Most Expensive Cars Ever Sold At Auction
By | April 4, 2020
A 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C went for $14,520,000
From childhood to adulthood there’s one truth… cars are seriously cool. Ever since mankind graduated from the horse and buggy to the automobile there have been numerous models rolled off of factory lines but only a few of them have garnered such a reputation as to earn millions upon millions of dollars at auction.
Most of the cars collected here were manufactured in the 1950s and ‘60s, but some of them go back even further. There’s something special about each of these cars and it’s not just how fast they can tear up the track.
Every one of these expensive cars has a history that shows the innovative spirit of gear heads across the world, and even if you don’t know a V8 from a straight 6 you can still appreciate just how cool these vintage cars look. Start your engines…
There were only a dozen 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C models manufactured which is only one of the reasons this car went for such a high rate at auction. This baby still has its original chassis and Scaglietti coachwork which is wild because from ’66 to ’70 it was the frontrunner in a series of races and events across Europe. The team at Wisconsin’s Motion Products Inc took great care to restore this model’s 3,286 CC Type 213/Comp SOHC V-12 engine - it would honestly be bonkers if the engine hadn’t been restored after years of racking up wins. This Ferrari has changed hands a few times but at one point it belonged to Italian race car driver, Renzo Sinibaldi. What's crazy is it ended up selling for $14,520,000...and that happens to be the lowest price point in the gallery. Click ahead for more!
A beautiful 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder sold for $15,180,000
You know a car has to be special if its bringing in over $15 million at auction, a shock to spectators who thought it was only going to clear a cool 2 mil. This ’61 Ferrari California Spyder has a 2,953cc, single overhead cam, Tipo 168/61 V-12 engine with Weber carbs and a four-speed gearbox under its shapely, refined hood. By all accounts this is a four-wheeled dream to drive, with an independent coil-spring suspension working the front and a live-rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf-spring keeping the backseat drivers from feeling any bumps. While not as exciting as the fact that it can hit 240hp at 7,000rpms, this model features covered headlights, something that only appeared on 37 factory examples.
The 1995 McLaren F1 looks like it's from the future and it sold for $15,620,000
The McLaren F1 is one of the most meticulously designed cars on the planet. When this bad boy was first conceptualized in the late ‘80s by the McLaren team they wanted to create the most well performing car in the automotive world. They looked deeply into Formula One racing technology and according to everyone who’s been behind the wheel of one of these says that with more than 5,000 individual components from all over the automotive world. The F1’s engine is a BMW-designed, gold-laden, 627hp 6,064cc DOHC V-12 with sequential closed-loop fuel-injection that allows the car to hit 200mph. If this car looks like it’s from the future compared to the rest of the cars here it’s because the only one desinged in the '90s but it may as well be from the year 3,000.
The incredibly rare 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa went for $16,390,000
If you grew up with Hot Wheels then your mouth must be watering at the sight of the Testa Rossa. This specific 250 Testa Rossa was built as a prototype for the Scuderia Ferrari Team making it incredibly rare. Once this baby was out of the shop it was used by some of the most daring drivers for eight seasons throughout Europe. This Testa Rossa has a 3.0L Tipo 128 LM V-12 engine under the hood and was lovingly restored by Dennison International before winning first place in its class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2006.
The award winning 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale Bertone sold for $16,500,000
The Ferrari Berlinetta Speciale Bertone is one of the most well known automotive designs from the early 1960s. Similar to the Ford Mustang, this beautiful car is one of the most iconic visions in the history of cars. It’s brings to mind Italian spies and surf rock, it can tear down the highways without any hesitation, inspired by the Prancing Horse marque’s earlier “Sharknose” race cars. Previously owned by Nuccio Bertone, owner and operator of the Turin-based coach building outfit originally created by Giovanni Bertone. This specific Ferrari has won several best in show trophies from across the world.
A repainted 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder sold for $16,830,000
It’s hard to decide which car on here is the most beautiful, but there’s something about this specific Spyder that makes you want to drool. It went for its hefty price at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach sale and its one of the only SWBs that was constructed with the much ballyhooed aerodynamic covered headlights. When this California Spyder left the factory it didn’t feature the famous Rosso Corsa red paint job that it has now, but instead a rare “Blu Metallizzato” paint. This is a Ferrari Classiche Department-certified ride, and it’s been heavily documented by Ferrari historian, Marcel Massini.
Another 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder that sold for $17,160,000
There’s something about the Ferrari SWB California Spyders that car collectors absolutely love. Not only are these cars super sweet but they’re meticulously designed in a way that makes them more of a monument to Italian automotive architecture than to driving. This VI2 was originally owned by Italian architect and designer, Gianfranco Frattini, which is one of the reasons this fetched such a massive price at auction. This specific car can be seen in the 1963 film Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. And yes, because I know you’re wondering, it has the sport factory headlight covers.
