On the subject of the world of collector vehicles, the public sale block has developed right into a dramatic stage, the place automotive legends commerce fingers for astounding sums of cash. Now not confined to showroom flooring, personal collections, and museums, classic and collector vehicles now floor at each personal and public auctions. Given how collector vehicles have turn out to be an various funding asset class that may generate substantial returns for buyers, they ignite severe bidding wars at public sale with sale costs into the tens and even lots of of tens of millions. These vehicles are underneath the highlight each time they hit the stage at a traditional automobile public sale.
From Pebble Seashore to the Monterey Automobile Week and Amelia Island to Paris, these high-stakes occasions have turn out to be headline mills showcasing the rarest examples of beautiful design, engineering excellence, and racing historical past. For rich collectors and establishments alike, proudly owning such a automobile is a lot greater than a matter of status, as these vehicles symbolize a chunk of automotive historical past and elite lineage that features names like Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Enzo Ferrari, and Peter Collins. Be it a Ferrari with Scuderia heritage or a Mercedes-Benz W 196R Stromlinienwagen pushed by motorsport veterans like Sir Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio, each automobile to characteristic on this checklist has a narrative to inform.
Talking of motorsport, ever for the reason that daybreak of the auto within the late nineteenth century, racing has been a type of commercial for automakers. It has been a proving floor and a solution to showcase efficiency, sturdiness, and innovation. Victories on the racetrack translated to credibility on the street. It’s no coincidence that the highest 10 Most Costly Automobiles Bought At Public sale of all time are all post-World Warfare II race vehicles. These machines are removed from storage queens and have rightfully earned their stripes at races like Daytona, Mille Miglia, Nürburgring, Le Mans, Sebring, and the Targa Florio. So with that, right here’s a have a look at what makes these vehicles a few of the most extremely sought-after vehicles on the planet.
10. 1956 Ferrari 290 MM By Scaglietti: $28,050,000
Public sale Date: December 10, 2015 | Auctioneer: RM Sotheby’s
- A frontline manufacturing unit race automobile, the “Holy Grail” of Ferrari motoring
- 1956 Mille Miglia, Juan Manuel Fangio, 4th-overall
- Performed a key function in Ferrari securing the 1956 World Sportscar Championship
Let’s kick issues off with this pristine 1956 Ferrari 290 MM. This explicit automobile was initially a Works Ferrari prototype and is one in all solely 4 made. It enjoys a wealthy and distinguished motorsports profession. It was particularly constructed to compete within the World Sports activities Automobile (WSC) Championship. With the looming risk from the dominant Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari designed an all-new V12 engine derived from Ferrari’s Grand Prix engines. Enzo Ferrari satisfied Juan Manuel Fangio to steer the pack, and he competed with the automobile within the 1956 Mille Miglia. Whereas Fangio secured a 4th place on the Mille Miglia, the automobile later achieved a championship victory on the IV Mil Kilometros Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Different noteworthy drivers embody legendary figures like Phil Hill, Alfonso de Portago, and Peter Collins.
After its racing profession, the automobile got here underneath the possession of Temple Buell in New York, earlier than passing by way of a number of fingers and ultimately changing into a part of Pierre Bardinon’s museum assortment in France. As an unrestored instance of Ferrari’s racing heritage, the automobile would later be acquired by one more personal collector. It lastly appeared on the public sale block in 2015, and at simply over $28 million, the super public sale worth is a showcase of the historic significance of chassis: 0626.
1956 Ferrari 290 MM specs
| Engine Displacement | 219 cu in (3,490 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | V12 |
| Horsepower | 320 hp @ 7,200 rpm |
| Torque | – |
| Weight | ~1,940 lbs |
| Drivetrain Format | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Transmission | 4-Pace Guide |
| Prime Pace | 174 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 0626 |
9. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R: $29,600,000
Public sale Date: July 12, 2013 | Auctioneer: Bonhams
- Marked the return of Mercedes-Benz in F1 within the post-war period
- Fangio received a number of races and his second championship with this W196
- Was the only real surviving W196 in personal fingers
When it crossed the public sale block on the Bonhams Goodwood public sale again in 2013, held on the annual Competition of Pace, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196: chassis 00006/54 achieved a cool $29.6 million. The W196 featured vital improvements for the time, together with gas injection and desmodromic valves, and was a key participant in Mercedes-Benz’s profitable return to Grand Prix racing after World Warfare II. This particular automobile was pushed by Juan Manuel Fangio to victory within the German and Swiss Grand Prix at Berne in 1954 to victory. 1954 was additionally the 12 months when Fangio secured his second Method 1 Drivers World Championship.
