Most expensive cars ever sold at auction
We count down the ten classics that have fetched the highest prices at auction
The latest supercars and hypercars come with prices to raise an eyebrow, but they’re not even in the same league as the most expensive classic cars to sell at auction. At the very top end of the classic market, there are rare gems that sell for fantastic sums.
The stratospheric prices are helped by owners who measure their wealth in billions rather than millions, with many classic cars seen just as much as automotive art and investments as machines to drive and enjoy.
For many years, Ferrari has been the blue chip, blue blood of the most expensive cars to sell at auction. However, the Prancing Horse has had its dominance challenged in recent times, as you can read below. What is certain is that cars from Ferrari and Mercedes are those most sought after by serious collectors, and it’s models from the 1950s to 1970s that still make the most money.
That is likely to change in coming years, as younger buyers come into the market with different tastes. But don’t expect to see any Ferrari 250 GTO bargains any time soon as desirable looks, motorsport pedigree and the chance to enter the very best classic car events on the planet will keep them out of reach for all but the richest owners.
Our list below details the top 10 most expensive cars sold at an auction. Some classic cars may have sold for more in private deals, but there’s no way to know how much they fetched. All auction prices are verified, and they also give a clear indication of the market and what a particular make and model is worth, as anyone can bid on them if they have the funds.
All prices are in US Dollars and are listed in reverse order from ten to one.
10. 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti
- Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Monterey, 2014
- Price: $26,400,000
Pre-sale interest was sky-high in this 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale with bodywork by coachbuilder Scaglietti. It’s easy to understand why, as this racing car was the first of only three ever built by Ferrari. That makes it rarer than a Ferrari 250 GTO.
The 275 GTB/C competition version was built in late 1964 to take on the Ford GT40 and Shelby Cobra Daytona at the Le Mans 24 Hours race. Upgrades include an extra 70bhp from the 3.3-litre V12 engine and improved brakes and suspension. However, a dispute with the organisers about the car’s weight put participation in jeopardy until a last-minute deal was struck. In the end, only one of the GTB/C cars raced, and it wasn’t this one.
This particular 275 GTB/C was sold to an Italian owner who used it as a road car, as did its subsequent owners. This accounts for it still having its original engine, and it was in perfect condition when it was sold at auction in Monterey, California in 2014 for £15.8m ($26.4 million).
9. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider
- Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Monterey, 2013
- Price: $27,500,000
When classic car auction companies talk about provenance, this is the sort of car they mean. The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider was bought new by Eddie Smith, a former mayor of Lexington, North Carolina, and owned by his family up to its sale in 2013, where it fetched £17.6 million ($27.5 million).
The only change from new was a repaint from its original blue to red, but the car still wore its unusual chrome grille. When a car show judge once said this wasn’t original, Eddie quipped: “Well, it was on there when I picked the car up from the factory!”
The ‘NART’ is the other special element in this car’s history as it stands for North American Racing Team. This was run by Ferrari’s US importer, Luigi Chinetti, who had a knack for creating special models, and this open-top 275 was exactly that. He convinced the Ferrari factory it was needed and 10 were built in total, with this one used in the 1968 Steve McQueen film The Thomas Crown Affair for added exclusivity. This car is also the first one of the 10 made, and was raced at Sebring in the US with great success.
8. 1956 Ferrari 290 MM
- Auction: RM Sotheby’s, New York, 2015
- Price: $28,050,000
Certain motor races carry a lot more prestige when it comes to the world of high-ranking classic cars, and the Mille Miglia in Italy is up there with the best. This 1956 Ferrari 290 MM raced there and was driven by none other than Juan Manuel Fangio to fourth overall. It also went on to be raced by other high-profile names of the time, such as Alfonso de Portago and Wolfgang von Trips.
A 320bhp 3.5-litre V12 motor powers this road racer and it was sold for $28.05 million (£18.5 million) in New York in 2015. That made it the most expensive car ever sold in the US city at the time. With a perfect history of racing success and fastidious owners, the Ferrari offers its latest custodian a golden ticket to all of the best classic car events.
7. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196
- Auction: Bonhams, Goodwood Festival of Speed, 2013
- Price: $29,600,000
This Mercedes-Benz W196 Grand Prix car was driven by five-time Formula One world champion Juan Manuel Fangio, a provenance which helped it to a £19.6 million ($29.6 million) sale price at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2013.
Bidders were pulled in by this being the only Mercedes of its type outside of the manufacturer’s own collection or a museum at the time of the sale. It also boasts the most success in racing of any W196. That sort of history doesn’t come cheap, which was proven by its sensational price when it went under the hammer.
6. 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta
- Auction: Bonhams, The Quail, 2023
- Price: $30,255,000
There are few prettier racing cars, or any other sort of car for that matter, than the Ferrari 412P Berlinetta. Perfect from any angle, this car would have buyers queuing up just for its looks, but what helped it sell for £23.8 million ($30.25 million) was its history.
This 412P, known by its chassis number of 0854, is one of just two such cars built for favoured racing customers. The lucky recipient of this car was the UK’s Ferrari importer, Colonel Ronnie Hoare, who had it painted in its red and blue livery and entered it in a number of significant races with drivers such as Richard Attwood, Lucien Bianchi and Piers Courage.
