If you’re as captivated and intrigued by the world’s most impressive classic cars as we are, you’re in for a treat. Below, we’ve listed some of the most expensive Classic and Vintage vehicles ever sold at auction so you too can relish in envy at these marvels of automotive engineering and design.

List of Most Expensive Classic and Vintage Cars in History

8. 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 - $22.5M

7. 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale - $26.4M

6. 1956 Ferrari 290 MM - $28M

5. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Formula 1 - $29M

4. 1964 Ferrari 275 P - $30.1M

3. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 S N.A.R.T. Spider - $30.38M

2. 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider - $35.7M

1. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO - $70M

Details of Most Expensive Classic and Vintage Cars in History

8. 1956 Aston Martin DBR1

Photo: Motor1
Photo: Motor1

Price: $22.5M

While the Italians may dominate the top strata of classic cars sales, this very special British racing car is cited by many experts as the most important Aston Martin in existence. In its three-year career, it won the 1959 Nürburgring 1000 KM at the hands of Stirling Moss and was previously driven by Roy Salvadori, Jack Brabham and Carroll Shelby among others.

When the hammer came down at Sotheby’s in 2017, the first of only five examples sold for a record-breaking price for a British car, Theupsider said.

It surpassed the previous record of $21.7m (approx £16.8m) set by the 1956 Le Mans winning Jaguar D-Type, which went under the hammer in 2016.

The 1956 DBR1 was the first in a total run of five to be made under the supervision of Ted Cutting, and while this model never claimed victory at Circuit de la Sarthe (a sibling DBR1 did so in 1959), it did take the chequered flag at the 1959 Nürburgring 1000 in the hands of Sir Stirling Moss. The original DBR1 was then retired from life as a works car, but continued to be raced privately by the Essex Racing Stable in 1961 and 1962.

7. 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale

Photo: Rmsothebys
Photo: Rmsothebys

Price: $26.4M

Ferrari engineer Mauro Forghieri designed three of these 275 GTB Competizione Speciale cars as successors to the GTO. The 275 GTB/C variations were designed with a super-lightweight aluminum bodywork for the 1965 Le Mans.

Designed by Sergio Scaglietti, the same man that penned the 250 GTO, the 275 GTB/C got a 3.3-liter, V-12 engine under its hood, as opposed to the 3.0-liter plant fitted in its predecessor. Output was increased to 320 horsepower, which, coupled with the lowered weight, promised to deliver outstanding performance on the track. Unfortunately, Ferrari failed to homologate the 275 for the GT class, as the car submitted was considerably lighter than the dry weight stated for the road-going version.

320 hp, Type 213/Comp 3,286 lightweight block V-12 engine with six Weber 38 DCN carburetors, five-speed manual transaxle transmission, four-wheel upper and lower wishbone coil-spring independent suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 94.4 in.

6. 1956 Ferrari 290 MM

Photo: Ferrari
Photo: Ferrari

Price: $28M

According to Fortune, This Scuderia Ferrari team car was sold at RM Sotheby’s New York in 2015 for $28 million. As one of the most expensive vintage cars, the ‘56 Ferrari 290 MM is a legendary vehicle that appreciates in value faster than virtually any other collectible car.

When collectors buy vintage cars, they usually buy them for the history; and this 1956 290MM model has got a lot of it. Bodied by Scaglietti, this beautiful convertible has gone on to compete in numerous races, most notably placing 4th in the 1956 Mille Miglia, driven by formula 1 racer and five-time World Drivers' Champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

The car is in pristine condition, but it's not all looks - inside the vent-mounted bonnet Ferrari placed a then-impressive 3.5L V12 throwing 320 horsepower straight to the ground. RM Sotheby's sold it in 2015, and for no less than 28,050,000 dollars.

5. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Formula 1

Photo: Oldliquorsmagazine
Photo: Oldliquorsmagazine

Price: $29M

Also known as the most expensive Mercedes-Benz ever sold, this mint-condition vintage formula 1 car has earned the famed Juan Manuel Fangio two successive Grand Prix wins - one in Germany and one in Switzerland.

In December 1955, after appearing in a total of five world championship Grand Prix races, the car was finally retired to the Daimler-Benz museum, until 2013, when it was sold for a whopping $29,650,095. At the time when Bonhams reported the sale, the W196 was the most expensive car to ever be sold at a public auction.

