in Woking, England, and the only one finished in Fire Opal Red paint, is being offered in an RM Sotheby’s Sealed auction that ends December 2.
Adding to the car’s considerable appeal is that it’s believed to be the only example that’s been fully federalized and road registered for the U.S. market. When the model was launched, none were built to stateside specifications, so were never officially road legal in America. Add to all that, the auction car has covered just 32.9 miles since new.
Only small glass wind deflectors for driver and passenger were added to deflect the bugs.
Robin Adams, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
“This is a truly remarkable find . . . Investment-grade supercars don’t come better than this,” Harvey Stanley, director of Private Sales for RM Sotheby’s, tells Robb Report. And the car has one more unique feature: This example was commissioned by the Royal Family of Kuwait and delivered new to Switzerland, where it spent its early life tucked away in climate-controlled storage.
In addition to its one-off paintwork, the vehicle was outfitted with a matching red-leather interior—dubbed Silver Arrow—with contrasting yellow stitching, and features widened front seats and special Alutex aluminum trim as opposed to carbon fiber. It’s also one of only two SLR Stirling Moss editions fitted with a stereo—the other is part of the Royal Family of Jordan’s collection.
A red-leather interior, with contrasting yellow stitching, complements the car’s one-off Fire Opal Red exterior.
Robin Adams, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
At the time, an SLR Stirling Moss, without special options, came with a price tag of around 750,000 euros, or roughly $1 million. Fast forward to October 2024, and the auction car was entered in a Bonhams auction in Belgium, where it was offered without reserve. Prior to the Bonhams sale, it had undergone a $40,000 reconditioning with Stratton Motor Company, a U.K.-based supercar specialist. Despite Bonhams giving the car a price estimate of 1.5 million to 2.5 million euros, it sold for 3.22 million euros, or roughly $3.5 million.
The extremely limited-edition model is powered by a Mercedes-AMG 5.4-liter supercharged V-8, which delivers 650 hp.
Robin Adams, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
According to Stanley, the new owner shipped the car to the U.S., where it was stored in his private collection. It did appear briefly last February, when it was displayed at the rain-soaked ModaMiami car show, and was even selected as one of Robb Report’s 10 Best Cars at the event.
In preparation for the upcoming RM Sotheby’s Sealed auction, the car was dispatched to G&K Automotive, of Santa Ana, Calif., where it went through the complex process of being fully federalized and road registered.
This is believed to be the only example of the rare model that’s been fully federalized and road registered for the U.S. market.
Robin Adams, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
“Yes, an SLR Stirling Moss owner could have their car federalized to drive in the U.S., but I think most people wouldn’t know where to start, or have the patience to do it. To have it already done . . . has to be worth its weight in gold,” explains Stanley.
In 2024, this exact car sold through Bonhams for roughly $3.5 million.
Robin Adams, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
As to why he believes the car is worth “in excess” of $6 million—which is the RM Sotheby’s auction estimate—Stanley says it’s a reflection of the strength of the U.S. supercar market right now. “The closest rival to the SLR Stirling Moss is arguably Ferrari’s Monza SP2. Today, that’s a $6 million car,” he notes. “Yet along with the single-seat Monza SP1, Ferrari built a total of 499 of them. To me, this SLR Stirling Moss, in this color, that’s the last of the 75, with this mileage, and being U.S. road legal, should make it three times the value of an SP2.”
Sadly we won’t find out, as the results of an RM Sotheby’s Sealed auction are never publicly disclosed. Online bidding, however, opens November 25.
Click here for more photos of this 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss.
This is the last Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss that was ever built, and now it’s being auctioned through RM Sotheby’s.
Robin Adams, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
