A 2009 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren ‘Stirling Moss’ sold for €2,300,000 at the 2016 Bonhams Mercedes Benz Museum sale in Stuttgart, Germany. No further cars sold for more than a million dollar with none of the five 1930s Mercedes Benz 500 / 540 K cabriolets reaching the reserve margins. The second highest result in Stuttgart was a reasonable €862,500 for a 1926 Mercedes-Benz Model K 6,240cc Supercharged Torpedo Transformable. At the Goodwood Members’ Meeting Sale, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ Coupé sold for $1.2 million.
Bonhams Mercedes Benz Museum Sale 2016
The third Bonhams Mercedes Benz sale at the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart was held on 19 March 2016. Around 60 Mercedes Benz cars were on offer at this single-marque sale.
Only around half of the cars on offer at the Mercedes Benz Museum 2016 sale were sold. The sell-through rate amongst the more expensive cars on offer was particularly low with only one car selling for above a million dollar – around 10 had pre-auction estimates near or above a million.
Top Results at Bonhams Mercedes Benz Museum 2016 Sale
The following were the top three results at the Bonhams Mercedes Benz 2016 sale in Stuttgart:
| Year | Car | Price (€) | Price ($) |
| 2009 | Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren “Stirling Moss” | 2,300,000 | 2,594,170 |
| 1926 | Mercedes Benz 24/100/140 PS Model K La Baule Transformable | 862,500 | 972,813 |
| 1957 | Mercedes Benz 300 Sc Cabriolet | 793,500 | 894,988 |
2009 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren “Stirling Moss
The 2009 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren “Stirling Moss” (estimate $2.2 to $2.6 million) sold near the top estimate at $2,594,170, as the surprise top result at the 2016 Bonhams Mercedes Benz Museum sale. This result continued the recent trend for rare, fairly modern cars to sell at high prices.
Mercedes Benz and McLaren produced only 1,789 of the SLR cars – less than originally planned. Only 75 were produced in Stirling Moss configuration. This car covered only 7,200 km and had only one previous owner.
1926 Mercedes Benz 24/100/140 PS Model K La Baule Transformable
The 1926 Mercedes Benz 24/100/140 PS Model K La Baule Transformable with coachwork by Jacques Saoutchik (estimate $880,000 – $1.3 million) was the Mercedes Benz Museum catalogue cover car. This rare automobile with stylish Saoutchik bodywork originally failed to sell at a highest bid of €710,000 but was listed sold at €862,000 ($972,813) by the time the auction ended. Ferdinand Porsche developed this supercharged chassis for Daimler in 1924 and the model survived the merger with Benz in 1926.
1957 Mercedes Benz 300 Sc Cabriolet
A 1957 Mercedes Benz 300 Sc Cabriolet (estimate $820,000 – $990,000) sold for €793,500 ($894,000) – a decent result for the less sexy sibling of the 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster. Although only 49 were built, these cars generally struggle more to find buyers than the sportier versions, although the latter has been struggling at times to break the million-dollar mark at recent auctions.
Top Cars Failing to Sell at Bonhams Mercedes Benz Museum Sale 2016
The following were the highest bids failing to buy the car at the Bonhams Mercedes Benz 2016 Sale:
| Year | Car | Price (€) | Estimate (€) |
| 1935 | Mercedes Benz 500 K Cabriolet C | HB 5,000,000 | 6,000,000 – 7,000,000 |
| 1936 | Mercedes Benz 500 K Sports Roadster | HB 2,900,000 | 3,500,000 – 4,500,000 |
| 1938 | Mercedes Benz 540 K Roadster | HB 2,200,000 | 2,700,000 – 3,500,000 |
| 1939 | Mercedes Benz 540 K Cabriolet A | HB 1,850,000 | 2,000,000 – 2,600,000 |
| 1961 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster | HB 1,020,000 | 1,200,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 1971 | Mercedes Benz 600 Landaulet | HB 880,000 | 1,000,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 1935 | Mercedes Benz 500 K Cabriolet C | HB 700,000 | 800,000 – 1,200,000 |
| 1953 | Mercedes Benz 300 S Roadster | HB 680,000 | 750,000 – 900,000 |
HB = Highest Bid in euro
Mercedes Benz 500 / 540 K Cabriolet
The biggest disappointment was that none of the five 1930s Mercedes Benz 500 and 540 K cabriolets were sold.
Only 354 of the Mercedes Benz 500 cabriolet and 447 of the 540 K cars were produced. These are amongst the most desirable cars in the world but four have already been offered at public auction this year with a further five available at the Bonhams Mercedes Benz Museum sale. None sold with bidding generally stopping around 10 to 20% short of the lower estimates.
The highest bid at the auction was €5 million for the 1935 Mercedes Benz 500 K Cabriolet C – if the bid were accepted, this would have been the sixth most-expensive car in 2016.
See 2016 Bonhams Mercedes Benz Auction Preview for more on these beautiful cars.
Mercedes Benz 300 SL
A 1961 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster failed to sell with a highest bid of €1,020,000. It was the only 300 SL in the auction, reflecting perhaps that these cars are no longer a sure bet at auction – three of the ten that have sold at auction this year went for be low a million dollar.
At the Goodwood Members’ Meeting Sale, a day after the Stuttgart sale, Bonhams managed to sell a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ Coupé for $1.2 million.
Mercedes Benz 600s
Of the four 1970s Mercedes Benz 600 models on offer in the sale, none were sold. Highest bids ranged from €210,000 to a strong €880,000 for the 1971 Mercedes Benz 600 Landaulet that originally belonged to the Senegalese president.
Bonhams next major classic car auction is the Monaco Sale in Monte Carlo on 13 May 2016.