Super Pricey Cars Sold at Auctions
Classic cars are hot! More people want them than there are cars, so prices are crazy high. Some old Fords cost $100,000! But the fanciest cars? They sell for millions. Here’s a list of the priciest cars ever auctioned, starting at $11.5 million and going up.
Ferrari 250GT SWB
Back in October 2015, H&H Classics sold this car for $11,440,968. Richard Colton, a big Ferrari fan from Britain, passed away and gave his two favourite cars to a sea rescue charity called RNLI. They sold this 250GT SWB to buy a new lifeboat!
Ferrari 250LM
RM Sotheby’s got $11,550,000 for this one in August 2014. This 250LM was special—it was made for racing but only driven on roads. Only 32 were built, and this was the 19th. It was Ferrari’s first car with the engine in the middle.
Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
In August 2012, Gooding & Co sold this beauty for $11,770,000. Collectors love it because it’s super rare, had just three owners, and won awards at Pebble Beach, the top car show. Everything on it was original too.
Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza
This car went for $11,990,000 at Gooding & Co in August 2016. It’s a pre-war Alfa with a racing past from 1933 to 1950. Collectors go wild for cars like this with matching numbers.
Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
RM Sotheby’s sold this for $12,402,500 in May 2009. It was the most expensive car ever at the time! Only 22 Testa Rossas exist, and this “pontoon fender” one got bidders super excited.
1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports
Even during the 2020 pandemic, this Bugatti sold for $12,640,550 at Gooding & Company. It raced as a grand prix car in 1934–1935, then became a sports car. King Leopold III of Belgium owned it once!
1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta 'Competizione'
RM Sotheby’s got $12,812,800 in May 2013. This was one of three Ferrari race cars in the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours. Three world champs—Hawthorn, Ascari, and Farina—drove it!
1972 Ferrari 312 PB
Sotheby’s sold this for $13,033,720 in May 2023. It helped Ferrari win the 1972 World Sportscar Championship big time. It’s the most expensive car ever sold in Italy.
1953 Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight
This Jaguar fetched $13,200,000 at RM Sotheby’s in August 2015. It came fourth at Le Mans in 1953 and was one of only three lightweight C-Types built.
1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France'
Another $13,200,000 car, sold by RM Sotheby’s in August 2015. Owned by Marquis Alfonso de Portago, it won at Pebble Beach and Cavallino Classic. It’s a huge piece of Ferrari history.
1957 Jaguar XKSS
RM Sotheby’s sold this for $13,205,000 in August 2023. Jaguar made it from leftover D-types after quitting racing. Only 16 were made after a fire destroyed nine. This one has just 25,535 miles and looks like new.
1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato M
Bonhams sold this for $13,264,230 in August 2018. Raced by F1 star Jim Clark, it pumped out 310 horsepower. The same family owned it since 1971.
1937 Talbot-Lago T150C SS Goutte d’Eau
This French car sold for $13,425,000 at Gooding & Co in March 2022. It’s the priciest French car ever, and it’s super pretty!
1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione
Gooding & Co got $13,500,000 in August 2016. This car finished seventh at Le Mans in 1960 and still has its original body and numbers.
1962 Shelby 260 Cobra
The first Shelby Cobra sold for $13,750,000 at RM Sotheby’s in August 2016. Owned by the Shelby family, it’s a super important American car.
1998 McLaren F1 'LM-Specification'
RM Sotheby’s sold this for $13,750,000 in August 2015. Upgraded to LM spec, it’s one of the last McLaren F1s built, making it extra special.
Porsche 917K
Gooding & Co sold this for $14,080,000 in August 2017. It was in the Steve McQueen movie Le Mans and owned by racer Jo Siffert. Collectors love its history.
1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
Only 19 were made, and this one sold for $14,300,000 at RM Sotheby’s in December 2015. It’s the most collectible Aston Martin ever.
1964 Ferrari 250 LM
RM Sotheby’s got $14,300,000 in November 2013. Meant for racing, its first owner drove it on roads. It still won a class at Daytona in 1968.
Ferrari 275 GTB/C
Gooding & Co sold this for $14,520,000 in August 2017. Only 12 were made, and this one won lots of races from 1966 to 1970. It’s all original!
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO / 330LM
A Ferrari 250 GTO / 330LM went for $51,705,000 at an RM Sotheby’s auction in November 2023. It’s the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction, but still not close to the top car price. Funny how Ferraris dominate this list, right?
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Back in August 2018, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO fetched $48,405,000 at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale in California. People thought the classic car craze was slowing down, but this buyer didn’t care! This car, chassis 3413, started as a Series I but got fancy Series II bodywork in 1964. It raced in 20 events, finishing every single one, then retired to a long line of owners until its latest one.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Bonhams sold another 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO for $38,115,000 in August 2014. Only 39 of these dream cars were ever built, so they’re super hard to get. This one, #3851 GT, had been with the same family for 39 years, so it was bound to sell for a ton!
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
In May 2022, RM Sotheby's sold a super rare 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé for a crazy $145 million! Only two of these cars ever got made. Mercedes-Benz owned it before, and the money from the sale went to start a new charity. That’s €135 million, or about £114.4 million, making it the priciest car ever sold!
Source and Images: AutoCar UK