The Most Expensive Cars of All Time – $10 Million Plus at Public Auction

Only 74 cars have ever sold for more than $10 million at public auction with the world record for the most expensive car ever $143 million paid for a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé.

Only 74 cars have ever sold for more than $10 million (nominal) at public auction. Although the most expensive car ever is the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, Ferrari is the most expensive car marque with the 250 models especially highly-priced. More than half of the cars selling for more than $10 million are Ferraris (41) followed by Mercedes (6), Bugatti (5), Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, and McLaren with four each, Jaguar with three, while Duesenberg and Porsche each have two cars on the list. The other brands that have sold for seven figures plus are Ford, Shelby, and Talbot-Lago. In 2008, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider was the first car to break the $10 million barrier but most of the $10 million results are more recent: 6 in 2014, 11 in 2015, and 9 in 2016 but only 6 in 2017, 5 in 2018 and only 2 in 2019, 2020, and 2021, 5 in 2022, and 9 in 2023, and 6 thus far in 2024. Only 17 cars have ever sold for more than $20 million with the record $143 million for a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé sold by RM Sotheby’s in 2022.

Top-Ten Lists for: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 & all time.

List of Cars Selling for $10 Million Plus

The following cars sold at public auction for $10 million or more:

Note: Definitions vary – only results from traditional public auctions are included. Some cars may appear more than once if sold multiple times. No claims for accuracy. Only nominal figures are considered. Wikipedia has a list with adjusted prices.

Ten-Million-Plus Dollar Cars at Public Auction

The first car to have sold for more than $10 million at public auction was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider sold by RM Auctions in Maranello in 2008 for $10.9 million – a dollar price helped by a relatively strong euro at the time of the sale. This car took the record of the most expensive car in the world away from a 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe that Christie’s sold for $9.8 million in 1987. The Bugatti held the record as the most expensive car for more than two decades.

A year later, RM again increased the price barrier by selling a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa for $12.4 million.

Only in 2011 was the $10 million limit again broken when Gooding sold a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Roadster for $10.3 million and showed that a works Scuderia Ferrari 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is worth more than a privateer car – the new record price was set at $16.4 million.

In 2012, three cars sold for more than $10 million – again a Ferrari but also a Ford and a Mercedes-Benz.

In 2013, four cars sold for more than $10 million. A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 racing car almost doubled the record price when Bonhams achieved $29,650,095 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed sale in the UK — still the most expensive Formula 1 race car ever. RM Auctions sold a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider by Scaglietti for $27.5 million at Monterey – still the most expensive regular road-going car ever.

In 2014, six cars sold for more than $10 million. Bonhams again increased the record price when it achieved $38,115,000 for a 1962/3 Ferrari 250 GTO at Quail Lodge – it kept the world record price until 2018. RM Auctions achieved $26.4 million for a 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti – only the fourth car to sell for more than $20 million.

In 2015, eleven cars sold for more than $10 million. A 1956 Ferrari 290 MM sold for $28 million at the RM Sotheby’s Driven by Disruption sale in New York, as only the fifth car ever to sell for more than $20 million. Aston Martin, Jaguar, McLaren, and Porsche joined the list of marques having sold for more than $10 million at public auction.

In 2016, a 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport sold for $35,711,359 at the Artcurial Paris Rétromobile auction as only the second car ever to have sold for over $30 million. In euro terms, it was at the time of sale the most expensive car ever – it cost €32 million versus the €28.5 million the GTO cost at the time of sale in 2014.

Several new marques and records were added in 2016: Jaguar (the most expensive British car at the time), two Alfa Romeos, a Bugatti, and a Shelby.

In 2017, only six cars were added to the list – none are from new brands in the $10 million-plus group but new marque records were set for Porsche, McLaren, and Aston Martin with the 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 setting a new British car record at $22,550,00 at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale. A 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari sold as a charity lot in the RM Sotheby’s Maranello Ferrari sale as the first 21st-century car to achieve over $10 million and the most expensive new car sold for charity at public auction.

In 2018, five cars sold for over $10 million including four results over $20 million. A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for $48,405,000 at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2018 sale to increase the highest price ever paid for a car at auction by $10 million. A 1935 Duesenberg SSJ sold for $22 million at Gooding Pebble Beach as the most expensive American car ever and the most expensive pre-war car ever. Two Aston Martins joined the list to become the second most common brand after Ferrari on the list of the most expensive cars in the world.

In 2019, a 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Touring Berlinetta sold for $19,246,750 as the top result at the Artcurial Paris Rétromobile sale while a 1994 McLaren F1 ‘LM-Specification’ became the 50th $10-million car when it sold for $19,805,000 at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2019 sale.

In 2020, the two most expensive Bugattis ever were sold at the Gooding London Passion of a Lifetime sale – a 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports set the new marque record at $12,681,550 while a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante sold for $10,447,150.

In 2021, two cars sold at the Gooding Pebble Beach sale for over $10 million: a 1995 McLaren sold for $20,465,000 and a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione for $10,840,000.

