Relating to the world of collector automobiles, the public sale block has advanced right into a dramatic stage, the place automotive legends commerce arms for astounding sums of cash. Now not confined to showroom flooring, non-public collections, and museums, classic and collector automobiles now floor at each non-public and public auctions. Given how collector automobiles have turn into an different funding asset class that may generate substantial returns for traders, they ignite critical bidding wars at public sale with sale costs into the tens and even lots of of hundreds of thousands. These automobiles are beneath the highlight each time they hit the stage at a traditional automotive public sale.
From Pebble Seaside to the Monterey Automobile Week and Amelia Island to Paris, these high-stakes occasions have turn into 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 car is a lot greater than a matter of status, as these automobiles characterize a bit 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 automotive to characteristic on this checklist has a narrative to inform.
Talking of motorsport, ever for the reason that daybreak of the car within the late nineteenth century, racing has been a type of commercial for automakers. It has been a proving floor and a technique to showcase efficiency, sturdiness, and innovation. Victories on the racetrack translated to credibility on the highway. It’s no coincidence that the highest 10 Most Costly Vehicles Bought At Public sale of all time are all post-World Conflict II race automobiles. 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 take a look at what makes these automobiles a number of the most extremely sought-after cars 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 facility race automotive, 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 automotive was initially a Works Ferrari prototype and is considered one of 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 menace 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 guide the pack, and he competed with the automotive within the 1956 Mille Miglia. Whereas Fangio secured a 4th place on the Mille Miglia, the automotive later achieved a championship victory on the IV Mil Kilometros Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Different noteworthy drivers embrace legendary figures like Phil Hill, Alfonso de Portago, and Peter Collins.
After its racing profession, the automotive got here beneath the possession of Temple Buell in New York, earlier than passing via a number of arms and ultimately turning into a part of Pierre Bardinon’s museum assortment in France. As an unrestored instance of Ferrari’s racing heritage, the automotive would later be acquired by one more non-public collector. It lastly appeared on the public sale block in 2015, and at simply over $28 million, the great public sale value 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 Structure | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| Transmission | 4-Velocity Handbook |
| High Velocity | 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 gained a number of races and his second championship with this W196
- Was the only real surviving W196 in non-public arms
When it crossed the public sale block on the Bonhams Goodwood public sale again in 2013, held on the annual Pageant of Velocity, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196: chassis 00006/54 achieved a cool $29.6 million. The W196 featured important improvements for the time, together with gasoline injection and desmodromic valves, and was a key participant in Mercedes-Benz’s profitable return to Grand Prix racing after World Conflict II. This particular automotive 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 yr when Fangio secured his second Formulation 1 Drivers World Championship.
Not like most surviving examples, that are preserved on the Mercedes-Benz museum or different museums, this explicit automotive entered non-public arms. In consequence, this sale marked a singular occasion the place a manufacturing facility racing Mercedes-Benz W196 was supplied on the market at a traditional automotive public sale. Given its excessive public sale premium and its profound impression on post-war Grand Prix racing, W196 racing automobiles are usually not solely of serious significance, however had been additionally instrumental in reshaping automotive historical past, marking a resurgence of German industrial may, 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-Velocity Handbook |
| Drivetrain Structure | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 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, essentially the most stunning-looking automotive to characteristic on this checklist, the 1967 Ferrari 412P, chassis 0854, hit $30.2 million at Bonhams’ 2023 Carmel public sale. This automotive is the truth is a privateer model of the famed P3/4. The competitors Ferrari that you just’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 very important championship factors for Ferrari in 1967. The automotive additionally gained the 1968 Nuremberg 200 km, Solituderennen at Hockenheim, and the Swedish Grand Prix.
Whereas the automotive 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 facility automobiles, providing up the facilities soul however with a non-public possession historical past. Few highway automobiles 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-Velocity Handbook |
| Drivetrain Structure | Mid-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 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 highway 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 capable of 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 automotive initially featured a 3.8-liter V12 that was later uprated to 4.1 liters for critical endurance responsibility. Regardless of the Ferrari 335 Sport’s connection to the tragic 1957 Mille Miglia accident involving Alfonso De Portago within the sister automotive, the automotive’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 value exhibit how invaluable period-correct race automobiles with Ferrari’s racing pedigree might 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-Velocity Handbook |
| Drivetrain Structure | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 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 automotive to compete in document six 24-hour races (3 Le Mans | 3 Daytona)
- The general winner on the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans
Extra 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 automotive for Ferrari within the mid-engine V12 format. This explicit instance, like numerous different Ferraris on this checklist, additionally boasts an intensive racing historical past, famously successful the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans beneath a famend privateer, Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Group (NART). Piloted by the likes of well-known drivers like Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt, this automotive is considered one of 32 made and nonetheless retains the unique engine.
Whereas most 250 LMs are actually with non-public homeowners or in museums, making their look at traditional automotive auctions uncommon, this explicit instance was supplied by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after 54 years. It’s a important growth in current occasions. As a automotive that represents Ferrari’s golden age and the one privateer-enter Ferrari to win at Le Mans, highlights its distinctive standing within the collector automotive 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 Structure | Mid-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 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 celebrated 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, turned essentially the most invaluable automotive when it bought at a public public sale for over $38.11 million, at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge Public sale. Delivered new to French driver Jo Schlesser, the automotive noticed motion extensively in interval racing historical past, which is properly 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 automotive was bought to personal collector Fabrizio Violati in 1965.
