The Most Expensive Classic Cars Ever Sold
"No, no, no. There's no such thing as cheap and cheerful. It's cheap and nasty & expensive and cheerful." Jeremy Clarkson
This is a list of the most expensive cars sold in auto auctions through the traditional bidding process, consisting of those that attracted headline grabbing publicity, mainly for the high price their new owners have paid.
A 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/O serial number 3851GT sold at Bonham's Quail Auction on August 14, 2014 for US $34,650,000.00 ($38,115,000.00 including buyers premium).
A 1954 Mercedes-Benz race car sold for a record $30 million at an auction in England on July 12, 2013. While collectible cars have been sold privately for more, this is the highest price ever paid for a car at a public auction.
The record was previously held by a 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype which sold at an auction in California in 2011 for $16.4 million. The Mercedes W196R Formula 1 race car, powered by a 2.5-litre 8-cylinder engine, was one of a group of race cars that won 9 World Championship-qualifying Grand Prix races in 1954 and '55. The previous record was $16,390,000 for a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, sold on August 21, 2011 in an auction hosted by Gooding & Company in Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, the site of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, California, United States.
The vehicle listed with the highest price listed now on the online classic cars market on ClassicCarsArena.com is an 1966 Ford Futura being used in the original promotional vehicle used by Adam West as a Batmobile in the 1966 TV series. The current listing price is $1,200,000.
It Has A 272 Ford Engine, Automatic Transmission, And Complete Frame-off Restoration. It Is One Of Five Known Promotional Adam West Batmobiles Created By The Barris Group. This Car As Well As The #1 Car Was Driven By Both George Barris And Adam West On Several Occasions And Was Also Used On Many Shows To Represent George Barris And Adam Wests' Legacy.