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With money in the bank earning next to no interest, many enthusiasts have decided to realise their dreams by snapping up a classic car.
With demand exceeding supply, the market has been generally buoyant over the past few years – it’s why we’ve seen $100,000 Edsels. But if those sums seem eye-watering, at the top end of the market it’s another world, with millions of euros, dollars or pounds changing hands to secure the most historically significant machines. These are the most expensive cars to ever be sold at auction. Suddenly those old Fords seem like a bargain... We'll start at $11 million (£8 million), and work our way up:
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Ferrari 250GT SWB
Sold by H&H Classics for $11,440,968, October 2015
When renowned Ferrari British collector Richard Colton died he wanted two of his prized cars to do some good, so he donated a 250GT SWB and a 275 GTB to the RNLI lifeboat charity, which sold them to raise the funds for a new life boat. The former (#1995 GT) sold for $11.4m.
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Ferrari 250LM
Sold by RM Auctions for $11,550,000, August 2014
Although the 250LM was designed for circuit racing, #6045 was rather special in that it was used exclusively as a road car. The 19th of 32 examples built, the 250LM was Ferrari’s first mid-engined car.
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Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
Sold by Gooding & Co for $11,770,000, August 2012
It’s one of those holy grail cars for collectors: an ultra-exclusive pre-war machine with just three owners from new, a fully documented history and matching numbers. Throw in the fact that it had won prizes at Pebble Beach, the world’s most prestigious concours, and a high price was guaranteed.
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Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza
Sold by Gooding & Co for $11,990,000, August 2016
Any car collector worth their salt wants a pre-war Alfa Romeo with racing history, so this 8C Monza was always going to do well. Raced prominently between 1933 and 1950, this third-series 8C came with matching numbers.
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Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
Sold by RM Auctions for $12,402,500, May 2009
When this ‘pontoon fender’ 250 Testa Rossa sold for $12.4m in 2009, it was the most expensive car ever sold at auction. RM has a reputation for whipping bidders into a frenzy and with just 22 Testa Rossas built, when #0714TR crossed the block it was always going to do well. But few expected it to do quite that well...
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1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta 'Competizione'
Sold for $12,812,800 by RM Auctions, May 2013
One of three works cars entered into the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours, #0320AM was the only works race car to have been driven in the World Sports Car Championship by three World Champions: Hawthorn, Ascari, and Farina.
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Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato M
This was one of two ‘VEV’ Zagatos raced by the Essex Racing Stable as a quasi works team, and was raced by F1 and Indycar legend Jim Clark. It delivered 310bhp, and was owned by the same family since 1971.
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1953 Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight
Sold by RM Auctions for $13,200,000, August 2015
One of the last C-Types built, #XKC 052 finished fourth overall in the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hours and was the second C-Type Lightweight built, of just three.
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1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France'
Sold by RM Auctions for $13,200,000, August 2015
Raced and owned by the legendary Marquis Alfonso de Portago, #557GT was the fifth of seven Scaglietti-bodied first-series competition berlinettas. With Pebble Beach and Cavallino Classic wins under its belt, it’s a major piece of Ferrari history.
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1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione
Sold by Gooding & Co for $13,500,000, August 2016
One of the first competition SWB Berlinettas built, #1759 GT was driven by Ed Hugus and Augie Pabst to seventh overall in the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hours. The car retains its original alloy bodywork with matching numbers.
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1962 Shelby 260 Cobra
Sold by RM Sotheby's for $13,750,000, August 2016
It doesn’t get better than this – the original Shelby Cobra. Owned by the Shelby family from new, #CSX 2000 is one of the most significant US cars, and this was the first time it had ever been offered for sale.
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1998 McLaren F1 'LM-Specification'
Sold by RM Auctions for $13,750,000, August 2015
Any McLaren F1 is incredibly valuable, but when it’s been upgraded to LM spec that only makes it more enticing. This car (#SA9AB5AC4W1048073) was also the penultimate car built.
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Porsche 917K
Sold by Gooding & Co for $14,080,000, August 2017
Car collectors want the greatest provenance possible, so when this Porsche 917 came to market in 2017 it was always going to get enthusiasts foaming at the mouth. Chassis 917-024 featured heavily in the Steve McQueen film Le Mans, was previously owned by Jo Siffert and had a documented history from new.
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1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
Sold by RM Auctions for $14,300,000, December 2015
The DB4 GT Zagato was built for competition and just 19 were made; #0186 was the 14th car built. As the most collectable Aston Martin ever produced the bidding is always fierce when they do come up – which is a very rare occurrence.