The car of your dreams... the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM $17,600,000
This is one of those cars that you only find in your dreams. It’s got a unique design that was first revealed at the 1966 Earles Court Motor Show where its high performance engine and fascinating look set it apart from the pack of the previous cars in Ferrari’s line. There were only 32 units of this model produced and while it was meant to be marketed as Ferrari’s GT class they ended up pivoting to promoting it as a sports prototype. One of the 32 units was driven to victory during the 24 Hours of Le Mans (which is why it’s got that nifty LM in its name) in 1965, the last time a Ferrari won the event.
How much would you pay for a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder Competizione? Because it costs $18,150,000
As you might have noticed there are a lot of Ferraris on here, but what sets this apart from previous entires is that this is a Competizione or a competition spec which means that it has updated brass and suspension as well as a a Tipo 168 V-12. It’s also one of nine LWB California Spyders that have lightweight alloy bodywork. This specific vehicle finished in 5th place at the notoriously intense 1960 12 Hours of Sebring. It’s also had the Platinum Award bestowed upon it and it was the Competizione Cup Winner at the 2011 Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach. The purchase of this car was definitely and $18 million well spent.
This 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder hasn't been driven since the 1970s and it went for $18,454,304
One of the coolest things about this 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder is that it’s more or less in original condition (save for some much needed touch ups). It was initially purchased after rolling out of the factory before going through a series of sales that landed it essentially in a storage unit for decades. When it was finally brought to the auction block it featured its original paint and interior, and it even had the original paperwork from the last time it was tooling around in the 1970s - making it a kind of time machine for Ferrari lovers, and who among us isn’t?
An art deco classic, the 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta went for $18,997,883
What do you know? It’s not a Ferrari Spyder for once. This Alfa Romeo goes back to the pre World War 2 era of automobiles and its one of the rarest cars manufactured by the Turin firm. At the time of its manufacture this was one of the fastest cars in the world, which is wild because its Art Deco design must have made it extremely heavy. Both luxurious and with superior performance in mind, these cars were both elegant and road ready, which is why it’s easy to imagine this rough boy picking up some serious dough at auction.
You've never seen one of these on the road... the 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider sold for $19,800,000
Sold at Sotheby’s for nearly $20 million bones this variation on Alfa Romeo’s 8C 2900B is thought to be one of the most important Italian sports cars of its time. This model of Alfa Romeo is rarely seen, but its 180hp 2.9L double-overhead cam inline-eight engine with dual roots-type superchargers and a four-speed gearbox was unmatched in Grand Prix competition. As one of 12 Touring Spiders still known to exist it’s a gorgeous piece of machinery, and after it was restored the Lungo Spider won the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance award. When it was finally sold it became the first "Immortal 2.0" to go at auction.
The 1994 McLaren F1 'LM-Specification' was a victory lap for the company sold for $19,805,000
McLaren’s second entry on this list of most expensive cars ever sold at auction is another in their lime of F1 cars. In 1998 this specific car clocked a mind boggling and record setting 240.14mph time. While this speed has since been beaten it’s still one of the fastest cars that’s ever been produced. The entire LM-Specification line was named thanks to F1’s success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but this specific unit was given a full factory conversion from McLaren in 2000 which makes it one of two that’s ever received this kind of treatment.
The 1963 Aston Martin DP215 looks cool but costs a fortune - $21,455,000
Most of us know Aston Martin as the car favored by English spies and the four lads from Liverpool, but in the 1950s and early ‘60s the brand actually had their own racing arm that was feared across Europe. One of the experiments from the early ‘60s was the DP215 - as in Design Project 215. There are variations on this car from Aston Martin including a touring version and even two prototypes which competed at Le Mans in ’63. This specific car has an engine that hit 198.6mph and it sold with a model-correct transmission and Hiduminium alloy bodywork.
The 1955 Jaguar D-Type looks like it could be from the future and it went for $21,780,000
I don’t know about you, but some of my favorite vintage cars are the vehicles that look like they’re from a version of the future that could only be dreamed up in the ‘50s and ‘60s. This Jaguar D-Type is supposedly the first-ever team-series production D-Type built, it’s also one of the only known surviving Le Mans-winning Jaguar C-Type or D-Type that still exists. In 1956 the D-Type raced to a win at the 1956 Le Mans tournament for the Edinburgh-based Ecurie Ecosse team. This Jaguar remains pretty much as is from when it was constructed, and it can still rip up the asphalt if need be.
One of two 1935 Duesenberg SSJs... it sold for $22,000,000
It’s no surprise that when a car this old is is in such good condition it’s going to go for a lot of money at auction, but when it’s only one of two Duesenberg SSJ’s ever created it’s going to fetch a lot of money. Even though it was built in the 1930s this is car with an engine that was ahead of its time. This SSJ was sold as an unrestored vehicle complete with its original engine, chassis and bodywork.The original owner of this car was none other than Gary Cooper, although there’s no word if he opened up the twin-carb 6,882cc inline-eight-cylinder engine on the 101.
