Britney Spears' Iconic 2006 Mercedes Going Up For Auction

A piece of pop culture history is hitting the auction block ... the car Britney Spears drove during one of the darkest periods of her life -- and it's arguably one of the most photographed celebrity whips of all time.

Britney's iconic black 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK350 is being sold to the highest bidder next month ... after spending nearly 15 years on display at the Volo Auto Museum in Illinois.

The sporty convertible used to be known as the most dangerous car on the streets of Los Angeles ... because it's the ride Britney was driving in 2007 when her life started spiraling.

Britney was trailed by a horde of paparazzi that year, and she zoomed through red lights while playing cat-and-mouse with photogs. She also took the Mercedes on countless late-night joyrides, and it was at the center of an infamous hit-and-run.

Volo says Britney's Benz is the most documented celebrity-owned car ... it's been featured in countless photos and videos, and when Britney was behind the wheel in 2007, paps snapped hundreds of shots of the Mercedes on the daily.

This cataclysmic stage in Britney's life came to a head in January 2008, when she was removed from her house by ambulance and taken to a hospital. Later that year, she was placed under the conservatorship that remained in place until 2021.

Britney's car was put through the wringer ... which is exactly why it's been parked in a museum for all to see ... until now.

Volo Auto Museum is putting a bunch of its vehicles and vintage items up for auction August 1st through the 7th.