The car was then sold to noted Ferrari racer David Piper at the end of 1968, who competed in it all around the world.
After such a rigorous racing career, 0854 passed down through a number of wealthy collectors, and it eventually underwent a painstaking nine-year restoration. Perhaps best of all, though, is this V12-powered vintage racer is fully road-legal – if the owner is brave enough.
5. 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti
- Auction: Artcurial, Paris, 2016
- Price: $35,700,000
The impossibly curvy Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti pictured here has a racing history as long as your arm, which is why it sold for £24.68 million ($35.77 million) back in 2016. Even today that stands as a record for an open-top car at auction.
Wind in your hair driving was not a priority for this car when it was built. It was made to go racing and it did plenty of it in everything from the Sebring 12 Hours to the Mille Miglia and even Le Mans.
4. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
- Auction: Bonhams, The Quail, 2014
- Price: $38,115,000
Ask most people what the priciest classic car in the world is and they’re likely to say “Ferrari 250 GTO”. Even people with no interest in historic cars know this name, helped by many headlines, as the model has routinely broken auction records.
To prove the point, this 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta became the most expensive car ever sold at auction in 2014, a record it held for four years. It was built to contest the 1963 FIA World GT Championship, which it went on to win. That kind of history accounts for the lofty price paid by its new owner.
Ferrari built just 36 250 GTOs, and this particular 1962-63 example is not only one of the best surviving cars, but also has an impeccable CV of victories and famous drivers to its credit.
3. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
- Auction: RM Sotheby's, Monterey, 2018
- Price: $48,405,000
The second Ferrari 250 GTO to appear on this list was sold at RM Sotheby's in Monterey in 2018. At the time of its sale it was described as “the world’s most important, desirable and legendary motor car”. Quite a claim, but one it could back up.
The third of 36 GTOs made, this one was upgraded during its early life to Series II specification to keep it competitive in racing. It contested the 1962 Italian GT Championship, took 15 class and overall wins between 1962 and 1965, and it helped Ferrari win the 1964 International Championship for GT Manufacturers. On top of that impressive list, this car also won the gruelling Targa Florio road race two years in a row in 1963 and ’64.
This particular 250 GTO – chassis number 3413 GT – was owned for two decades by Ferrari enthusiast and vintage racer Dr Gregory Whitten before its 2018 sale. It was driven to the auction block by five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell – and the auctioneer opened the bidding at a staggering $35million. Three bidders competed for the car over the course of ten minutes, with the final sum reaching $48,405,000, or £37.68 million at the time of its sale.
2. 1962 Ferrari 330 LM 250 GTO by Scaglietti
- Auction: RM Sotheby's, New York, 2023
- Price: $51,705,000
It’s a Ferrari 250 GTO hat-trick, as a Sotheby’s sale in New York in 2023 saw yet another one of these coveted classics go for a truly staggering amount.
Although it actually failed to meet the initial $60,000,000 estimate, this car’s huge value saw it listed in an art auction rather than an automotive one. However, that rather missed the point of this car’s amazing race history.
The car in question is chassis number 3765, which was the only GTO Tipo to be raced by the Scuderia Ferrari team. It was driven by Mike Parkes and Lorenzo Bandini at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans race, and also took a class win and second-place finish at the Nürburgring 1,000km in the same year.
This 250 came onto the market after belonging to its previous owner for a whopping 38 years, which also helped stir up the pre-sale frenzy for a car with such a rich history.
1. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe
- Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Stuttgart, 2022
- Price: $135,000,000 (estimated)
The most expensive car ever sold at auction is this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé. It takes its name from Mercedes’ chief engineer and the car’s designer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, and only two were ever made.
A measure of just how exclusive this Mercedes racer is was the sale was run as an invite-only auction. It was held at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Germany and it’s thought only 10 bidders were invited to take part. The tactic clearly worked as the car was sold for an astonishing £115 million ($135 million).
Incredibly, the starting bid for this German racer was higher than the second-place Ferrari 250 GTO’s winning bid. It was owned by Mercedes from new, covering only 3,756 miles in seven decades and the sale came with strings attached. Mercedes insisted the new owner care for it in the same way it had, and that it would still be shared at events.
While neither 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé was raced, both featured an upgraded 3.0-litre straight-eight taken from the iconic two-time Grand Prix World Championship-winning W196 R, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio.
More of the world’s most expensive cars sold at auction
- Ferrari 410 Sport - 2014, $23,000,000
- Aston Martin DBR1 - 2017, $22,550,000
- Ferrari 410 Sport Spider - 2022, $22,005,000
- Ferrari 290 MM - 2018, $22,005,000
- Duesenberg SSJ - 2018, $22,000,000
- Jaguar D-Type - 2016, $21,780,000
- Aston Martin DP215 - 2018, $21,455,000
- McLaren F1 - 2021, $20,465,000
- McLaren F1 LM - 2019, $19,805,000
- Alfa Romeo 8C Lungo Spider - 2016, $19,800,000
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