Most valuable cars ever sold at auction

Slide of With demand exceeding supply, the classic car 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 close to $11.5 million, and work our way up: Slide of 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, the British sea rescue charity, which sold them to raise the funds for a new lifeboat. The former (#1995 GT) sold for $11.4m. Slide of Ferrari 250LM Sold by RM Sotheby’s 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. Slide of 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. Slide of 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. Slide of Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Sold by RM Sotheby’s 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... Slide of 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports Sold by Gooding & Company for $12,640,550, September 2020 Even in the year of a global pandemic, auction records were being set. The Ultimate Bugatti Grand Prix Car: The Incomparable Type 59 campaigned as a works grand prix car during the 1934–1935 Seasons before being converted to sports car configuration and raced with success in 1937. Previous owners included King Leopold III of Belgium. Slide of 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta 'Competizione' Sold for $12,812,800 by RM Sotheby’s, 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. Slide of 1972 Ferrari 312 PB Sold by Sotheby’s for $13,033,720, May 2023 This Scuderia Ferrari Works car was campaigned by the factory to the landslide win in the 1972 World Sportscar Championship of Makes, and now is the most expensive car ever sold in Italy. Slide of 1953 Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight Sold by RM Sotheby’s 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. Slide of 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' Sold by RM Sotheby’s 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. Slide of 1957 Jaguar XKSS Sold by RM Sotheby's for $13,205,000, August 2023 After Jaguar started to withdraw from endurance racing following the disaster at the 1955 Le Mans it was left with several D-types that it decided to convert into road-going spec and shipped off to America. 25 were to be made but nine were destroyed by fire in England, so just 16 were made in the end. Just 25,535 miles are on the clock of this magnificent example, which has been tastefully restored to its original condition. Slide of 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato M Sold by Bonhams for $13,264,230, August 2018 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. Slide of 1937 Talbot-Lago T150C SS Goutte d’Eau Sold by Gooding & Co for $13,425,000, March 2022 The most expensive French car ever sold