In contrast to most surviving examples, that are preserved on the Mercedes-Benz museum or different museums, this explicit automobile entered personal fingers. In consequence, this sale marked a novel occasion the place a manufacturing unit racing Mercedes-Benz W196 was provided on the market at a traditional automobile public sale. Given its excessive public sale premium and its profound influence on post-war Grand Prix racing, W196 racing vehicles should not solely of great significance, however have been additionally instrumental in reshaping automotive historical past, marking a resurgence of German industrial would possibly, as witnessed within the pre-war period within the Nineteen Thirties.
1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R specs
| Engine Displacement | 183 cu in (2,496 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | Inline-8 |
| Horsepower | 257 hp @ 8,250 rpm |
| Torque | 183 lb-ft @ 6,300 rpm |
| Weight | ~1,545 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-Pace Guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 180 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 196 196 010 00006/54 |
8. 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta: $30,255,000
Public sale Date: August 18, 2023 | Auctioneer: Bonhams
- Bodywork designed by Fantuzzi, with the help of Edmondo Casoli
- Contributed essential Championship factors that helped Ferrari win in 1967
- Was topic to a meticulous 9-year restoration
By far, probably the most stunning-looking automobile to characteristic on this checklist, the 1967 Ferrari 412P, chassis 0854, hit $30.2 million at Bonhams’ 2023 Carmel public sale. This automobile is in actual fact a privateer model of the famed P3/4. The competitors Ferrari that you simply’re taking a look at raced at legendary occasions like Spa, the place it secured a third place end, pushed by Richard Attwood and Lucien Bianchi, and at Le Mans, as soon as once more with Attwood and Piers Braveness. The 412P secured important championship factors for Ferrari in 1967. The automobile additionally received the 1968 Nuremberg 200 km, Solituderennen at Hockenheim, and the Swedish Grand Prix.
Whereas the automobile has undergone an extended nine-year restoration, it retains the unique chassis, engine, and gearbox. It’s a 4.0-liter V12, and design DNA displays Ferrari’s manufacturing unit vehicles, providing up the facilities soul however with a non-public possession historical past. Few street vehicles or race winners possess or come near matching the racing pedigree of this beautiful creation.
1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta specs
| Engine Displacement | 243 cu in (3,989 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | V12 |
| Horsepower | 415 hp @ 8,000 rpm |
| Torque | 450 lb-ft |
| Weight | 1,840 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-Pace Guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Mid-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 192 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 0854 |
7. 1957 Ferrari 335 S: $35,730,510
Public sale Date: February 15, 2016 | Auctioneer: Artcurial
- Key participant in Ferrari successful the WSC 1957 World Constructors’ Title
- One of many final Ferraris that noticed motion in high-speed street racing in Italy
- Used as a reference within the movie ‘Ferrari’ by Michael Mann
When the hammer fell at Artcurial’s Retromobile sale in Paris, again in 2016, the 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport: chassis 0674 had simply fetched $35.7 million. Pushed by the likes of racing legends like Peter Collins at Sebring, Wolfgang Von Journeys, who was in a position to safe a second-place end within the Mille Miglia, and Mike Hawthorn at Le Mans, the Ferrari 335 Sport enjoys a wealthy racing historical past. It additionally secured a second win on the 1958 Cuban Grand Prix, with Stirling Moss and Masten Gregory on the wheel. This was additionally the place Fangio was famously kidnapped.
