Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR set for £4m sale

By Lizzie Pope
News
 | 31 Jul 2018
Classic & Sports Car – Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR set for £4m sale

This jaw-dropping Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR is among the final lots to be confirmed by RM Sotheby’s for its Monterey sale (24-25 August) – and talk about saving the best to last!

Now an almost unbelievable 20 years old, this car is the ninth of just 25 built (of which 20 were coupés).

Having lived a cosseted life with three owners who have driven it less than 1000 miles, it carries a $4,250,000-5,250,000 (around £3,200,000-4,00,000) pre-sale estimate.

Classic & Sports Car – Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR set for £4m sale

This rare Mercedes-Benz racer is in turn-key condition

The GTR's 6898cc V12 sends 604bhp to the car's rear wheels and has 572lb ft torque on hand, meaning 0-62mph is over in just 3.8 seconds.

The transmission is a sequential five-speed manual and it has a 199mph top speed – whoever secures this homologation special is in for a treat!

"Unequivocally, the CLK GTR represents the most undervalued and silently underappreciated supercar of the modern era,” says Shelby Myers, Car Specialist, RM Sotheby’s.

“Considering that it is one of the rarest high-performance production cars of its contemporaries – only 25 exist worldwide, at nearly one fourth the price of a McLaren F1, of which there are more than 60 – it is only a matter of time before the model escalates to near equal market value as the $20,000,000 supercars.

“Marked by what I would say is some of the most extreme yet physically attractive bodywork on a post-war sports and GT car, originally built for homologation in GT Championship racing, and in virtually flawless overall condition, I firmly believe the CLK GTR offered in our Monterey auction represents the ultimate in collector-car investment and long-term value collectability," he added.

And that's not all from the three-pointed star at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale. A never-raced 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT3 ‘Laureus’, chassis number GT3 190-17 050, will be sold in aid of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Classic & Sports Car – Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR set for £4m sale

This 1957 Porsche 550A Spyder is an Amelia Island winner

Also set to cross the block is this Porsche 550A Spyder, which is estimated to sell for $4,600,000-5,000,000 (around £5,100,000-5,600,000).

Chassis 0116 was delivered new to Jack McAfee of Burbank, California, who raced it extensively.

It has since been the subject of a thorough restoration in Germany and won its class at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

These are just three of 150 cars in the RM Sotheby's Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance motoring week sale; you can read about some of the others via the links below.

MORE ABOUT THE RM SOTHEBY'S MONTEREY AUCTION 

Meet the $45m Ferrari

£10m Ferrari 250GT and £7m 250MM join Monterey sale line-up

This one-off Aston Martin could sell for $25m next month