The Iconic 1997 Mercedes-Amg CLK GTR GT1 - A World Championship-Winning 'Silver Arrow'

TO BE SOLD VIA SOTHEBY'S SEALED CLOSING ON 6 MARCH

• This represents an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire one of the most significant cars from Mercedes-Benz's illustrious history

• Incredible racing pedigree with four victories within the 1997 season

• A rare opportunty to acquire one of only four examples constructed and campaigned by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport in partnership with AMG

• Will be on display at ModaMiami

RM Sotheby's is delighted to announce the upcoming sale of a highly significant 1997 Mercedes-AMG CLK GTR GT1, which will be sold through a Sotheby's Sealed auction from 29 February - 6 March.

Offered via Sotheby's Sealed, the most esteemed instrument by which Mercedes-Benz announced their reign of dominance to the world: the 1997 FIA GT1 Championship-winning Mercedes-AMG CLK GTR GT1, chassis 004. Driven by legendary Mercedes-AMG driver Bernd Schneider, this very chassis boasts an incredible CV that includes four victories over the 11 rounds of the 1997 FIA GT1 season. It is also the chassis in which Schneider won his 1997 Drivers' Championship and the Constructors' Championship for Mercedes-AMG.

From Pen to Pole Position

With Mercedes-Benz executives wanting to continue its racing activities following on from the success in the German DTM series in the 1990s, the FIA GT Championship arose as a new potential venture for the marque. With a tough challenge set by the team of a lightning-fast development program, three key figures led the charge for Mercedes-Benz's latest motorsport venture: Chief of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Norbert Haug, AMG head Hans Werner Aufrecht, and Domingos Piedade, director of the joint Mercedes-AMG racing team.

Only 128 days after the first sketches were conceived on paper, the very first complete racing chassis CLK GTR took to the track at Jarama on 27 March 1997. Mercedes veteran Bernd Schneider, along with AMG's young gun, Alexander Wurz, tested the car with extremely successful results.

Beneath the Skin

Utilising a central carbon-fiber composite and honeycomb aluminium tub mounted with carbon-fibre body panels and a stressed-member powertrain design meant all major components were mated directly to the tub. Powered by the LS600/M297 six-liter V-12 resulted in incredible performance figures. With its FIA-mandated restrictors, power was 600 horsepower and a top speed of 205 mph, however, Mercedes-AMG engineers reported peak performance in excess of 800 horsepower. Mated to an Xtrac six-speed sequential transmission and stopped with six-piston brakes with enormous carbon-composite rotors meant that the machine was cutting-edge in design and performance.

Chasss 004

The example offered here is one of the first two examples of the racing CLK GTR completed by Mercedes-AMG and campaigned in the 1997 FIA GT1 season, with Wurz and Schneider assigned to this car, wearing the number 11 livery and yellow mirrors. Following on from a somewhat inconsistent start to the 1997 season, it was round four where Mercedes-AMG's reign of dominance began. Chassis 004 qualified at blistering place to put it on pole, and it remained there to take its first victory at the Nürburgring. Following on from this, Chassis 004 then went on to compete successfully over the remainder of the season, then mid-way through the season on 14 September at Donnington, where Mercedes-AMG and Schnitzer BMW-McLaren were tied neck-and-neck for the Constructors' title. A 1-2-4 finish brought the Silver Arrows well past McLaren in the Constructors' Championship, and Bernd Schneider now found himself top of the drivers' standings for the first time. The season finale at at Laguna Seca saw another weekend of dominance for Schneider, where he took Chassis 004 into the lead, which he confidently maintained through the checkered flag to take both the Drivers' and Constructors' GT1 Championships.

Later History

Following its succession by the updated CLK LM racecar, chassis 004 was subsequently retained within Mercedes-Benz's own corporate collection for the next 17 years. It was displayed at occasonal events, including Goodwood Festival of Speed and at the company's own museum. In 2015, the consignor was given the opportunity to purchase Chassis 004 directly from Mercedes-Benz's own collection. This example was fully sorted by HWA AG just prior to consignor's purchase, and work orders (on file) substantiate a significant degree of mechanical care taken to prepare it for its new home. At the hands of the consignor, Chassis 004 has been sparingly used at test days, and is now ready for its next custodian.

Augustin Sabatié-Garat, Director of Sales – EMEA at RM Sotheby's, says: 'RM Sotheby's has demonstrated that it has an unrivalled track record in bringing the most important Mercedes-Benzes to auction, this 1997 Mercedes-AMG CLK GTR GT1 being no exception. Last year, our sale of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 shattered its high estimate, achieving $18,815,000, preceeded by our sale of one of the 300 SLR 'Uhlenhaut Coupés', selling for a world-record price of €135,000,000, making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction. This underlies our reputation for selling the finest Mercedes-Benzes in existence. Furthermore, this is arguibly the most significant GT1 race car outside of factory ownership and, as such, it would be a surefire entry to this year's Featured Class of 1990s BPR & FIA GT Race Cars at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance'

This CLK GTR GT1 represents the key vehicle that helped Mercedes-Benz ensure utter dominance in the 1997 FIA GT Championship and is undoubtedly an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire a significant piece of Mercedes-Benz history.

The 1997 Mercedes-AMG CLK GTR GT1 will be open for bidding on the Sotheby's Sealed platform from 29 February, 5 p.m. GMT to 6 March, 5 p.m. GMT.

Sotheby's Sealed

Since it's unveiling, Sotheby's Sealed has become an incredibly successful online platform offering some of the world's most significant cars to an exclusive global audience. The proprietary auction system has been used to sell Juan Manuel Fangio's personal Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, the fabled white Ferrari Enzo, McLaren F1 chassis no. 059, a 288 GTO Evoluzione, and the Matte Nero Opaco Enzo.

For further information on the CLK-GTR, please visit rmsothebys.com.

Photo credit: RM Sothebys
posted on conceptcarz.com

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