10 Most Expensive Classic Cars Ever Sold at Auction
Seven Ferraris, two Mercedes Benzs, and an Aston Martin. The popularity and number of classic cars sold at auction keeps on rising.
The most famous automotive brands – Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin or Bugatti, to name just a few – have been attracting broader audiences year on year and are the object of fiercely competitive auctions. With the internationalization of auction houses, sales of these vehicles are increasing and spreading all around the globe.
And at the very high end of the spectrum, which cars do best? Here are the 10 most expensive classic cars ever sold at auction (note: all dollar prices are stated including buyer’s premium).
10. 1956 Aston Martin DBR1: $22,550,000
This first edition from a series of five Aston Martin DBR1 was created in 1956 and was described by RM Sotheby's as one of the most important prototypes in the brand's history. The car holds the record price for an Aston Martin sold at auction and also for the most expensive British car ever sold. For $22,555,000, a very proud collector became the new owner of the 1959 1000KM Nürburgring winner.
Related: James Bond's Aston Martin Sells for $6.3 Million
9. 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti: $26,400,000
Want to know what your classic car is worth? Find out by valuing your car with VMS
According to RM Sotheby's, the chance to purchase this 1964 Ferrari 275 CTB/Speciale was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The car achieved $26,400,000 in August 2014, which, as well as being a top-performing racing car, is a Berlinetta and first edition from a series of only three. The other two cars being cherished by private collectors (with no intention to sell), this present example was a rare sell.
8. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider by Scaglietti: $27,500,000
In 2013, RM Sotheby's shook the auction world when it achieved $27,500,000 for this Ferrari 275 GTB:4/S N.A.R.T. Spider, making it the most expensive car sold at auction at the time.
Related: The 10 Most Expensive Watches Ever Auctioned
This beauty was first bought in North Carolina by Eddie Smith Sr. in 1968 and stayed within the family until the auction in 2013. The desirable N.A.R.T. Spider is part of a series comprising ten editions.
7. 1956 Ferrari 290 MM by Scaglietti: $28,050,000
This vehicle was developed specifically to give a new start to the Ferrari brand, which was defeated by Mercedes-Benz during the Formula 1 World Championships in 1955.
Maserati then entered the game with a brand new car, the fabulous 300S. This was a sign for Ferrari that it was time to get back in the race with a new challenger ready to reclaim the brand’s race-winning performance.
The 290 MM by Scaglietti was created the following year and decades later became the fifth most expensive car ever sold at auction with the record price of $28,050,000.
6. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 Racing Single-Slater: $29,650,095
During the prestigious Goodwood ‘Festival of Speed’ in 2013, Bonhams offered this impressive Mercedes Benz W196 from 1954, which sold for $29,650,095.
Related: The 11 Most Expensive Photographers
The ‘Silver Arrow’ is equipped with the innovative bloc 2.5 litres 8 cylinders in line and a chassis numbered 0006/54 and was introduced to competition the day before the Formula 1 German Grand Prix kickoff. Driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, this Mercedes Benz W196 won both the Swiss and German Grand Prix in 1954, which contributed to the extraordinary profile of the Argentinian driver.
5. 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti: $35,711,359
At one of the most exceptional sales of 2015, the Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti became one of the most expensive cars in the world when it was sold by Artcurial Retromobile for $35,711,359.
Related: Why are Ferraris Red?
The car was launched in 1957 and driven by legendary racers, such as Stirling Moss, Wolfgang von Tapis and Maurice Trintignant, and was part of Pierre Brandon's collection, founder of the Mas du Clos, who passed away in 2012.
4. 1962-63 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta: $38,115,000
Sold for $38,115,000 in the summer of 2014 at Bonhams, this Ferrari 250 GTO holds the second place for the most expensive classic car sold at public auction.
Related: Ferrari: Leader of the Pack
This GTO is a widely admired car, and this specific example was the masterpiece of the ‘Manarello Rosso’ collection, formerly belonging to Fabrizio Violati, who passed away in 2010.
3. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Scaglietti: $48,405,000
RM Sotheby’s called this Ferrari “the world’s most important, desirable, and legendary motor car”, and they were correct. The 250 GTO by Scaglietti made history in August 2018 when it was sold for $48,405,000. Having received 15 class and overall wins, this car changed racing forever and only 36 of this model were ever produced.
Related: The Scandalous Past of the 1935 Mercedes Benz 500K
The 250 GTO surpasses the 250 GTO sold by Bonhams by more than $10 million, making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction. The only car known to have been sold for a higher price was the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO number 4153 GT, which was sold to the American businessman David MacNail in 2019 privately for an estimated price of $70 million.
2. Ferrari 1962 250 GTO: $51,705,000
In November 2023, the most expensive Ferrari, another 1962 250 GTO, sold for $51.7 million at RM Sotheby's in New York. This car, with chassis number 3765, was raced by Formula 1's Scuderia Ferrari at the 1962 Nürburgring 1000 KM, the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the 1965 Sicilian Hillclimb Championship. This racing treasure had been carefully preserved and spent the past nearly 40 years in a single-owner collection. In August 2011, it was shown in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as part of the GTO class and was awarded 2nd-place among 22 other GTO examples.
Related: The Most Expensive Ferrari Just Sold for $51 Million
1. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut Coupe": $143,000,000
The current No. 1 on this list will probably not be overtaken any time soon. The Mercedes-Benz "Uhlenhaut Coupé" from 1955 fetched an incredible 135 million euros ($143 million) at an auction organized by RM Sotheby's at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, which surpassed the previous record by a whopping $90 million. The car is a prototype designed for endurance racing, of which only two examples were built. With a top speed of 290 km/h, the "Uhlenhaut-Coupé" was the fastest road-legal car of its time.
This is an updated version of the article originally published on November 10, 2020
