With just 75 examples ever produced, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss is one of the rarest and most extreme road cars of the modern era. However, this particular example takes exclusivity to another level. Built as the final Stirling Moss to leave the factory, originally commissioned for Kuwait’s Royal Family, and finished in a unique shade of Fire Opal Red, the spectacular speedster has now been fully federalized and registered for road use in the United States.

The SLR McLaren Stirling Moss was never an ordinary supercar. Introduced as the ultimate expression of the Mercedes-Benz and McLaren partnership, it was conceived as a roofless, windscreen-free tribute to the legendary racing driver Stirling Moss and his historic victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR.

Limited to just 75 units worldwide, the Stirling Moss represented the most uncompromising interpretation of the SLR formula. Yet, despite its extraordinary engineering and exclusivity, the model was never offered in US specifications, effectively excluding one of the world’s most important luxury-car markets.

That situation, however, did not stop determined collectors from finding a way to bring these extraordinary machines across the Atlantic.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss: A Rare Hypercar Finally Legal in America

Importing a European-market SLR McLaren Stirling Moss into the United States was far from straightforward. None of the 75 cars were originally manufactured to meet American regulations, meaning that collectors needed an alternative route to make them road-legal.

The solution came through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Show or Display exemption. Established in 1999, the regulation allows certain vehicles of exceptional historical or technological significance to be imported into the United States, provided they meet specific requirements and remain subject to restrictions on road use.

With considerable effort, the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss was approved for inclusion on the Show or Display list, opening the door for qualifying examples to be federalized and registered in America.

This particular car has now completed that process. Federalization work was carried out in November 2026 by G&K Automotive of Santa Ana, California, making it possible for the exceptionally rare Mercedes-Benz to be legally registered for road use in the United States.

For American collectors, that makes an already extraordinary car even more desirable.

The Only Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss in Fire Opal Red

Factory-finished in December 2009, this car is not simply another example of the limited-production Stirling Moss. It is the final one of the 75 cars built and features a combination of factory-customized details that makes it unique.

Originally commissioned for the Royal Family of Kuwait, the car received Mercedes-Benz’s special factory paintwork treatment. Its exterior is finished in Fire Opal Red, making it the only SLR McLaren Stirling Moss to wear this particular shade.

There is another red Stirling Moss in existence, but it is finished in Rosso Corsa and belongs to the Royal Family of Jordan, where it has reportedly remained since new.

The distinction is important. While both cars share an unusual red exterior, the Kuwait-commissioned example is the only one finished in Mercedes-Benz Fire Opal Red, giving it a particularly distinctive place in the model’s history.

The bespoke treatment continues inside the cabin, where Mercedes-Benz specified an equally unusual combination of materials and finishes.

Bespoke Red Leather Interior and Unusual Factory Equipment

The interior is upholstered in matching red leather, a specification Mercedes-Benz reportedly designated as Silver Arrow. Contrasting yellow stitching adds another distinctive detail, while the car also features larger driver and passenger seats.

Instead of the carbon-fibre trim typically associated with the SLR McLaren Stirling Moss, this example features Alutex interior trim, complemented by gold-painted brake calipers.

Perhaps even more unusual is the presence of a factory-fitted stereo system.

According to the vehicle’s history, this car and the red Rosso Corsa example owned by the Royal Family of Jordan are believed to be the only two Stirling Moss models equipped with stereos from new. Considering the car’s minimalist, competition-inspired character, this is an exceptionally rare detail.

Together, these features make the Kuwait-commissioned example one of the most individually specified cars in the entire 75-unit production run.

Just 32.9 Miles on the Clock Since New

The car was completed by Mercedes-Benz in December 2009 and built to European specifications before being delivered new to Switzerland.

It was first registered on 16 March 2010 in the canton of Vaud. Since then, it has covered just 32.9 miles, making it an extraordinarily low-mileage example of an already exceptionally rare collector car.

Before its most recent ownership change, approximately $40,000 was invested in servicing the vehicle in the United Kingdom. The work was performed by Stratton Motor Company in Norwich, ensuring that the car received attention before its journey to the United States.

The consignor acquired the Stirling Moss in 2024, becoming only its second private owner. It was subsequently shipped across the Atlantic and kept in the owner’s private collection before being transported to California for the federalization process.

With the recent completion of that work, the car has effectively overcome the biggest obstacle that previously prevented American collectors from enjoying the model on public roads.

The Ultimate Expression of the SLR McLaren Legacy

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss occupies a special position in the history of modern supercars. Combining Mercedes-Benz’s legendary engineering heritage with McLaren’s motorsport expertise, it took the SLR concept to an extreme that few manufacturers would dare to replicate.

Its open cockpit, absence of a conventional windscreen and uncompromising design made it less of a conventional luxury supercar and more of a road-going racing machine.

The Stirling Moss was also a fitting tribute to one of the most celebrated chapters in Mercedes-Benz motorsport history. Its name recalls Sir Stirling Moss and navigator Denis Jenkinson’s extraordinary 1955 Mille Miglia victory, when their Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR completed the 1,000-mile Italian endurance race in a record-breaking time.

Against that historical background, this final-production example offers an unusually compelling combination of provenance, rarity and specification.

It is the last of just 75 SLR McLaren Stirling Moss models ever built, the only one finished in Fire Opal Red, a former Royal Family commission, and a car that has covered barely more than 32 miles since leaving the factory.

Now that it has also been federalized and registered in the United States, this extraordinary Mercedes-Benz has become even more appealing to collectors seeking something genuinely different from the usual multimillion-dollar supercar offerings.

For a model that was already almost impossible to obtain, finding an example with this specification, history and mileage is an opportunity that may never come around again.

Source: RM Sotheby’s