Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC 5.0 R107 Signal Red Diego Maradona

A gorgeous bright red Mercedes-Benz that used to belong to Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona will be up for auction at the Bonhams Paris Sale 2023 and is expected to sell for a lot of money.
 

Late Diego Maradona got this classic 1980s Mercedes-Benz from new when he was playing for his first professional team, Club Atletico Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires. He had received it from an influential group of supporters, which was a sign of how big his career would get even from the first team.
 
One of the biggest racing drivers, five-time F1 World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, was the one who presented Maradona with the new vehicle. At the time, Fangio owned the only official Mercedes dealership in Argentina.
 

The 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC 5.0, chassis code R107, with “signal red” body paint and a black leather trim, also features a series of options, including an electric sunroof, air conditioning, and cruise control.
 
Maradona’s 450 SLC 5.0 was one of only 816 homologation special examples, which allowed the model to contest the World Rally Championship, with a redesigned engine and lighter bodywork. It packed a 5.0-liter engine rated at 240 horsepower (243 ps), which helped the four-seater grand tourer coupe reach a top speed of 130 mph (209 kph).
 

After it left Maradona’s ownership, it was part of several private collections in Argentina and then imported to the U.S. It is offered in “excellent condition,” with fewer than 38,000 miles (62,000 kilometers) on the clock from new.
 
The sale will take place during the Les Grandes Marques du Monde a Paris in France, that kicks off on February 1st, 2023. The Bonhams listing writes that the Diego Maradona-owned Merc is expected to fetch an amazing price, estimated between €150,000 – €250,000 ($158,055 to $263,425 at today’s exchange rate).
 
The SLC was one of the many cars that Diego Maradona owned. He also had a 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Type 964 Cabriolet that previously sold at the Grand Palais in 2021 for €483,000 ($508,635), a Ferrari Testarossa, a Ferrari F40, a Ferrari F355 Spider, and a Rolls-Royce Ghost, among others.