13 Most Luxurious Cars Sold at Auction

If you want luxury, exotic, and rare cars to go up for sale and make big money, the best way is through many car auctions. They are an event in themselves, as thousands compete to own their dream car, either to unleash it into the world or shackle it inside their garage.

Unsurprisingly, some of these auctions see big sales, with the value of some cars reaching six figures. Everything from classic sports cars to 1930s luxury saloons and even a few modern supercars can sell for astronomical numbers.

Our list will look at 13 of the best and most luxurious cars sold at auction. We’ve selected them based on their rarity, how valuable they are, how well-loved they are, and, in some cases, how well they perform.

Shelby Toyota 2000 GT

One of the most remarkable cars to go up for sale in recent years was a particular 1967 Toyota 2000 GT. This 2000 GT was a former Carroll Shelby model, one of three modified by Shelby for Toyota to compete in SCCA C-Production racing.

The changes included an engine tune, lowering the suspension, and stripping back the Solar Red finish to replace it with a gorgeous white and blue racing livery. One of these rare racers went up for sale in 2022 and set a record for the most expensive Japanese car sold at auction, selling for $2.54 million, beating the previous record by $400,000.

Mercedes W196

One of the most remarkable car sales occurred at Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale in 2013. A stunning 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R, raced by the legendary Juan-Manuel Fangio, sold for a record $29,650,095, making it the most valuable vehicle ever sold at auction.

The car in question was chassis 00006/54, the W196 that Fangio won at the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix. These were Mercedes’ first back-to-back wins in Formula 1. Making it an even more historic occasion was that this particular chassis was the first open-wheeled ‘slipper’ — bodied post-war Mercedes to win a Grand Prix.

Ferrari 250 GTO

The Ferrari 250 GTO is such a rare and wonderful car that it has set two auction records. In November 2023, RM Sotheby’s sold a Ferrari 250 GTO for the remarkable sum of $51.7 million, which doesn’t seem believable. This made it the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at a public auction.

However, that isn’t the current record for the Ferrari 250 GTO. In June 2018, 1963, 250 GTO chassis 4153GT was sold in a private sale for an unbelievably high $70 million. That is a truly staggering amount, showing how desirable Ferrari 250s are.

Bugatti EB110 Super Sport

The Romano Artioli era of Bugatti was short-lived but spectacular, as it produced the epic EB110 supercar. This remarkable machine had a 3.5-liter Bugatti quad-turbocharged V12 under the hood, producing 553-hp in the GT version, which rose to 603-hp in the Super Sport, and Bugatti only made 139 examples.

Their value was shown off to the world in 2022 when a 1994 EB110 Super Sport sold for an eye-watering $3,167,500 at a Gooding and Company auction at Pebble Beach. This set a new sales record for the EB110, which still stands in 2024.

Ferrari F40

The Ferrari F40 holds a special place in the heart of the Italian manufacturer’s hands. It was the last car personally overseen by Ferrari’s founder, Enzo Ferrari before he died in 1988. With a mighty 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged Tipo V8 under the hood producing 477-hp in US spec, the F40 remains one of Ferrari’s greatest-ever supercars.

So it won’t come as a surprise to learn that F40s can sell for big money. According to Classic.com, the record for an F40 occurred at the Gooding and Company Pebble Beach auction of 2022, when a 1990 F40 sold for $3,965,000. A staggering amount made even more impressive as it exceeded Gooding’s estimate of $2,750,000 – $3,250,000.

Ferrari F50

While it is not as fondly remembered as the F40, the F50 that succeeded is still a spectacular car in its own right. The F50 is rarer than the F40, with 1,300 of those built versus just 349 examples of the F50. Powering the later Ferrari was a V12 based upon the Ferrari 641 F1 car engine, producing 512-hp and 347 lb-ft of torque.

At an RM Sotheby’s auction in Miami in 2022, an F50 sold for a sensational amount, selling for $5,395,000. This figure means the F50 is even more valuable than its famous predecessor, which is down to the rarity of the F50 and its F1-based engine.