A rarely seen 1956 Ferrari 290 MM went for $22,005,000
Those green wheels, that unmistakable red pain job, this can only be one brand of car, Ferrari. This $22 million car is an honest to goodness ex-competition Scuderia Ferrari Works race car from races like the 1000KM of Buenos Aires and the Mille Miglia of ’56 and ’57, Ferrari wasn't messing around when they designed this baby. It finished first at the Nassau Trophy and it’s still eligible for competition in period events. There are only four of cars like this on the planet, and this was the final one to come out of the shop which makes it one of the most elite automobiles of its era.
The spy car of your drams, the 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 sold for $22,550,000
Aston Martin has made some important and fascinating cars in their time, but the DBR1 is likely the most significant in the brand’s history. It was created by a crew of driven designers at the company who wanted nothing more than to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Only five DBR1 examples were produced, and they all featured precision straight-six engines. This specific car was piloted to the winning slot at the 1959 Nurburgring 1000KM. It was sold at auction with a ready period reproduction engine as well as its stocker mill. This is one car that's just waiting to opened up in the countryside.
There are no frills on this 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale that sold for $26,400,000
Ferrari once again rides onto the most expensive cars sold at auction with this extremely important car from 1964. The 275 GTB Competizione Speciale doesn’t just have a Tipo 213/Comp 3,286cc lightweight-block V-12, it’s one of only three pieces created by Berlinetta Competizione and it’s the first one that made its way out of the shop. This car is light on extras on its interior because it was made for racing, anything that wasn’t necesarry woild just slow it down. Even the color, a gray that’s almost a non-color says that there are no frills in this car which makes it truly unique among a line of beautiful speed machines.
The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider is one of ten produced, it sold for $27,500,000
The N.A.R.T. in N.A.R.T. Spider comes from Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team, a group that tore across the tracks of the United States from 1958 to 1982, consistently proving themselves to be a formidable team. The group was an endurance race effort put together to show American car lovers just how well a Ferrari could handle. This specific car is only one of ten N.A.R.T. Spiders ever produced, making it one of the most sought after automobiles in history. This specific ride has a four-overhead camshaft V-12 engine hidden beneath its hood.
The 1956 Ferrari 290 MM sold for $28,050,000
This incredibly cool Ferrari fetched such a high price at auction because its race history is so well documented. In 1956 this car was piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio to a fourth place slot at the Mille Miglia. Fangio took home awards at the 1951, 1954, 1956, and 1957 Formula One Championships and any car that was at the behest of his fingers fetches a pretty penny. This Ferrari has a Tipo 130 V-12 engine with triple Weber twin-choke carbs and twin spark-plug ignition as well as helical springs and an anti-roll bar. If you need something to take around the track and have an unlimited income this is the thing to get.
Room for one... the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 went for $29,600,000
Formula One is one of the most competitive forms of racing on the planet and in the 1950s Mercedes-Benz decided to take over the sport with a laser focused and cutting edge automobile that they employed Juan Manuel Fangio to tear up the track with. Fangio is one of the most winningest drivers of all time and he was behind the wheel of this W196R, a track only formula one car that was built around a lightweight chassis that was run by a supercharged inline-eight-cylinder “laydown” engine. The car’s light weight, speed, and Fangio’s deft ability with a car brought Mercedes-Benz a series of wins at the German and Swiss Grand Prix.
Great for a date, the 1957 Ferrari 335 S costs $35,730,510
This 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti is one of the three most expensive cars ever sold as of 2016. The car’s race history is why it’s such a must have vehicle - it placed second at the 1957 Mille Miglia, sixth at the ’57 12 Hours of Sebring, and it was the winner of the Grand Prix of Cuba in 1958. Aside from its impressive racing record its also the first car to lap an average speed of more than 124.27mph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car has been cleaned and reconstructed to make sure its in pristine condition, which is exactly why it was able to grab such a high price.
Oil slick not included... the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta went at auction for $38,115,000
You don’t get to be the most expensive car sold at auction without being an impressive vehicular specimen. This Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta is one of only 39 vehicles created in its run, even though more of these were produced that some of the other expensive Ferraris this car is significant because of its racing history and the drivers who have been behind the wheel. Racers like French Formula One driver Jo Schlesser have spent time behind the wheel of this car which automatically ups the price of this bad boy. After all, who wouldn’t want to be behind the wheel a piece of racing history?
The legendary 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Scaglietti sold at auction for $48,405,000
It’s hard to argue with a car that’s referred to as “the world’s most important, desirable, and legendary motorcar” by Sothebys. When this 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Scaglietti went up for auction car lovers across the world foamed at the mouth over its mythical features. When this GTO was introduced in ’62 it was one of the first models to be designed with wind-tunnel-tested bodywork, and its got a 3.0L short-block Colombo V-12 under its hood. Aside from just being one amazing piece of automotive technology it was also raced by Le Mans and Formula One Champion, Phil Hill.