The automobile initially featured a 3.8-liter V12 that was later uprated to 4.1 liters for severe endurance responsibility. Regardless of the Ferrari 335 Sport’s connection to the tragic 1957 Mille Miglia accident involving Alfonso De Portago within the sister automobile, the automobile’s second-place end and possession historical past that features a rich collector like Pierre Bardinon make it a extremely fascinating asset. Its public sale premium and sale worth exhibit how useful period-correct race vehicles with Ferrari’s racing pedigree will be.
1957 Ferrari 335 S specs
| Engine Displacement | 245 cu in (4,023 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | V12 |
| Horsepower | 390 hp @ 7,400 rpm |
| Torque | – |
| Weight | 1,940 lbs |
| Transmission | 4-Pace Guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 186 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 0674 |
6. 1964 Ferrari 250 LM By Scaglietti: $36,344,960
Public sale Date: February 5, 2025 | Auctioneer: RM Sotheby’s
- The one privateer-entered Ferrari to win at Le Mans
- Solely Enzo-era Ferrari race automobile to compete in report six 24-hour races (3 Le Mans | 3 Daytona)
- The general winner on the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans
Extra just lately, in February 2025, a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, chassis: 5893, crossed the public sale block at RM Sotheby’s in Paris, promoting for $36.4 million. Whereas not the model’s first endurance race icon, the 250 LM was a pivotal sports activities automobile for Ferrari within the mid-engine V12 format. This explicit instance, like numerous different Ferraris on this checklist, additionally boasts an in depth racing historical past, famously successful the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans underneath a famend privateer, Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Staff (NART). Piloted by the likes of well-known drivers like Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt, this automobile is one in all 32 made and nonetheless retains the unique engine.
Whereas most 250 LMs are actually with personal homeowners or in museums, making their look at traditional automobile auctions uncommon, this explicit instance was provided by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after 54 years. It’s a vital improvement in current occasions. As a automobile that represents Ferrari’s golden age and the one privateer-enter Ferrari to win at Le Mans, highlights its distinctive standing within the collector automobile world.
1964 Ferrari 250 LM By Scaglietti specs
| Engine Displacement | 201 cu in (3,286 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | V12 |
| Horsepower | 315 hp @ 7,500 rpm |
| Torque | 231 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm |
| Weight | 1,808 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-speed guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Mid-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 180 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 5893 |
5. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta: $38,115,000
Public sale Date: August 14, 2014 | Auctioneer: Bonhams
- The world’s longest-held Ferrari 250 GTO (49 years)
- Beforehand a part of the distinguished Maranello Rosso Assortment
- Participated in additional races than some other 250 GTO
Transferring on to the primary of three Ferrari 250 GTOs to characteristic on this checklist. Over a decade in the past, again in 2014, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis: 3851GT, grew to become probably the most useful automobile when it offered at a public public sale for over $38.11 million, at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge Public sale. Delivered new to French driver Jo Schlesser, the automobile noticed motion extensively in interval racing historical past, which is nicely documented. It achieved a second-place end on the 1962 Tour de France, 12 class victories, and 14 hill-climb races entered in 1963. Subsequently, the automobile was offered to non-public collector Fabrizio Violati in 1965.
Given its achievements, auctioneer Bonhams highlighted it as an excellent instance to be provided at a public public sale. Whereas occasions just like the annual Goodwood Revival and Pebble Seashore Concours usually showcase related fashions, few have come near matching this explicit 250 GTO’s authenticity and racing historical past. Nevertheless, this automobile’s report sale determine would ultimately be surpassed by two extra prancing horses in 2018 and 2023, respectively.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta By Scaglietti specs
| Engine Displacement | 180 cu in (2,953 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | V12 |
| Horsepower | 296 hp @ 7,500 rpm |
| Torque | 217 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm |
| Weight | 1,940 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-Pace Guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 174 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 3851GT |
4. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO By Scaglietti: $48,405,000
Public sale Date: August 26, 2018 | Auctioneer: RM Sotheby’s
- Third of solely 36 Ferrari GTOs ever constructed
- 1 of 4 upgraded by Scaglietti, and 1 of seven with the extra aggressive coachwork
- Greater than 15 class and general wins between 1962-1965
The traditional automobile public sale at RM Sotheby’s throughout Monterey Automobile Week in August 2018 noticed a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3413, go underneath the hammer for $48.4 million. Initially a Collection I mannequin, this GTO was upgraded by Carrozzeria Scaglietti to Collection II specs. It’s one in all simply 4 vehicles to characteristic this improve on this interval, contributing to its distinctive standing amongst collector vehicles.
