Legendary racer Stirling Moss is no longer with us, but a limited-edition supercar named after him still holds a lot of value and one lucky enthusiast can soon own it.
A Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss is set to go under the hammer at an RM Sotheby’s auction running Jan. 31 to Feb. 8 in Paris.
The car, bearing chassis number WDD1999761M900055, is one of 75 examples of the wild speedster built briefly in 2009, and according to the listing there’s just 150 kilometers (approximately 93 miles) on the odometer. The car was originally delivered in Germany and has been with the same owner all this time.
It features the hero colors of the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss: a metallic silver exterior in combination with a black and red interior. The color scheme is similar to the one featured on the 300 SLR driven to victory by Moss and co-driver Denis Jenkinson in the 1955 Mille Miglia.
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss – Photo credit: RM Sotheby’s
As the name suggests, the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss is based on Mercedes’ SLR McLaren supercar. It was the final example of the McLaren-built supercar (Mercedes was partnered with McLaren in F1 at the time), and was around 440 pounds lighter than the stock version due to its unique speedster body and increased use of carbon fiber in the construction.
Powering the car is a supercharged 5.5-liter V-8 mounted in a front midship position, and rated at 650 hp, or enough for 0-62 mph acceleration in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of close to 220 mph.
Because of the speedster body, driving one even at highway speeds is going to do more harm than just messing up your hair, even with the small wind deflector mounted in front of the driver’s seat. It means any reasonable drive in the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss will require occupants to wear a helmet.
RM Sotheby’s estimates a final bid of between 3 million and 4 million euros (approximately $3.26 million and $4.35 million). Another example with the same exterior and interior color combination was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in 2020 but failed to sell after its final bid reached 1.4 million euros ($1.52 million).
