1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, Most Valuable Car Sold at Auction, Leads Top 10 Automobiles of 2018

1. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for $48,405,000 at RM Sotheby’s: Monterey

The most valuable car ever sold at auction

This Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis no. 3413, is the third of the 36 examples built, and began its life as a Series I car. Under Ferrari factory use, the GTO was a test car driven by Phil Hill for the 1962 Targa Florio road race. The car was then sold to its first owner, one of Ferrari’s most favored privateer customers, Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi. The Italian gentleman racer entered the GTO in 10 races in 1962, winning all but one (in which he placed 2nd in class) and securing him the Italian National GT championship that year. Lualdi-Gabardi’s incredible track success with the early GTO, right out of the gate, contributed significantly in cementing what would become the GTO legend and legacy as known today.

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2. 1956 Ferrari 290 MM sold for $22,005,000 at RM Sotheby’s: The Petersen Automotive Museum Auction

One of the top ten most valuable cars ever sold at auction

The 290 MM represents the golden age of the sports two-seater, having taken part in some of the most famous races ever held. Moreover, the sheer number of legendary drivers who have been at the helm of this car make it truly remarkable. The opportunity to acquire a proper Scuderia Ferrari works barchetta in the realm of the 290 MM, 315 S, or 335 S, rarely ever comes along in such exceptional form.

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3. 1963 Aston Martin DP215 Grand Touring Competition Prototype sold for $21,455,000 at RM Sotheby’s: Monterey

Most valuable Aston Martin sold at auction in 2018

As the most important Works Le Mans Aston Martin, the DP215 represents the zenith of Aston Martin racing and is poised to make auction history again. Developed for Le Mans, it was also the first car to break 300 kph with American racing icon Phil Hill driving. After British entrepreneur and then-Aston Martin company owner David Brown approved the car in March 1963, it was ordered directly by John Wyer, designed by chief engineer Ted Cutting and fitted with an engine by Tadek Marek, thus becoming the final racing car built by the factory in the Brown era.

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4. 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II sold for $9,795,000 at RM Sotheby’s: Monterey

Most valuable Ford sold at auction in 2018

Presented in its arresting and iconic 1966 Le Mans livery of gold with pink highlights, P/1016 is an indelible part of one of the most important moments in American motorsports history and has justifiably been depicted in many automotive publications. As the 3rd-place finisher of the marque’s historic 1-2-3 sweep at Le Mans, where it aided in Henry Ford II’s dream of dethroning Ferrari, this historically important race car offers nearly unmatched pedigree.

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5. 1985 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar sold for $5,945,000 at RM Sotheby’s: The Porsche 70th Anniversary Sale

Most valuable Porsche sold at auction in 2018 and a world record for a Porsche 959

Despite the enormous success of its production-based race cars throughout its history, Porsche rarely developed such models as official factory entries, preferring instead to support them in the hands of privateer customers. One of the notable exceptions occurred in the mid-1980s with the advent of one of Stuttgart’s most celebrated and advanced models, the 959. The twin-turbocharged 959 production car competed with the likes of the Ferrari F40 in the first wave of modern supercars.

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6. 1957 Porsche 550A Spyder sold for $4,900,000 at RM Sotheby’s: Monterey

One of the top ten most valuable Porsches ever sold at auction

The 550 and 550A Spyders are among the most coveted and sought-after Porsche factory racers in the world. They sired an incredibly successful series of ever more sophisticated and powerful sports racers that would come to dominate the sport. Chassis no. 550A-0116 is among just 40 such chassis constructed by the brilliant German automaker, whose successes on the racetrack are unsurpassed. It is also one of the best-documented Porsche 550A Spyders in existence.

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7. 1956 Maserati A6G/2000 Berlinetta sold for $4,515,000 at RM Sotheby’s: Monterey

A new world record for the model at auction

Completed by mid-2014, the fastidiously restored A6G/54 was presented at the Maserati 100th Anniversary celebration at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, winning 2nd in class as well as taking home the Vitesse Elegance Trophy from the Petersen Museum. At Amelia Island the following year it won Best in Class (Sports and GT Cars 1955–1959) and a few short months later, the breathtaking car won its class at the prestigious Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza at Lake Como, Italy. Chassis no. 2124 is also notable for retaining its original engine and gearbox, as confirmed by documentation from Maserati Classiche.

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8. 1998 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR sold for $4,515,000 at RM Sotheby’s: Monterey

A new world record for the model at auction

This exceptional CLK GTR is the ninth of only 25 examples built, of which 20 were coupes. I As presented, the CLK GTR is the closest a road-going car will ever come to its race-ready sibling. Its performance figures are downright mind-blowing. Considering its status as one of the rarest German sports racing cars ever produced, it holds true to the valued traditions of homologated GT racing and has cemented its place in history as an instant classic among classics.

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9. 2017 Bugatti Chiron sold for $4,138,068 at RM Sotheby’s: Paris

A world record price for the model at auction

Shortly after the now-legendary Veyron entered production in 2005, Bugatti engineers began the work of developing its successor. They knew that their next hypercar would have to be even faster, more technologically advanced and more dramatic than the Veyron. As per usual, Bugatti would incorporate nothing but the best technology and components into its new hypercar. The resulting masterpiece was christened the Chiron, after the famed Monegasque racing driver Louis Chiron. It was first introduced to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in 2016 and the headlining feature was its staggering top speed, electronically limited to 420 km/h.

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10. 1934 Packard Twelve Individual Custom Convertible Victoria sold for $3,745,000 at RM Sotheby’s: Monterey

One of the most valuable and most significant Packards ever sold at auction

Vehicle number 1108-65 is one of four extant Dietrich Individual Custom convertible victorias on the “ultimate” Packard chassis of the Classic Era, the Eleventh Series Twelve of 1934. It has all of the typical spectacular Dietrich design cues, from the “false hood” extended back to the windshield, to the cowl that sweeps elegantly back into the doors in a subtle and graceful curve, to the vee’d windshield. Yet, it is so much more, and it is all because of those eye-catching, remarkably curvaceous fenders, some of the most beautiful on any Classic automobile and a unique feature of this one-off design.

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