With the likes of Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi’s large success within the 1962 Italian GT championship, this explicit instance boasts a big racing profession. Its spectacular racing pedigree additionally extends to the truth that it performed an important function in Ferrari’s 1964 Championship victory for GT producers, because of its class win on the Targa Florio. Preserved by rich collectors, this GTO with its authentic chassis and a lineage of revered personal collectors. The excessive sale worth is a mirrored image of its historic significance, and it stays a favorite at prestigious traditional automobile occasions like Pebble Seashore.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO By Scaglietti specs
| Engine Displacement | 180 cu in (2,953 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | V12 |
| Horsepower | 296 hp @ 7,500 rpm |
| Torque | 217 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm |
| Weight | 1,940 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-Pace Guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 174 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 3413GT |
3. 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO By Scaglietti: $51,705,000
Public sale Date: November 13, 2023 | Auctioneer: RM Sotheby’s
- The one 1962 GTO Tipo, raced by Scuderia Ferrari
- Beforehand owned by the Chairman of the Ferrari Membership of America, Fred Leydorf
- A number of awards to its title: Cavallino Basic, Pebble Seashore, Amelia Island
Now, onto the most costly Ferrari on this checklist. In late 2023, this 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO, chassis: 3765 LM, fetched a powerful $51.7 million at public sale. The automobile represents a big excessive level in Scuderia Ferrari’s racing historical past, having been pushed by the likes of Mike Parkes and Lorenzo Bandini. Particularly constructed to compete within the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, it was the one GTO raced by Ferrari’s manufacturing unit group. The automobile’s debut on the 1000 km Nürburgring was historic, because it secured a category win and second place general. Whereas it certified nicely at Le Mans, it will definitely retired because of overheating. The automobile would ultimately be transformed to plain GTO specs, and chassis 3765 noticed a number of class victories in Italian races and completed second within the 1965 Sicilian Hillclimb Championship.
After passing by way of a number of distinguished personal collectors, this 250 GTO remained a single-ownership Ferrari with an Ohio-based collector for 38 years. Since then, the automobile has been restored and is usually displayed at prestigious occasions like Pebble Seashore and Amelia Island. Its distinctive street race legacy and connection to Enzo Ferrari’s manufacturing unit group have cemented its standing as a extremely collectible car.
1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO specs
| Engine Displacement | 242 cu in (3,967 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | V12 |
| Horsepower | 390 hp @ 7,500 rpm |
| Torque | 217 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm |
| Weight | 1,940 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-Pace Guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 174 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 3765LM |
2. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen: $53,917,370
Public sale Date: February 1, 2025 | Auctioneer: RM Sotheby’s
- The most costly F1 automobile offered at public sale
- Solely 4 examples characteristic Stromlinienwagen (Streamliner) bodywork
- Pushed by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss in 1954, 1955
Whereas Ferrari has dominated the highest spots for a few of the costliest vehicles offered at public sale for many years, historic racing fashions from the Mercedes-Benz model have began to steal the present, promoting for record-breaking sums of cash. One such automobile is the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, chassis: 00009/54, which offered for $53.9 million. This exceptional public sale worth made it the most costly Method 1 automobile to ever promote at public sale. Pushed by racing legends like Fangio and Moss, these vehicles dominated Grand Prix racing within the mid-Nineteen Fifties. Of the 14 chassis constructed, solely 4 featured the streamlined Stromlinienwagen coachwork was created from Elektron magnesium alloy, weighing simply 88 kilos. The automobile was designed for high-speed circuits like Monza and Riems. It famously received the Buenos Aires Grand Prix in 1955, with Fangio on the wheel.
