RM Sotheby’s auction house is auctioning the Mirage collection consisting of seven Mercedes models, some of them very rare, at an online auction at the end of April 2025. Among them are a Mercedes 190 Evo 2, an SLR McLaren 722 Edition, a CLK DTM Cabrio, and a 500E Limited Edition.
Photo: RM Sotheby
The online auction organized by RM Sotheby’s will take place from 23-28 April 2025 and includes 30 collector cars as well as numerous items from the collection of former Formula 1 driver Nigel Mansell. Among the cars up for auction is the Mirage collection of a Dubai-based client. It includes seven Mercedes models built between 1969 and 2018. Of these, five models are rare or very rare.
Mercedes CLK DTM Cabriolet
The rarest is undoubtedly the Mercedes CLK DTM Cabriolet. The Mercedes CLK DTM AMG was built to celebrate victory in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). Mercedes’ partner, HWA, built 100 coupe models as a 2004 model and 80 Cabrio models as a 2006 model.
It is somewhat surprising that this model never had a high value as a collector car, although it was much more exciting to drive and more exclusive than the Mercedes SLR McLaren, which had a similar engine under the hood but a few more horsepower.
The Mercedes CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet’s engine is a 5.5 liter V8 supercharged with a mechanical supercharger (M113K) that develops 582 PS and 800 Nm.
Unlike the Mercedes CLK DTM AMG Coupe which has only two seats, the convertible offers four seats and is probably one of the few four-seat convertibles that is close to a race car. Bucket seats, a small-diameter steering wheel, sharp steering, and extraordinary agility make it one of the most fun-to-drive convertibles in the world.
However, it seems that in recent times, the value of this model has appreciated considerably and RM Sotheby’s estimates a selling price of between $500,000 and $600,000 (460,000-550,000 euro).
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 Edition
Developed in cooperation with McLaren, the SLR looks spectacular but is one of the biggest flops in Mercedes’s history. Not only did Mercedes fail to meet its target of selling 3,500 units a year (500 a year for 7 years from 2003 to 2010) but the car didn’t offer much driving pleasure either.
The Mercedes SLR McLaren was powered by a 5.4 liter supercharged V8 engine with mechanical supercharger (M155) developing 626 PS in the base version and 650 PS in the special 722 Edition series. The engine is located behind the front axle and that explains the long F1-inspired nose.
Too big weight of 1768 kg and the not-too-well-balanced drivetrain with a hard front suspension and a softer rear suspension made it hard to control and its agility was questionable. The interior was also rather simplistic for a car costing 452,000 euros at the time.
No wonder Mercedes only managed to sell 2,157 of the 3,500 units originally planned. The collector car quota is also not very high, being lower than the price of the new car. However, special series such as the 722 Edition are more sought after by collectors and RM Sotheby’s is hoping to fetch between $600,000 and $700,000 (550,000-650,000 euros) for this model.
Mercedes 190 Evo 2
This model is also very exclusive, being built in only 502 examples. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 4 valves per cylinder developed 235 PS and accelerated from 0 to 100 kph in 8.1 seconds. The Mercedes 190 Evo 2 stood out with its spectacular wing on the trunk lid. Painted in 199 Blu-Black metallic and fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels, RM Sotheby’s is estimating a sale price of between $280,000 and $320,000 (255,000-295,000 euros).
Mercedes 500E Limited
The Mercedes 500E is not a very rare model, having been produced in 10,479 units by Porsche between the spring of 1991 and April 1995. But the example offered at auction is part of a limited series of only 500 units. 500E Limited was launched in 1994 with gray leather upholstery and 17-inch Evolution alloy wheels. RM Sotheby’s is estimating a selling price of between $80,000 and $120,000 (€74,000-110,000).
Mercedes G 65 AMG
The collection also includes a Mercedes G65 AMG with a 6-liter twin-turbo V12 twin-turbo engine developing 621 PS and mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission. The example offered at the auction is also a special one, being the limited edition of only 65 Final Edition examples worldwide, each finished in Obsidian Black Metallic over an interior trimmed in Black and Anthracite Exclusive. They were also fitted with a set of bronzed 21-inch AMG forged wheels to complement the tinted door mirror caps, grille surround, and spare wheel cover.
The example offered at auction is a left-hand drive and is one of a handful delivered to the Middle East on January 25, 2018. Equipped with an immense array of features, the specification includes is by no means limited to a Harman Kardon surround sound system, smartphone integration, a power sliding roof, rear-view camera, heated front and rear comfort seats, light brown stitching, velour floor mats, an AMG performance steering wheel, plus stainless steel, chrome, and carbon fiber trim.
The car has only 612 km on board and is nearly new. RM Sotheby’s estimates a selling price between 250,000 and 300,000 USD.
Mercedes 280 SE Cabriolet W111
The Mercedes 280 SE Cabriolet and Mercedes 280 SL are not as rare, but neither are they models produced in very high volumes. The Mercedes 280 SE Cabriolet was produced in only 1,390 examples between 1968 and 1971 and RM Sotheby’s estimates a selling price between 175,000 and 250,000 (160,000-230,000 euros).
Mercedes 280 SL W113
The Mercedes SL W113 was produced between 1963 and 1971 in 48,912 examples. The version offered at auction, the Mercedes 280 SL, was launched in December 1967 and was produced in 23,885 examples until February 1971 when the new generation R107 was introduced. The 280 SL is powered by a 2.8-liter inline six-cylinder engine developing 170 PS, with power transmitted to the rear wheels via a 4-speed automatic gearbox.
The car is painted in Signal Red over Cognac trim with a tan fabric soft top.
The estimated selling price is between 80,000 and 120,000 USD (75,000-110,000 euro).