1956 Aston Martin DBR1, $22.6 million
Aston Martin has built some of the most legendary cars over the years, including James Bond’s DB5, however the DBR1 race car is widely considered its greatest creation of all time. Built to compete against racing heavyweights like Ferrari and Jaguar, the DBR1 went on earn many historic victories for Aston, including the iconic win at Le Mans in 1959. Last year, the first DBR1 race car ever built was put on auction by RM Sotheby's. The 1956 DBR1 chassis number won the 1959 Nürburgring 1000km race and was driven by racing luminaries like Carroll Shelby, Jack Brabham and Sir Stirling Moss. It received a winning bid of $22.6 million, making it the most expensive British car ever sold at an auction.
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB4/S N.A.R.T. Spider, $27.5m
Every year at the RM Auctions that take place at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, several rare automobiles with million-dollar-plus price tags change hands. In 2013, an extremely rare 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T Spider became a part of the auction. One of only 10 examples of the car, it was the star of the auction with a pre-sale estimate between $14 million and $17 million. The vintage convertible Ferrari powered by a 300-hp V12 engine went on to sell for $27.5 million.
1956 Ferrari 290 MM by Scaglietti, $28m
The 1956 Ferrari 290 MM, chassis number 0626, is one of the most important race cars ever built by the Italian marque. It was made for Formula One driver Juan Manuel Fangio, considered by many as the greatest racing driver of all time. It is one of only four 290 MM’s ever built and has an illustrious racing career lasting for 8 long years. Despite entering many races around the world till 1964, the car was never crashed. In 2015, the 1956 Ferrari race car was put up for sale at an auction organized by Sotheby’s and it was sold for a staggering $28 million.
1954 Mercedes Benz W196, $29.7m
In 2013, the world record price for a car at auction was smashed by an iconic racing car that earned Argentinian Formula One legend Juan Manuel Fangio his first two world championship titles in 1954 and ’55. The single-seat Mercedes-Benz W196 was the first Daimler-Benz formula racing car built after the war and dominated the Formula One championships by winning four out of six races in ’54 and five out of seven in ’55. The car was sold during the Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale in an auction conducted by British auction house Bonhams, and went on to fetch a record breaking $29.7 million.
1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti, $35.7m
In 2016, when French auction house Artcurial announced their approaching sale of a 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti, it was expected to become the most expensive car ever sold at an auction. It missed out by a whisker by selling for $35.7 million. The Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti is a successor of Fangio’s Ferrari 290 MM and was purpose-built to compete in the gruelling Mille Miglia race in Italy. However, it has a more extensive racing history than its predecessor. With only four examples built of the car, it’s one of the rarest Ferraris.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, $48.4m
Ferrari 250 GTO is considered by many as the most desirable collector’s car and a new sales record is created every time one of 36 examples ever built changes hands. This year, not one but two Ferrari 250 GTOs were sold, both setting new records. At this year’s RM Sotheby's Monterey sale, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was up for auction with a pre-sale estimate of more than $45 million. According to the auction house, this particular 250 GTO is the third one built and was last sold in 2000, and has been maintained in highly original condition. The rare Ferrari was sold for $48.4 million, not only beating the pre-sale estimates but also making it the most expensive car ever sold at an auction.
