The collector-car world was left astounded by a monumental moment in May 2022 when a legendary 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, paying homage to the esteemed engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, was sold for a staggering 135 million euros (approximately $143 million). This sale shattered the previous record set by a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO in 2018, which stood at $70 million.
Adding to the intrigue, a modern marvel from the mid-1990s, the McLaren F1, commanded a price exceeding $20 million in 2021. Such multi-million-dollar sales are rare in the collector-car market, but these exceptional vehicles belong to the coveted category known as “holy grail” cars, representing the pinnacle of desire in the vintage-car realm.
Prior to the McLaren F1’s remarkable sale, the era that witnessed the emergence of the most valuable postwar collector cars spanned a fruitful decade from the early 1950s to the early 1960s. This period saw the rise of iconic vehicles like the Mercedes and Ferrari, alongside competitors such as the Jaguar XKSS, famously owned by the renowned actor Steve McQueen, with a recent sale in 2023 fetching an impressive $13.2 million.
Steve McQueen and his Jaguar XKSS convertible.
Credit: James Drake/Getty Images
The McLaren F1, a product of the 1990s, stands out as a modern outlier in this elite group. Since ceasing production over a quarter-century ago, no other road-legal car with comparable allure for collectors has emerged. Given the finite lifespan of the internal combustion engine, the McLaren F1 may very well mark the culmination of the era of the holy grail cars.
When it comes to cars commanding eight or nine figures in sales, several key factors come into play. Rarity is a paramount consideration. The Mercedes and Ferrari were both extremely limited in production, with only two of the former and 36 of the latter ever made. Similarly, just 16 Jaguar XKSS models were manufactured before a factory fire halted production. In the case of the McLaren, a mere 106 units were produced.