In 2022, five cars achieved $10 million: a 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Teardrop Coupe that sold for $13,435,000 at Gooding Amelia Island, as the most expensive French car ever, and the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé that sold for a new world record $143 million as the most expensive car ever (a $95 million increase over the previous record holder) and also the most valuable German car and Mercedes-Benz marque record. A 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider sold for $22,005,000 and a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante for $10,425,000 as the two most expensive cars during Monterey Week. The 2003 Ferrari F2003-GA in which Michael Schumacher secured his sixth championship more than doubled the record price for a modern Formula 1 racing car when it sold for $14.9 million at Sotheb’s in Geneva.

In 2023, nine cars sold for $10 million: the unique 2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée, which is also the most expensive new car ever sold in a public auction, a 1967 Ferrari 412P, a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider (the new Amelia Island record holder), a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, a 1971 Ferrari 312 PB, a 1957 Jaguar XKSS, and a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster. A 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO sold for $51.7 million as the set the new Ferrari marque record. A Hamilton-driven 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas sold for $18,815,000, as the most expensive modern Formula 1 racing car.

Thus far in 2024, six cars have sold for over $10 million at auction including the first and last Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spiders produced (in 1960 and 1963), a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider, a 1955 Ferrari 410 SS, a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, and a 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Roi des Belges’ — the oldest car on the list, the only one from before 1930, and the only one over a century old.

Over $10 Million Classic Cars

Ferraris are the most expensive cars in the world with more than half of $10-million-plus cars at public auction coming from Maranello.

Mid-August 2024, the car brands selling for more than $10 million were:

• 41 – Ferrari
• 6 – Mercedes Benz
• 5 – Bugatti
• 4 – Alfa Romeo
• 4 – Aston Martin
• 4 – McLaren
• 3 – Jaguar
• 2 – Duesenberg
• 2 – Porsche
• 1 – Ford
• 1 – Shelby
• 1 — Talbot-Lago

250 is the magic model number – 26 of the most expensive cars ever were Ferrari 250 models in various model variants.

Almost all cars achieving more than $10 million at public auction were built during the 1950s and 1960s. The period 1953 to 1964 is especially highly (ap)praised.

Only 13 $10-million cars date from the pre-war period: the 1935 Duesenberg SSJ is the most expensive pre-Second World War car ever, while the 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Roi des Belges’ is the oldest car on this list and the only over a century old. The 1936 Mercedes Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster is still the most expensive German passenger car ever.

Only twelve $10-million cars are newer than the 1960s: a Le Mans-winning 1982 Porsche 956, the 1970 Porsche 917K, four McLaren F1 sports cars, the 2003 Ferrari F1 racer, the 1972 Ferrari 312 PB racer, the charity-lot 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, the 2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée, a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster, and a Hamilton-winning 2012 Meredes-AMG Petronas F1.

Top Classic and Collectors Car Auction Houses

Most million-dollar cars are sold by RM Sotheby’s, Gooding, and Bonhams and these three also dominate the $10-million-plus market.

The battle of the auction houses for selling $10-million-plus cars shapes out as follows (July 2024):

• 37 – RM Sotheby’s (including 9 by RM Auctions prior to early 2015)
• 25 – Gooding
• 6 – Bonhams
• 4 – Artcurial
• 1 – Mecum
• 1 – H&H

The Monterey classic car week in mid-August in California generally is the best time for high auction prices. Two-thirds of the $10-million-plus results were achieved at these auctions including Monterey (RM Sotheby’s), Pebble Beach (Gooding), and Quail Lodge (Bonhams). Only a quarter of the $10-million-plus cars were sold at auctions outside the USA.

This listing takes only nominal prices into account. If adjusted prices are used, probably only four further cars would be added to the list of cars selling for more than $10 million:

• 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe that Christie’s sold for $9.8 million in 1987 would be around $25 million in today’s money. If it comes up for auction now, it would probably fetch a lot more than “just” $25 million.
• 1931 Bugatti Royale Berline de Voyage that Kruse sold for $6.5 million in 1986 would be around $17.3 million in current money.
• 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM Spider that RM Auctions sold for $9.3 million in 2007 would be around $13 million adjusted.
• 1937 Mercedes Benz 540K Spezial Roadster that RM Auctions sold for $9.7 million in 2011 would be $12.6 million today.

The listing also excludes non-traditional auctions, e.g. a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione Clienti sold for a reported $12 million a the Rick Cole online auction during Monterey week 2014.

For More Detailed Descriptions of These Cars See

• Cars Sold for Over $20 Million – The Most-Expensive Cars Ever
• Cars Sold for $15 to $20 Million – mostly Italian (but not only Ferraris) and two Brits
• Cars Sold for $12 to $15 Million – including the most expensive Ford ever
• Cars Sold for $10 to $12 Million – a mixed bunch of great marques
• Most Expensive Formula 1 Racing Cars — only three achieved over $10 million

Most Expensive Cars of the Year

• Top-Ten Lists for 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 & all time.
• $10 Million Plus – The Most-Expensive Cars of All Time