'Exceptionally rare' Mercedes set to sell for £3.5m - with only 37 miles on clock

A super rare Mercedes, inspired by one of Sir Stirling Moss' most famous vehicles, could be yours with the model set to hit the hammer at auction. The stunning 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss, based on his classic 300 SLR, is expected to sell for a cool £3.5million later this month.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss was built to celebrate 55 years since Moss' win at the iconic Mille Miglia sportscar race in Italy. The model is one of just 75 models ever built by the German brand, with previous owners only clocking 37 miles in 15 years. The special car has had just two registered owners, with an average drive of just two and a half miles every year.

The Mercedes is fitted with a 5.4-litre supercharged V8 engine, capable of producing 650 horsepower and a top speed of 219 mph. The model will race away from a standstill, with the model capable of hitting 0 to 60mph in just 3.5 seconds.

A spokesperson for RM Sotheby's said: "While 'speedster-style' supercars are now seemingly commonplace today, with companies such as Ferrari, McLaren, and Aston Martin all having had their own take on that theme, it was the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss that kick-started this trend in the 21st century.

"With only seventy-five examples built, these are exceptionally rare cars already, with the cars originally finished in colours other than silver being even more desirable.

"With most of these locked away within long-term collections, this represents a remarkable opportunity to acquire a nearly-new example in a spectacular and seldom-seen colour scheme."

The 2010 SLR is based on the Mercedes-Benz's iconic 300 SLR which took Moss and motoring journalist Dennis Jenkinson to Mille Miglia glory behind chassis no.722 in 1955.

The pair crossed the finish line at Brescia at the end of the 1,000-mile trip in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, 32 minutes ahead of F1 champion Juan Manual Fangio.

The win was Moss' only victory in the road race despite six attempts and is considered to be the British star's biggest achievement in motorsport.

In comparison, the original 300 SLR is slower than the 2010 model but was a world beater back in its day. Moss' car was fitted with an 8-cylinder, 3.0-liter engine producing 310 horsepower with a top speed of around 186mph. RM Sotheby's has confirmed the bidding on the car will come to an end on 23 October.