With a tested top speed of 180mph, the Mercedes 300 SLR 'Uhlenhaut Coupe' would have been the world's fastest car if it was put into production in 1955.
However, at the time executives deemed it too fast for the public, and just two prototypes still exist, both of which are displayed at the company's museum in Germany.
But now, a team of car enthusiasts have re-created the iconic Mercedes supercar. The only catch? It's made out of 10,000 pieces of scrap metal - and doesn't drive.
Iconic: The Mercedes 300 SLR 'Uhlenhaut Coupe' recreated from scrap metal
German friends Armin Ciesielski, Peter Brakel and Walter Willer decided to recreate the greatest car ever scrapped out of scrap.
The trio, who work at Giganten aus Stahl which translates to Giants of Steel, meticulously sourced thousands of pieces of metal for their recycled homage.
Mr Ciesielski, who claims he could rebuild any car out of scrap, said: 'The Uhlenhaut is a really special Mercedes and we wanted to make a replica.
'It took me and my friends seven months of hard work to perfect and we used more than 10,000 pieces of metal.
'The car was a very difficult model to make because of all the intricate details and we made the engine look identical to the original. It weighs nearly 1,000kg.'
Head turner: The German team behind the reproduction spent seven months constructing the sculpture out of 10,000 pieces of scrap
Poise: The Uhlenhaut's design required the use of 'gull-wing' type doors
The 300 SLR 'Uhlenhaut Coupe' was a road-going version of the iconic 300 SLR race car which dominated competitions such as The Mille Miglia with British icon Stirling Moss behind the wheel.
Mercedes race chief Rudolf Uhlenhaut wanted to take the car's incredible performance and turn it into a road-legal coupe.
During testing in 1955, the 310bhp SLR hit an unprecedented 180mph to become the fastest ever road-legal car of its time.
Detail: The team behind the sculpture took great care to ensure it is a perfect reproduction - right down to the engine
For sale: The scrap metal Mercedes is on the market for £60,000
World beater: Stirling Moss drives his Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR at the Nurburgring in 1977
But Mercedes felt the mid-1950s was not the right time to bring out such a powerful sports car and - as the company pulled out of motorsport in 1955 - put the SLR coupe project on ice.
Both prototypes are still owned by Mercedes and make occasional appearances around the world at motor shows.
It's believed that if either of the models were ever sold they would comfortably fetch tens of millions of pounds to become the most expensive car in history.
The scrap metal Mercedes, which can't be driven, is considerably cheaper - it's on the market for £60,000.
But there is hope for those who want to get their hands on the real thing, or at least an updated version: Mercedes' latest concept car bears a striking resemblance to the classic model.
Hope for the future? Mercedes Benz latest concept car, as presented at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt, bears a striking resemblance to the classic model
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