A creation of Mercedes’ chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, together with racing supervisor Alfred Neubauer, most surviving Stromlinienwagen fashions have been in museum collections, together with this instance seen right here, which comes from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. The automobile’s re-emergence and subsequent personal possession mark a big shift within the collector automobile world, and this public sale sale has firmly established its place as probably the most noteworthy and costly public sale gross sales for traditionally vital racing vehicles up to now.
1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen specs
| Engine Displacement | 183 cu in (2,496 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | Inline-8 |
| Horsepower | 290 hp @ 8,500 rpm |
| Torque | 210 lb-ft @ 7,000 rpm |
| Weight | ~1,545 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-Pace Guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 186 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 00009/54 |
1. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe: $143,000,000
Public sale Date: Might 5, 2022 | Auctioneer: RM Sotheby’s
- 1 of two prototypes ever constructed
- It was famously Uhlenhaut’s day by day driver
- Primarily based on the championship-winning Mercedes Grand Prix automobile pushed by Fangio
Transferring on to the automobile that takes the highest spot on our checklist, which broke all earlier information again in 2022. When the hammer lastly fell at a particular public sale held on the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut coupe offered for a nine-figure public sale worth, surpassing the earlier report again then by a staggering $90 million. The ultimate worth, $143 million, immediately made it probably the most useful automobile offered at public sale. Sometimes called the ‘Mona Lisa of Automobiles’, the 300 SLR is known as after chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Primarily based on the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Grand Prix automobile pushed by veteran racer Fangio, this automobile was one in all solely two prototypes ever constructed and was by no means supposed on the market.
It was designed to shut the hole between racing pedigree and street vehicles. The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut featured a magnesium alloy physique and the long-lasting gullwing doorways, which grew to become synonymous with the 300 SL street automobile. The light-weight physique and the three.0-liter straight eight engine have been able to 180 mph, making it one of many quickest vehicles on the earth on the time. The automobile’s super public sale worth displays its significance in automotive historical past, and the proceeds from the public sale will profit schooling and analysis. Whereas Mercedes-Benz will proceed to show the remaining 300 SLR at its museum, the brand new proprietor has additionally promised to often show this instance.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut specs
| Engine Displacement | 182 cu in (2,982 cc) |
| Engine Configuration | Inline-8 |
| Horsepower | 310 hp @ 7,400 rpm |
| Torque | 229 lb-ft @ 5,950 rpm |
| Weight | 1,984 lbs |
| Transmission | 5-Pace Guide |
| Drivetrain Format | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Prime Pace | 180 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 196.110-00008/55 |
Sources: RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz
FAQs
1. What’s the costliest automobile offered at an public sale?
A. The most costly automobile ever offered at public sale is the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which fetched $143 million in a non-public sale performed by RM Sotheby’s on the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart in Might 2022.
2. What was the most costly automobile offered at Mecum public sale 2025?
A. The highest sale on the Mecum Kissimmee 2025 public sale was a 1966 Ford GT40 MkI Street Automobile (P/1034), which fetched $7,040,000. This explicit GT40 was the primary of 31 Mk I street vehicles offered to particular person consumers.
3. What was the most costly automobile offered on the Barrett Jackson public sale?
A. The best-priced automobile ever offered at a Barrett-Jackson public sale is the 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Tremendous Snake, which achieved a sale worth of $5.5 million in 2021. One among solely two ever constructed, this uncommon automobile is famend for its distinctive efficiency and distinctive historical past.
4. Who owns the most costly automobile on the earth?
A. The identification of the customer of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, offered for round $143 million, has not been publicly disclosed. The sale was performed privately, and the brand new proprietor has chosen to stay nameless.
5. Is there a automobile value $1 billion {dollars}?
A. No automobile at present is valued at $1 billion. The most costly new automobile, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail at $28.2 million, is nowhere near a billion {dollars}.