Given its achievements, auctioneer Bonhams highlighted it as an excellent instance to be supplied at a public public sale. Whereas occasions just like the annual Goodwood Revival and Pebble Seaside Concours typically showcase comparable fashions, few have come near matching this explicit 250 GTO’s authenticity and racing historical past. Nevertheless, this automotive’s document 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-Velocity Handbook |
| Drivetrain Structure | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 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 automotive public sale at RM Sotheby’s throughout Monterey Automobile Week in August 2018 noticed a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3413, go beneath the hammer for $48.4 million. Initially a Sequence I mannequin, this GTO was upgraded by Carrozzeria Scaglietti to Sequence II specs. It’s considered one of simply 4 automobiles to characteristic this improve on this interval, contributing to its distinctive standing amongst collector automobiles.
With the likes of Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi’s large success within the 1962 Italian GT championship, this explicit instance boasts a major 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 non-public collectors. The excessive sale value is a mirrored image of its historic significance, and it stays a favorite at prestigious traditional automotive occasions like Pebble Seaside.
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-Velocity Handbook |
| Drivetrain Structure | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 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 identify: Cavallino Traditional, Pebble Seaside, 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 formidable $51.7 million at public sale. The automotive represents a major 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 facility group. The automotive’s debut on the 1000 km Nürburgring was historic, because it secured a category win and second place general. Whereas it certified properly at Le Mans, it will definitely retired as a consequence of overheating. The automotive would ultimately be transformed to straightforward 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 via a number of outstanding non-public collectors, this 250 GTO remained a single-ownership Ferrari with an Ohio-based collector for 38 years. Since then, the automotive has been restored and is usually displayed at prestigious occasions like Pebble Seaside and Amelia Island. Its distinctive highway race legacy and connection to Enzo Ferrari’s manufacturing facility 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-Velocity Handbook |
| Drivetrain Structure | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 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 costliest F1 automotive bought 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 number of the costliest automobiles bought 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 automotive is the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, chassis: 00009/54, which bought for $53.9 million. This outstanding public sale value made it the most costly Formulation 1 automotive to ever promote at public sale. Pushed by racing legends like Fangio and Moss, these automobiles dominated Grand Prix racing within the mid-Fifties. Of the 14 chassis constructed, solely 4 featured the streamlined Stromlinienwagen coachwork was created from Elektron magnesium alloy, weighing simply 88 kilos. The automotive was designed for high-speed circuits like Monza and Riems. It famously gained 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 automotive’s re-emergence and subsequent non-public possession mark a major shift within the collector automotive world, and this public sale sale has firmly established its place as some of the noteworthy and costly public sale gross sales for traditionally essential racing automobiles thus far.
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-Velocity Handbook |
| Drivetrain Structure | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 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
- Based mostly on the championship-winning Mercedes Grand Prix automotive pushed by Fangio
Transferring on to the automotive 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 bought for a nine-figure public sale value, surpassing the earlier document again then by a staggering $90 million. The ultimate value, $143 million, immediately made it essentially the most invaluable automotive bought at public sale. Also known as the ‘Mona Lisa of Vehicles’, the 300 SLR is called after chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Based mostly on the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Grand Prix automotive pushed by veteran racer Fangio, this automotive was considered one of solely two prototypes ever constructed and was by no means meant on the market.
It was designed to shut the hole between racing pedigree and highway automobiles. The 300 SLR Uhlenhaut featured a magnesium alloy physique and the long-lasting gullwing doorways, which turned synonymous with the 300 SL highway automotive. The light-weight physique and the three.0-liter straight eight engine had been able to 180 mph, making it one of many quickest automobiles on the planet on the time. The automotive’s great public sale value 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-Velocity Handbook |
| Drivetrain Structure | Entrance-engine, RWD |
| High Velocity | 180 mph |
| Serial Quantity (s/n) | 196.110-00008/55 |
Sources: RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz
FAQs
1. What’s the costliest automotive bought at an public sale?
A. The costliest automotive ever bought 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 automotive bought at Mecum public sale 2025?
A. The highest sale on the Mecum Kissimmee 2025 public sale was a 1966 Ford GT40 MkI Highway Automobile (P/1034), which fetched $7,040,000. This explicit GT40 was the primary of 31 Mk I highway automobiles bought to particular person consumers.
3. What was the most costly automotive bought on the Barrett Jackson public sale?
A. The very best-priced automotive ever bought at a Barrett-Jackson public sale is the 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Tremendous Snake, which achieved a sale value of $5.5 million in 2021. Considered one of solely two ever constructed, this uncommon car is famend for its distinctive efficiency and distinctive historical past.
4. Who owns the most costly automotive on the planet?
A. The identification of the customer of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, bought 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 automotive value $1 billion {dollars}?
A. No automotive right this moment is valued at $1 billion. The costliest new automotive, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail at $28.2 million, is nowhere near a billion {dollars}.