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1964 Ferrari 250 LM
Sold by RM Auctions for $14,300,000, November 2013
The 250LM was conceived as a racer but the original owner of #6107 used it exclusively on the road, helping to retain its originality. Despite this it still notched up a class win at Daytona in 1968 in the hands of a subsequent owner.
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Ferrari 275 GTB/C
Sold by Gooding & Co for $14,520,000, August 2017
Just a dozen competition-spec 275 GTBs were built. While the standard road car is very collectible, any Ferrari with racing history is especially sought after and this car (#09051) was a matching-numbers car with lots of competition wins to its name between 1966 and 1970.
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1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
Sold by Gooding & Co for $15,180,000, August 2014
Collectors can’t get enough of these Californias so when one comes up the bidding is always fierce. This one (#2903 GT) came with an ultra-rare and very desirable hard top.
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1995 McLaren F1
Sold by Bonhams for $15,620,000, August 2017
The first of just seven McLaren F1s that complied with US Federal regulations, #044 was the 37th F1 made from a production run of just 64 road cars. Sold with 9600 miles on the clock, this F1 was a one-owner car and despite the high purchase price in 2017, its value is likely to go only one way – and it’s not down.
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1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
Sold by Gooding & Co for $16,390,000, August 2011
The first 250 Testa Rossa made, #0666 TR was a team car driven by a multitude of top drivers. With its history known from new, a class win at Pebble Beach and an eight-year racing history at some of the world’s best venues made this something of a bargain.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale
Sold by Gooding & Co for $16,500,000, August 2015
Nuccio Bertone’s personal car, #3269 GT formed the centrepiece of the Lorenzo Zambrano Collection for three decades. More importantly though, this car is unique, being a special-bodied car created by Bertone.
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1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
Sold by Gooding & Co for $16,830,000, August 2015
It may have had no competition history but the life of #3095 GT is fully documented and the car has been certified by Ferrari – plus it’s one of the most beautiful cars ever created.
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1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
Sold by Gooding & Co for $17,160,000, March 2016
Never publicly offered for sale before, #2871 GT is one of just 37 covered-headlight SWB California Spiders. Delivered new in Milan and with just three Italian owners from new this car featured in the film Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.
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1964 Ferrari 250 LM
Sold by RM Auctions for $17,600,000, August 2015
The 1966 Earls Court motor show car, #6105 was the 23rd 250LM built from a production run of 32. In period it was successfully and frequently raced by Ron Fry, David Skailes, and Jack Maurice throughout England.
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1959 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB California Spider Competizione
Sold by RM Sothebys for $17,990,000, 2017
Created from the outset as a competition car, #1451 GT came third in its class in the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours – and fifth overall. The second aluminium-bodied California Spider made, RM Sothebys reckoned just eight such cars were created...
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1959 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB California Spider Competizione
Sold by Gooding & Co for $18,150,000, August 2016
...however, when #1603 GT had been sold by Gooding & Co the previous year, that auction house claimed that nine alloy-bodied LWB California Spiders were built. This one had an impressive race record including fifth overall at the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring.
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1954 Ferrari 375-Plus Spider Competizione
Sold by Bonhams for $18,400,177, June 2014
Having competed (generally very successfuly) in the 1954 Mille Miglia, International Trophy race at Silverstone, Le Mans 24 Hours, #0384 was sold into private hands in the US where it continued to race successfully.
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1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
Sold by Artcurial for $18,500,000, February 2015
Famously found in original, unrestored condition in a barn as part of the Baillon collection, #2935 GT was the 1961 Paris motor show car. As such it had the same owner since 1971 with its complete history known from day one.
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1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta
Sold by Artcurial for $19,000,000, February 2019
The fastest production car built before WWII, just five of the long-nose machines received striking coachwork from Touring, and this was one of them. Stabled with the same family for the last 40 years, it came to the UK in 1939 and featured in our predecessor magazine, Motor. It then went to France in the ’60s, then Holland in 1976 – where it was bought for the equivalent in today’s terms of around US$13,000. It went to auction as a stunningly original, unrestored, used but well-maintained machine.
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1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider
Sold by RM Sotheby's for $19,800,000, August 2016
There are just a dozen 8C 2900B Touring-built Spiders known of and #412041 is the only one to have changed hands within the last two decades.
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1994 McLaren F1 LM
Sold by RM Sotheby’s for $19,805,000, August 2019
Just 106 F1s were produced, including five GTR race cars. To honour their Le Mans participation in 1994, five ‘LM’ street-ready versions were produced. Of those just two feature both the extra-high LM spec downforce package and the unrestricted 680bhp BMW V12, which delivers 1000rpm more than the standard 618bhp unit, and this is one of them.
