When Million-Dollar Hammers Fall
Car auctions operate in a strange realm where automotive history, collector obsession, and liquid wealth collide in rooms full of people holding numbered paddles. The top end of the market involves sums that could fund small nations for vehicles that will likely never see public roads again. Meanwhile, buried in the same auction houses, occasional bargains materialize. Here are ten of the most expensive car auctions and ten that slipped through the cracks.
1. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO: $48.4 Million
RM Sotheby’s sold this particular GTO in 2018, setting a public auction record that still stands. Only 36 were built between 1962 and 1964, with this specific car having won the 1962 Italian National GT Championship. The buyer remained anonymous, as they usually do at this level.
PSParrot from England on Wikimedia
2. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé: $142 Million
This private sale through RM Sotheby’s in 2022 obliterated all previous records. Only two were ever made and were named after chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, who reportedly used one as his company car and would commute at absurd speeds on German autobahns.
3. 1994 McLaren F1 LM-Specification: $19.8 Million
Gooding & Company moved this one in 2019. Only 64 road-going F1s were produced, and this specific example was upgraded to LM specification, meaning it shared components with the five Le Mans homologation cars.
4. 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider: $19.8 Million
Touring of Milan bodied this particular car, one of roughly a dozen 8C 2900B Lungo Spiders built. The straight-eight engine, the flowing bodywork, and the racing heritage made this a coveted item for collectors. These cars competed at Mille Miglia and Le Mans when racing meant something completely different than it does now.
5. 1935 Duesenberg SSJ: $22 Million
Gooding & Company sold this in 2018. Only two SSJ models were built, and this one was originally owned by Gary Cooper. The other went to Clark Gable. The supercharged straight-eight produced 400 horsepower in 1935, which meant this car was genuinely dangerous to drive quickly.
6. 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta: $10 Million
RM Sotheby’s auctioned this in 2017 to benefit charity, which partially explains the stratospheric price. Only 210 Apertas were made, and this was the 210th—the final one—making it marginally more special than the other 209.
7. 1964 Ford GT40 Prototype: $12.2 Million
This was the first road-going GT40, the car used for all the initial press photography, with Carroll Shelby’s signature on the glovebox. The GT40 story encompasses American pride, Ford’s vendetta against Ferrari, and four consecutive Le Mans victories. Racing provenance adds millions to auction prices, and being the literal first road car adds more.
8. 1956 Aston Martin DBR1: $22.6 Million
One of only five DBR1s built, this particular chassis won the 1959 Nürburgring 1000 Kilometres with Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman driving. As Aston Martin’s greatest racing sports car, this is the model that finally delivered the company a World Sports Car Championship.
9. 1962 Shelby Cobra 260: $13.75 Million
The CSX 2000, the very first Cobra, was Carroll Shelby’s personal car and served as the original prototype that launched an entire lineage of increasingly powerful Anglo-American hybrids. The provenance doesn’t get more direct than “This was Shelby’s car.” Collectors paid accordingly.
10. 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Coupé: $13.4 Million
This is Art Deco automotive design at its absolute zenith, with Figoni et Falaschi coachwork that looks like a rolling sculpture. Only a handful were built, and this specific car won Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 2010.
And now, here are ten auctioned cars that were surprisingly affordable (for what they are).
1. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88: $3.85 Million
Barrett-Jackson sold this in 2014, and while $3.85 million sounds expensive, L88 Corvettes are legitimately rare and historically significant. Only 20 were built in 1967 with the aluminum-head L88 engine. Compared to Ferraris and Porsches with similar performance potential from the same era, you could argue the L88 remains undervalued.
Charles from Port Chester, New York on Wikimedia
2. 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante: $4.6 Million
Considering these are coach-built prewar Bugattis with the desirable Atalante coachwork and supercharged engine, the price seems almost reasonable. Type 57s in original condition keep climbing, and finding one that hasn’t been over-restored or rebuilt with incorrect parts gets harder every year.
3. 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring: $600,000
Various examples have sold in this range, and that seems like a lot until you realize these are the most desirable air-cooled 911s ever made, with the ducktail spoiler, the lightweight construction, and the motorsport heritage. Only 1,580 were built, and prices have been climbing steadily.
4. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing: $1.4 Million
Certain examples have sold for this price recently at smaller auctions, particularly cars that need restoration. Considering these are the original supercar, the car that introduced fuel injection to production automobiles, and one of the most recognizable designs in automotive history, prices in this range won’t last.
Falcon® Photography from France on Wikimedia
5. 1990 Ferrari F40: $1.1 Million
This is the final car Enzo Ferrari personally approved. It has a twin-turbocharged V8, no driver aids—just raw performance. Over 1,300 were built, making it relatively common by Ferrari standards, and you can still occasionally find examples at auction under $1.5 million.
6. 1957 BMW 507: $2.4 Million
These are breathtakingly beautiful roadsters designed by Count Albrecht Goertz, the same designer who shaped the Datsun 240Z. Only 252 were built between 1956 and 1959. Elvis Presley owned one, yet they trade for less than comparable Mercedes 300 SLs.
7. 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona: $900,000
Mecum has sold several for around this price. They’re visually outrageous, historically important, and genuinely quick even by modern standards. American muscle at this level of rarity and significance should command higher prices, but the muscle car market remains segmented from the broader collector car world.
Jeremy from Sydney, Australia on Wikimedia
8. 1954 Jaguar D-Type: $4 Million
Considering D-Types with proper racing provenance have sold for over $20 million, finding one at $4 million represents a relative bargain. These won Le Mans three consecutive years and represent the pinnacle of 1950s sports racing design. The gap between top-tier D-Types and entry-level examples seems wider than it should be.
9. 1967 Toyota 2000GT: $1.2 Million
This was Japan’s first supercar, the car that proved Japanese manufacturers could build something genuinely world-class. Values have climbed steadily, and they should probably be worth more considering their rarity and significance in automotive history.
Tokumeigakarinoaoshima on Wikimedia
10. 2005 Ford GT: $400,000
Various auctions have sold clean, documented GTs for around this price. These are modern supercars with 550 horsepower, genuine 200+ mph capability, and direct lineage to the GT40 legend. Compare what you’d pay for a comparable Ferrari or Lamborghini from the same era, and the Ford GT looks like a steal.
