I have always had a fascination with car auctions and the fluctuation in prices over the years. Whenever the opportunity arises, I will watch auctions live be it on YouTube or on the auction house's website. The thought then occurred to me of, what are the most expensive cars ever sold at auction. After lots of research, I have this list of 15.
15) McLaren F1-LM Specification - RM Sotheby's (2019)
The first entry onto this list comes from earlier this year, in Pebble Beach. RM Sotheby's managed to sell off a McLaren F1, which is a star car in itself. However it was converted to LM specification which is one of the two cars to have this treatment, adding the Extra-High Downforce kit and the unrestricted F1 GTR engine. The car was in the hands of McLaren for a very long time before it was bought, however was returned to McLaren for specialist servicing along with a written evaluation by MSO (McLaren Special Operations) to certify its authenticity. This car sold in the summer for £15,264,000.
14) Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider by Touring - RM Sotheby's (2016)
This is the Italian equivalent of the Bugatti Atlantic, the Alfa 8C is a pinnacle of Italian beauty then and now. This car was one of 12 known to the world, the first of its kind to come up for auction. This specific example came from a very coveted collection of cars that won it a Concours D'Elegance Best in Show. Finished in a metallic black original paint with its original engine and original bodywork. Although I do not know much about vintage cars, especially ones from 1939, I can appreciate the styling and the legacy that these cars leave, hence I completely agree with the £15,216,000 that the car sold for.
13 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe - Bugatti Museum (1987)
Legend has it that Ettore Bugatti was talking to an English lady who stated that the Rolls Royce Phantom was the ultimate car and considered it to be a superior car to the Bugatti. After this, he created the Royale which was the ultimate epitome of luxury. Bugatti only made 7 of these and they all have their unique stories. This example was not sold by Bugatti as the asking price was equivalent of £560,000 in today's money. This car was bricked away during the war to avoid being commandeered by the Nazis, was sold to American Le Mans racer Briggs Cunningham for $571 plus two refrigerators not available in post war France. The car was then put for auction when the Bugatti Museum closed due to its liquidation. It sold for an amazing £5.5m which in today's money comes to a total of £17,400,000.
12) Aston Martin DP215 - RM Sotheby's (2018)
Known as one of the most important Aston Martins ever made, this one off project built in 1963 was a works car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Piloted by Phil Hill and Lucien Bianchi, it is said to have clocked 198.2mph on the famous Mulsanne straight before it retired with a broken transmission. However, the success of this car may have been a little drab with only a few Goodwood Revival race wins, the car itself was the last car that the legendary David Brown signed off and entered personally into a race. This car was fitted with the original engine and correct 5 speed manual transmission. A slight personal bonus of this car is that I have actually seen it at the 70th anniversary of Aston Martin Racing at Goodwood 2019. This car sold for £17,700,000 at the Sotheby's Monterey auction but it does still make racing appearances which is always good.
11) Duesenberg SSJ - Gooding and Co. (2018)
Although, much like the Alfa Romeo, I do not know much about this car, however some of the specs that the car carries makes it 100% worth the price. The Duesenberg was the American Rolls-Royce and in produced in much smaller numbers than its British counterpart. The SSJ presents a case for itself in that it is one of only two produced. Adding to the value of this is the fact that it was originally delivered to Hollywood legend Gary Cooper and another owner of the car was Briggs Cunningham, the same man to own the Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe from earlier. The car remained in its original condition with original brakes, engine, chassis and body. The car in the end sold for a whopping £18,200,000.
10) Ferrari 290MM by Scaglietti - RM Sotheby's (2018)
This is where the cars start to get really, really interesting. This car is a legendary racing car as it raced as a Scuderia Ferrari works car for the 1956 and 1957 season that led to podiums in the 1000km of Buenos Aires and the legendary Mille Miglia racing event. It won the Nassau racing weekend and the Memorial event with Sir Stirling Moss behind the wheel. Not only has it been driven by some incredibly special drivers, but it is one of 4 examples, 3 left, it is eligible for many, many classic race events such as the Mille Miglia and Concours events. The car was restored to its original 1957 Sebring 24 hours livery and Ferrari Classiche certified. Due to all of these factors, the car sold for £18,200,000, headlining the auction for Sotheby's.
9) Jaguar D-Type - RM Sotheby's (2016)
This 1955 Jaguar D-Type is the most expensive Jaguar ever sold at auction in 2016. This car was raced by Ecurie Ecosse to victory in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, which makes it already a special car. What adds to the value is the fact that it is the only surviving original Jaguar C/D-Type that still holds all of its original components, it had remained in the same private collection for 16 years before the sale and it was the first Jaguar D-Type chassis to be built. Being one of the most important Jaguars in history, and officially the most expensive Jaguar of all time, the price was £18,300,000.
8) Aston Martin DBR1 - RM Sotheby's (2017)
This car beats the Jaguar in one sense, that it is the most expensive British car ever to sell at auction. The DBR1 is one of five DBR1s and this car was the first car to roll out of Aston Martin. Although this did not succeed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (the sister car won the 1959 Le Mans), it did see some success by winning the 1959 1000km of Nürburgring. The list of drivers to drive this exact car is unbelievable spanning from Sir Stirling Moss to Jack Brabham, Roy Salvatori and Carroll Shelby. The car was maintained by Aston Martin specialists who fitted it with a racing reproduction engine which came alongside the original engine when it was new. Critics have said that this is the most important Aston Martin model of all time, as well as the most expensive British car of all time at £18,600,000.
7) Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti - RM Sotheby's (2014)
Known as the spiritual successor to the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO, the 275 GTB/C is a crucial area of Ferrari's history. It was one of only 3 works Berlinetta Competizione cars, making it a lot rarer than the 250 GTO. It is a known Ferrari car which helps to increase the value of it because it is a documented classic vehicle. It is fitted with its original numbered engine and has a glittering racing and rallying history. It was meticulously researched by a Ferrari specialist who confirmed it was the car that everybody thought it was. Due to this confirmation, the car sold for £20,350,000. This also makes it the first car on this list to break the £20m mark.
6) Ferrari 275 GTB/4 S N.A.R.T Spider by Scaglietti - RM Sotheby's (2013)
N.A.R.T stands for North American Racing Team and was the key Ferrari racing team in the US up until the 1990s. The 275 NART Spider is an incredibly rare car to bear this name as it is a one of 10 car. It may not be the rarest car on this list by far, however the beauty and class of this car definitely makes up for it. It was sold with the original toolboxes and original documents because this car, miraculously, had one owner from new. The fact that it had single ownership boosts the price significantly. The car was auctioned in 2013 by Sotheby's and again headlined the auction even when it was auctioned alongside a Mercedes 540K, Mercedes 680S and a Ferrari 375MM. The final price.....£21,197,000.
5) Ferrari 290MM by Scaglietti - RM Sotheby's (2015)
A second Ferrari 290MM to see this list, this one sold in New York in 2015. There is one reason that this car sold for more than the other 290MM, that reason is the fact that the car came 4th overall at the 1956 Mille Miglia. Fourth place may be seen as nothing because it didn't win, however it was driven by the one and only Juan Manuel Fangio. For the unknown, Fangio was one of the greatest racing drivers of all time with 5 Formula One world championships and many other race wins in sports cars and rallying. His name alone adds so much value to any car, let alone an already expensive Ferrari 290MM. The car in question has a large racing history and is Ferrari Classiche certified meaning that it is an official piece of Ferrari history. The final value for the car was £21,640,000, which further increases the record value.
4) Mercedes Benz W196 - Bonhams (2013)
From one Fangio car to another, only this car is much more significant than the previous. This Mercedes was the car that Fangio drove in the 1954 Formula One Season and drove to victory in the German and Swiss Grand Prix. The car was also driven by Hans Hermann and Karl Kling and was the sister car to Sir Stirling Moss's Mercedes. This car comes from an incredible family of vintage Mercedes Formula One cars, and this particular car was the only post-war Silver Arrow to be held in private ownership for many years. The car went on to be the generation that won Fangio his second world drivers championship. When it was put for auction at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, it sold for £25,750,000.
3) Ferrari 335S Spider Scaglietti - Artcurial (2016)
The only mention of Artcurial in this list comes with the 2016 sale that they sold a very significant Ferrari. This was a works 335S driven at so many racing events such as 1000km of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans and then the 1957 Formula One season. This car took Sir Stirling Moss to victory in the Cuban Grand Prix before it was sold to a leading Ferrari collector in Switzerland, Pierre Bardinon. Bardinon, who died in 2012, had a collection of up to 50 classic Ferrari cars and exercised them on his private racetrack that he built outside his house in Switzerland. It is thought that he had four of the nine 1960s Le Mans winners in his collection. After he died, his family sold off some of his cars and none of them were anticipated more than the 335S, which eventually sold for £27,635,000.
2) Ferrari 250 GTO - Bonhams (2014)
One of the greatest cars ever made, the Ferrari 250 GTO is one of Ferrari's greatest ever cars and has always been a highlight at auctions, especially one with a back catalogue like this car. This is a 1962 car so it retains the classic shape unlike the later cars, and the drivers of this car included Jo Schlesser and Paolo Colombo. It was offered from 49 years of single ownership and had a great success rate of Italian hill-climbs and the famous Tour De France route which gave its name to some other Ferrari models such as the 250tdf and, more recently, the F12tdf. This car came 2nd in the 1962 Tour De France and is a proven historic race winning car. It also features the idea that it has never been restored, just maintained and looked after. The total price for all this specification? £29,562,000.
1) Ferrari 250 GTO - RM Sotheby's (2018)
And the most expensive car ever to sell at auction is this amazing Ferrari 250 GTO. Sold by RM Sotheby's in 2018, this car is much different to the previous GTO which helps the price significantly. It is one of 36 GTOs made, and is considered to be the most original and well-maintained model of those 36. It was upgraded in period by Scaglietti to the Series 2 body shape which is considered to be a more aggressive styling for the 250 GTO, similar to the later 275 model, and is one of few cars to be offered this treatment. It had over 15 class and individual wins during its racing period of 1962-1965 including victories in the Targa Florio in 1963 and 1964. It has been studied by Ferrari master engineers and the family of the Godfather, Enzo Ferrari himself and confirmed to be the car everyone wanted it to be. This along with a matching engine number helped this car to be the most expensive sold at auction. The final price was £37,310,000, a record unlikely to be beaten soon. However with more and more classics popping up seemingly everywhere, who knows how long this record will stay for?
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