Originally delivered to Japan in 1994, it was upgraded by McLaren to LM spec in 2001. It’s not all about speed – extra creature comforts include boosted air conditioning and a radio alongside the existing CD player.
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McLaren F1
Sold by Gooding & Co for $20.465 million, August 2021
One of only two F1s upgraded to Le Mans specification by McLaren, meaning it has a GTR engine and an extra high downforce package. It's also the only F1 finished in 'Creighton Brown' - a colour named in homage to a director of McLaren Cars. This car spent much of its life in Japan, and has accumlated 21,500km (13,360 miles) on the clock. Four bidders vied for four-and-a-half minutes at the Pebble Beach auction, and the car eventually was sold to a private collector based in the US.
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1963 Aston Martin DP215
Sold by RM Sotheby’s for $21,455,000, August 2018
A sale by Aston Martin itself, this car is a one-off 1963 Aston Martin DP215 GrandTouring Competition Prototype raced by Phil Hill and Lucien Bianchi at Le Mans in 1963, the final David Brown competition Aston Martin.
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1955 Jaguar D-Type
Sold by RM Sotheby's for $21,780,000, August 2016
With a Le Mans 24 Hours win under its belt (in 1956), XKD 501 is the only Le Mans-winning C- or D-Type to survive intact in its original form. It’s also the first team-series production D-Type and the first to be designated by its chassis as a D-Type.
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1935 Duesenberg SSJ
Sold by Gooding & Co for $22,000,000, August 2018
First owned by movie star Gary Cooper, this car features a straight-eight engine with output of 400 hp - an extraordinary figure at the time. Its auction in 2018 made it the most valuable American-built car ever sold.
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Aston Martin DBR1
Sold by RM Sotheby's for $22,550,000, August 2017
Aston Martin built just five DBR1s and this one was the first. Raced by Roy Salvadori, Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, and Carroll Shelby, among others, DBR1/1 won the 1959 Nurburgring 1000KM and was the sister car to the DBR1 that won Le Mans in that same year. It's currently the most valuable British-made car ever.
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1956 Ferrari 290 MM
Sold by RM Sothebys for $22,005,000, December 2018
Sr Fangio piloted this 290 MM, chassis 0628, and other illustrious drivers of this include Phil Hill, and, when under private ownership, Stirling Moss. The car was sold at auction hosted at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
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1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale
Sold by RM Auctions for $26,400,000, August 2014
The regular 275 GTB is massively sought after, but just three works-prepared Competizione editions were produced. This one (#06701) was a matching-numbers car with its entire history documented.
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1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider
Sold by RM Auctions for $27,500,000, August 2013
With just one owner from new, #10709 was one of 10 NART Spiders built. Bought new by a rags-to-riches trader called Eddie Smith, the car’s complete history was known.
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1956 Ferrari 290 MM
Sold by RM Sotheby's for $28,050,000, December 2015
Driven by Fangio in the 1956 Mille Miglia (notching up fourth overall), #0626 is fully documented and comes with the most incredible racing history; a massive sale price was assured.
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1954 Mercedes-Benz W196
Sold by Bonhams for $29,600,000, July 2013
Mercedes built just 14 examples of the W196. Of the 10 survivors the company owns six and three are in museums, leaving #006/54 as the only W196 available to private collectors.
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1957 Ferrari 335S
Sold by Artcurial for $35,711,359, February 2016
Built in 1957, #0674 was first driven by Peter Collins and Maurice Trintignant in the 1957 Sebring 12 Hours, then by Wolfgang von Trips in the Mille Miglia. Mike Hawthorn drove the car in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the car also competed in lots of other high-profile races around the world.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Sold by Bonhams for $38,115,000, August 2014
The ultimate acquisition for most collectors, just 39 250 GTOs were made and they very rarely come up for sale. So #3851 GT was always going to achieve a spectacular price – especially as it had been owned by the same family for 39 years.
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Sold by RM Sotheby’s for $48,405,000, August 2018
Many say that the air has been let out of the classic car boom of the last decade, but no one ever told the buyer of this classic Ferrari. It became the most expensive car ever sold at auction at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale in California.
An original 1962 machine, chassis 3413 left the factory as a Series I example, before gaining ultra-rare Series II coachwork in 1964. It went on to enjoy a successful racing career, competing in 20 races finishing every one of them, before retiring from racing and entering a chain of ownership that can be traced right through to its newest custodian.
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