The Top 10 Most Expensive Cars Sold At Car Auctions

Cars have always been considered as a great investment option and people are always willing to spend big bucks on vehicles that will offer a higher value sometime in the future. This is what car auctions do. Car auctions sell cars that are rare, old, or of very high value and interested buyers are always looking to get their hands on these pieces of art to add to their collection. While you might think that a car sold in an auction would not have a heavy price tag, the cars listed here will shock you to your very core. Let’s take a look at the top 10 most expensive auctioned cars ever.

Jaguar D-Type – $21.8 Million

The Jaguar D-Type was designed and produced specifically for the Le Mans 24-hour race between the years of 1954 and 1957. Powering the D-Type was a 3.4L straight-6 XK engine but in 1957, the engine was enlarged to a 3.8L, and in 1958, it was subsequently reduced to 3.0L. A total of 87 D-Type’s were produced by Jaguar between 1954 and 1957 and they were considered a collector’s item around the world. In fact, in 2018, auction house RM Sotheby's auctioned off a Jaguar D-Type for a whopping $21.8 million.

Duesenberg SSJ – $22 Million

American car manufacturer Duesenberg Motors Company was founded back in 1913 and has produced some of the most exotic racing cars and luxury vehicles in the world. Duesenberg was one of the most second-hand cars in sporting events when it was first launched, however, they were shut down in 1937. What makes the Duesenberg SSJ model so special is that only 2 were ever produced. The first one was sold to actor Gary Cooper back in 1935 and the other one was lent to Clark Gable, another actor, in 1936. As you can imagine, the Duesenberg SSJ was an extremely rare car and is justifiably sold at the Gooding and Company auction house for a massive $22 million in 2018.

Aston Martin DBR1 – $22.5 Million

Even today, Aston Martin cars come with a hefty price tag, but when you have an award-winning vehicle in your lineup, you can charge whatever you want – no matter how insane it might sound. One of the most iconic racing cars around the world is the Aston Martin DBR1 which was famously driven by Tony Brooks and Stirling Moss. However, the DBR1 gained immense popularity when the car won the 24-Hour Le Mans race in 1959. So much so, an Aston Martin DBR1 was put up for auction at the RM Sotherby’s in California in 2017 and was sold for an incredible $22.5 million.

Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale – $26.4 Million

RM Auctions is one of the biggest auction houses that specialize in exotic cars and have been linked to a number of multi-million dollar sales. Ferrari is known as one of the most luxurious racing car manufacturers in the world and back in 1964, they were the brains behind the 275 GTB/C Speciale – a premium sports model that was constructed under the experienced eyes of Mauro Forghieri (Italian mechanical engineer who worked with Scuderia Ferrari in Formula One racing. A total of only 4 Speciale variants of the 275 were produced and one was sold at RM Auctions in 2014 for $26.4 million.

Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider – $27.5 Million

Once again, we head over to RM Auctions where we have a Ferrari car that was sold for an insane amount of cold hard cash. The model in question here is a 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider which was actually sold for $27.5 million in 2013. The Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider was powered by a V12 engine that sits at the front end of the vehicle. The racing car was produced between 1964 and 1968 and was available in either a 2-door Spider variant or a 2-door Coupe.

Ferrari 290MM – $28 Million

Yet again we have a Ferrari car that makes this list and the values just keep going higher. The Ferrari 290MM was another racing car that made headlines when it came in 4^th at the 156 Mille Miglia race. But it was the driver behind the wheel of the car that made it one of the most wanted cars in the world. Juan Manuel Fangio, also known as El Chueco or El Maestro was driving the Ferrari model at the race and it was that very model that went up for sale at the RM Sotheby's auction house and was finally sold for $28 million. If you have deep enough pockets and want to own one of the most famous cars in the automobile industry, you can get a good deal through an old car evaluation tool online.

Mercedes-Benz W196 – $29.6 Million

Formula One is designed to be special and extremely rare and Mercedes-Benz is a brand that knows how to deliver just that. The Mercedes-Benz W196 was a racing car had been produced between the years of 1954 and 1955 and took part in a total of 12 races. The W196 actually won 9 out of the 12 races it took part in and was driven by superstars like Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio. A W196 was sold for $29.6 million back in 2013 and was sold at the Bonhams auction house. Given its spectacular history, would you get an RC transfer ready to get your hands on one – if you can?

Ferrari 335S – $35.7 Million

Can you keep Ferrari away from the spotlight? It doesn’t seem like it, right? The Ferrari 335S, produced from 1957 to 1958 was one of the most powerful racing cars at that time. Powering the 335S was a V12 engine that was capable of taking the racing car to a top speed of an impressive 300 Kmph. In 2016 at the Artcurial auction house, a Ferrari 335S was sold for a massive $35.7 million. That is a lot of cash to spend on a car that is over 50 years old… or is it?

Ferrari 250 GTO – $38 Million

Surely by now, you must be tired of reading the name Ferrari on the list, but when you are responsible for some of the most extraordinary vehicles in the world, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Ferrari 250 GTO was a racing car that was admired by many but only a few could afford one. However, one such owner made an enormous profit when they sold their Ferrari 250 GTO in 2014 for a mind-blowing $38 million. The auction house responsible for this incredible sale was none other than the famous Bonhams. If you are looking to make an investment such as this, you can use a 2nd hand car finder to look for exotic cars around the country with ease and from the safety of your home.

Ferrari 250 GTO – $48.4 Million

What if you could make a profit of about $48,382,000 in a matter of minutes? Would you be willing to sell your extremely rare automobile? Well, in 2018, the owner of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold his car at an RM Sotheby's auction house for a massive $48.4 million. When the Ferrari 250 GTO was first introduced, it was sold for about $18,000 (a rather high number for the time then) and only 36 cars were ever produced back in 1962.

There you go, 10 of the most insanely priced auctioned cars the world has ever seen. If these prices don’t get you to value your current vehicle even more, I don’t know what will do it. Do you think the price tags for these above-mentioned cars justify themselves or are they just overpriced relics? Would you ever be interested in spending millions of dollars on collectible car that you probably will never drive or would you rather invest in a current sports model that you can enjoy with more than just your eyes?