In the news this week is a story about a French auction house, Artcurial, who has unveiled their latest line up of premium vintage-cars going under the hammer in February 2019. Among the cars listed is one particular car to stand out which is a pre-war masterpiece, an Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta. The estimated value of the car sits between £14-£20 million! With that in mind, here is the top 10 most-expensive cars ever sold at auction.
10. Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider - £15,500,000
Starting the list in 10th place is the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider. It is far from the only Italian car to make the list but it sure is one of the more interesting. The pre-war Alfa Romeo is currently the most expensive Alfa Romeo ever auctioned, but this may change in February 2019 when the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta hits the auction.
9. Aston Martin DP215 - £16,700,000
Number 9 is the Aston Martin DP215. Originally built as a prototype for the 24 Hour Le Mans, the one-off Aston Martin went for £16.7 Million. When the car originally competed in the 1963 24 Hour Le Mans, it retired with transmission failure but had already set the speed record for the Mulsanne straight.
8. Jaguar D-Type - £17,000,000
The second British car to make the list and taking 8th place is the Jaguar D-Type. The D-Type has rich history with the 24 Hours Le Mans where it won in 1955, 1956 and 1957. The one in question which went to auction won the 1956 title.
7. Duesenberg SSJ - £17,200,000
Coming in at 7th place is the Duesenberg SSJ. You may not have heard of the Duesenberg SSJ and you’d be forgiven as most people haven’t. Duesenberg was a manufacturer founded in Minnesota in 1913 and soon after stopped operations in 1937 due to the depression reducing the market for luxury cars. This particular SSJ however was made in 1935 and previously owned by Gary Cooper.
6. Aston Martin DBR1 - £17,500,000
At number 6 we have the second Aston Martin to make the list, this time it is the 1956 DBR1. This is the most expensive British car ever sold at auction but it does come with a good pedigree. This very DBR1 was the winner of the 1959 Nürburgring 1000km race.
5. Mercedes-Benz W196 - £17,500,000
In 5th is the Mercedes-Benz W196, but not just any Mercedes-Benz W196 as this one was owned by Juan Manuel Fangio who is thought of by many as one of the finest Formula One Drivers in history. The combination of rare, classic and a famous owner can really drive up the price of a car!
4. Ferrari 290 MM - £18,000,000
In 4th is the Ferrari 290 MM which is another one of Juan Manuel Fangio’s cars to make the list. This time though his Ferrari fetched an extra £500,000 reaching the incredible total of £18,000,000.
3. Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider - £18,200,000
The Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider take 3rd place with a winning bid of £18.2 million. When the car went up for auction there were high expectations with the estimate being between £11 -£13 Million and an opening bid of £8 million.
2. Ferrari 335S - £24,700,000
The Number 2 slot is held by a car sold at the very same auction house as the Alfa Romeo at the top of this Article. The Ferrari 335S went for a whopping £24.7 million! Only 4 of the Ferrari 335 S Spider Scagliettis were ever produced which is why it is worth just so much money.
1. Ferrari 250 GTO - £54,700,00
The number 1 spot is held by non-other than the Ferrari 250 GTO. Over recent years a few of these have been sold for record-breaking prices, so it is no surprise to see it at the top spot. Originally produced between 1962-1964; they were only priced at £18,500. Now sold at £54.7 million with experts predicting they will be at £78.3 million ($100 million) by 2023!
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