Jaguar E-Type

Few cars hold such gravitas and aurora around them as the Jaguar E-Type. Enzo Ferrari called it the most beautiful car he had ever seen, and it’s difficult to argue with that. The E-Type, particularly in Series I form, is one of the most beautiful-looking cars ever thanks to its chrome bumpers, slim and sleek proportions, and streamlined shape.

Powering earlier E-Types were Jaguar’s famous XK inline-six engines, while Series III E-Types also had V12s under the hood. The current record for an E-Type was set in 2017 when a special Jaguar Lightweight Competition E-Type from 1963 sold for £6 million/$7.6 million.

Bugatti Type 57C

The gorgeous Bugatti Type 57C is one of the French manufacturer’s most famous vehicles. The Type 57 took on various forms, including the Atlantic and Atalante, and with less than 1,000 made and only a handful still in existence, it’s no wonder they are worth millions.

Bugatti itself witnessed history earlier in 2024 when Gooding and Company sold a handful of cars that were formerly on display at the Mullion Collection, belonging to the late Peter Mullion. The sale was for a 1938 Type 57C Aravis Special Cabriolet, estimated at $2.5 million, but ended up selling for $6,605,000.

Honda NSX

Now for something more modern, and who can’t love the gorgeous, fast, and genuinely legendary Honda NSX? Arguably the finest car to come out of Japan, the NSX exploded onto the scene in 1990, remaining in production until 2005. The supercar was much missed before the second generation arrived in 2016. However, that could not replicate people’s love for the first model.

In September 2020, Bring a Trailer had a gorgeous 1999 NSX Alex Zanardi edition, sold under the Acura name, for sale, and it set a monumental record for the supercar. At the close of the auction, the car had sold for $277,017, beating the previous record held by Bring a Trailer of $151,000.

1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta

Some of the prettiest cars in the world came from Ferrari in the 1960s. The 1967 412P Berlinetta is the perfect example of that, and this stunning car is famous for competing at races such as the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Nuremberg 200 Kilometres.

At the Bonhams Quail auction in 2023, a striking example of the 412P, chassis 0854, was up for sale. The car had a race-winning pedigree, winning at Nuremberg, the Solituderennen, and the Swedish Grand Prix, which was reflected in its auction price of $30,255,000.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe

The Mercedes 300 SLR is already an exclusive car, but the breathtaking 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes make it even more so. Mercedes built just two of these in the mid-1950s, and despite their racing pedigree, neither of the two cars actually raced. Under the hood, they both had a 302-hp 3.0-liter straight-eight engine.

Named after its creator and chief engineer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, one of the two coupes sold at an invite-only auction at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany, for an incredible $135 million to a private collector.

1956 Ferrari 290 MM

Of all Ferrari’s 1950s sports car racers, one of the rarest is the 290 MM. The Italian manufacturer built just four 290 MMs, one of which was converted from the earlier 860 Monza. Under the hood, they had a 3.5-liter Tipo 130 Jano V12 producing 320-hp, and the car took big wins at the 1956 Mille Miglia and the Swedish Grand Prix the same year.

With only four built, it’s no surprise they earned such big money at the auction. At an RM Sotheby’s auction in New York back in 2015, one of the 290 MMs sold for a massive $28,050,000, making it one of the most valuable Ferraris in the world.

McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 is one of the world’s most sought-after, revered, and loved supercars. Designed by the legendary Gordon Murray, it has a 6.1-liter BMW S70/2 V12 under the hood, producing 618-hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. With its 240 mph top speed, it remains the fastest naturally aspirated car globally. With just 106 produced, they don’t come cheap. Costing around $2 million when new, they now cost in the region of $20 million.

This value was seen to good effect earlier in 2024. At an RM Sotheby’s auction, a gorgeous McLaren F1, the only brown-on-brown example, went up for sale for the second time, initially selling back in 2021 for an eye-watering $20,465,000.