Auctions are fun places, each car is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. There is no policy anywhere that says bidders must spend millions.
Yet it’s the only place the insanely rich can go without making fun of the ridiculousness of spending tens of millions of dollars on an old man Sports car. Sure, it will be rare, and it will most likely have a Ferrari badge on its nose, or at least be Italian.
These are the most expensive cars ever to be sold at auction.
10 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
About Bonhams
How do you create one of the most beautiful cars of all time? In 1960 Aston Martin developed the DG4 GT Zagato together with Ercole Spada. The basics of the DB4 road car are preserved under this impressive body.
About Bonhams
Much of the original steel plates were more than a simple cosmetic makeover, they gave way to aluminum items. Under the hood, Zagato optimized the 3.7 liter engine to 314 hp, resulting in a top speed of 154 MPH. Originally only 19 examples were made, no wonder why the values are increasing. In 2018, one example fetched $ 13.3 million at auction.
9 McLaren F1 # 044
About Bonhams
Only a handful of modern machines achieve the same level of interest as McLaren’s F1 supercar, which is quite rare even among the dozen of million dollar cars that lure the super-rich to Bonhams. Allegedly, the first “street legal” F1 in the US hit a record bid of $ 15.6 million in 2017.
About Bonhams
Almost thirty years after its inception, the McLaren F1 still holds the record for a production car with a naturally aspirated engine and a top speed of 241 MPH. Modern designers use turbos and hybrid drives. That record will likely never be broken. Two things make this example stand out: low mileage and chassis number # 044 both attract the attention of F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton.
8th Ferrari 375-Plus Spider Competizione
Via Wikipedia
The same car was made in two separate years, with the nose of the later car leaning more forward, which increased aerodynamic efficiency. According to the Ferrari standard, the 375-Plus has a positive distribution with 8 cars, twice as much as the Italian carmaker normally brings out for competition models.
Via Wikipedia
Much evolutionary design of the previous 375 MM, the new car that uses a larger 5 liter V12 engine to tackle the Latin American racing series. Compared to other models that wear the dancing horse badge, this one is not as aesthetically pleasing, but still managed to win a prize offer of $ 18.4 million.
7th Duesenberg SSJ
About Forbes
Rarity alone is usually enough to increase bidding activity, but when you put in a famous name or two things get really interesting. In total, only two SSJs were made from Duesenberg, both of which found homes among the Hollywood elite. This example once owned by Gary Cooper and hit a record $ 22 million in 2018.
About Forbes
Owning this rare 1930s supercar wasn’t cheap at $ 5,000, which if you were one of the lucky few guaranteed exclusives. Derived from the more common J-Spec vehicles, the SSJ used a shortened chassis and body in combination with a supercharged eight-cylinder engine that produced an enormous 400 horsepower in the 1930s.
6th Aston Martin DBR1 / 1
About Aston Martin
Any famous racing driver with a history of racing victories would be on the collectors radar should it be auctioned off. With only 3 DBR1s completed and two more chassis upgraded to later DBR3 specifications, they understandably haven’t changed very often. In 2017, the DBR1 / 1 chassis did just that, hitting a record $ 22.6 million.
About Aston Martin
Designed from the ground up for the competition, due to changes in the regulations, the participants no longer had to be licensed for road use or based on production vehicles. The DBR1 was an uncompromising racing driver constructed with a lightweight tubular chassis that later benefited from the larger 3-liter in-line six-cylinder engines with 250 hp. DBR1 / 1 was only just missed at Le Mans due to a mechanical defect and achieved the greatest success in 1959 at the 1000 km Nürburgring with a well-deserved victory.
5 Ferrari 275 GTB / C and Ferrari 275 GTB NART
Ferrari 275 GTB / C – Via Pinterest
The old Ferrari’s love of racing and the lack of interest in road vehicles led to the 275 GTB / C, the successor to the earlier 250 GTO. Under its nifty Scaglietti bodywork, Ferrari managed to get 300 horsepower out of the 3.3 liter V12 engine and reach a top speed of 160 MPH. Only three Scaglietti are known to have been completed, one of which reached $ 26.4 million at auction in 2014.
Ferrari 275 GTB / 4 NART Spider – Via Auto Pixel
From the European GT racing driver to the open two-seater in North America, Ferrari produced the breathtaking 275 GTB NART in response to the call for a convertible sports car. In another special edition that guarantees collectability, only 10 NARTs were produced, one of which sold for $ 27.5 million in 2013.
4th Ferrari 290 MM
Via Pinterest
Adding a famous name or a proven track record really makes a difference. In 2018, a bidder secured a rare 1956 Ferrari 290MM for just $ 22 million. The addition of the name Fangio, who finished 4th overall in the 1956 Mille Miglia, earned a final bid of $ 28 million three years earlier.
About Goodwood
The 290MM forgets the lottery jackpot and is incredibly rare. In 1956, only four chassis were completed for the Mille Miglia event (MM designation). Powered by a brand new 3.5 liter V12 engine with a top speed of 170 MPH.
3 Mercedes-Benz W196
Via Pinterest
Owning a historic racing car is one thing. To own one that still has the traces and dirt of the last race you drove in has to be like opening a time capsule. In 2013, one such lucky and extremely wealthy bidder picked up Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes W196 for $ 29.6 million.
About Mercedes AMG F1
For most transmissions, Formula 1 cars were always open-ended, but it was the Mercedes W196 that confirmed the move away from rationalization to a simpler and lighter format. The regulations allowed teams to choose either turbocharged or naturally aspirated engines. Mercedes opted for the latter with a 2.5-liter eight-cylinder with 257 hp.
2 Ferrari 335 Scaglietti
Via Pinterest
Unlike some other Ferrari sports cars, this one was not built for a single racing series or event. The 335 S, which started in the Sebring 12 Hours, Mille Miglia and Le Mans, had great success and was banned in 1958.
Via Pinterest
Ferrari was a common trait among Ferrari racers at the time, producing only four of its successful 335 S racers, including one that was developed from the earlier 315 S. Driven by a new 4-liter V12 engine with 390 hp, the Ferrari gives the Maserati a performance advantage over its competitor. One example went up for auction in 2016 and grossed a cool $ 35.7 million for its owner.
1 Ferrari 250 GTO
Via Pinterest
Granted, no one is really surprised to see Ferrari’s 250GTO at the top of the list. Of the most valuable cars sold at auction, nine of the top 20 most expensive cars are 250cc. Ferrari’s 250 GTO and Berlinetta took first and second place with bids of $ 48 million and $ 38 million, respectively.
About Wallpaper Abyss
Which model is best? All in all, the 250GTO is more than just a historic racer made of legends. If you are not convinced, you only have to start the 3-liter V12 engine to understand why Ferrari protects the 250 GTO so much.
About the author
Jason Garbutt
(260 articles published)
Growing up in a car-obsessed environment at a young age generated great interest in everything auto-related. primarily an F1 fan, but also an avid fan of other motor sports. Professional background in recent years in close cooperation with an established British supercar manufacturer.
More from Jason Garbutt
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