When Formula 1 racing resumed after WWII, some of that technology was refined and adapted for automotive use and the Mercedes 2.5 litre, straight 8 was designed for direct fuel injection as used on the famous ME109 fighters of the Luftwaffe. These cars totally dominated racing in the mid-1950s until the spectacular accident at Le Mans in 1955.

Chassis number 00006/54, as driven by Juan Manuel Fangio himself and the only example in private hands, was sold by Bonhams in 2013.

RELATED: Top 10 Mercedes - Most Expensive Cars of All Time

4. 1964 Ferrari 275 P

Photo: Ultimatecarpage
Photo: Ultimatecarpage

Price: $30.1M

The stunning 1964 Ferrari 275 P won Le Mans on two separate occasions, making it one of the most sought-after cars in the world. Powered by a 3.2-litre V12 engine, the ’64 Ferrari 275 P boasts more than 300bhp and weighs only 775kg. The three other vehicles of its kind are held in private collections, making this vehicle one of the rarest and most prized of the Ferrari Scuderia lineup.

The Ferrari 275 P is a development of the Ferrari 250 P, rather than being based on the 275 road car. The Ferrari 275 P has an increased displacement and a slightly different body. Under the hood you’ll find a bored-out 3.3-L V12 based on the 250 TR, which was previously used in the 250 P. Simultaneously, Ferrari introduced the 330 P, which was slightly more powerful than the 250 P, but both were raced and enjoyed by customers. Some liked the nimble feel of the 275 and some preferred the increased power output of the 330 P. Unfortunately, all four 250 P chassis were used for the 275 and 330 variants.

Ferrari 275 P and 330 P racing cars were actively and successfully raced by Scuderia Ferrari, N.A.R.T. and Maranello Concessionaires in the 1964/65 seasons. The most notable result was a 1-2-3 finish at the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans.

3. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 S N.A.R.T. Spider By Scaglietti

Photo: Motorauthority
Photo: Motorauthority

Price: $30.38M

Out of its original planned production line of 25, only 10 of these Spiders were ever made due to lack of demand. But a man named Eddie Smith thought it was one of the coolest cars in the world.

In 1968 he purchased a 275GTB NART Spider for between $8,000 and $14,500 ($59,000-$107,000 in 2019) and refused to sell it, even to Steve McQueen after the actor crashed his own NART Spider according to Car and Driver.

Eddie Smith passed away in 2007, leaving the car to his son, Eddie Jr. He put it up for auction in 2013, where it fetched $25 million at auction ($27.5 million with fees). He gave the proceeds away to charity.

2. Under the Hood: 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider

Photo: Time
Photo: Time

Price: $35.7M

This magnificent 1957 Ferrari 335 S features stunning Scagletti coachwork and a 4.1-liter V12. According to MotorTrend, it sold for a reported $35.7 million at auction house Artcurial. For a time, the automobile led the 1957 Le Mans before dropping to fifth due to mechanical errors. On February 5th, 2016, the world’s most expensive ’57 Ferrari 335 S sold in Paris for a sum north of $30 million.

Attached to any vintage racing car, Scaglietti's name is bound to blast its value through the roof, and the 335 Sport is no exception. One of four ever produced, this 335 Sport left the factory with a 3.8L V12 producing roughly 360 hp. However, after finishing 6th in the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race in 1957, Ferrari decided to upgrade it with a 4.1 liter engine that boosted its power output closer to 400 horsepower. It went on to feature in races ranging from Mille Miglia to the 24-hour Le Mans and Grand Prix. At an Artcurial auction held in Paris on February 5, 2016, the car was finally sold for $35.7 million.

1. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

Photo: Tapchitaichinh
Photo: Tapchitaichinh

Price: $70M

Few vehicles are as legendary as the mighty ‘63 Ferrari 250 GTO. Arguably the most expensive classic car ever built, only 36 of these vehicles were ever produced. This ride is an undeniable collectible that became the most expensive classic car in the world when it was sold to WeatherTech founder David MacNeil for $70 million in 2018.

The Ferrari 250 GTO is the holy grail of car collectors. Only 36 were ever built, and this particular legendary motor car is worth more than Kanye and Kim Kardashian’s house. It smashed car auction sales records by selling for $48.405 million in 2018, or $10 million more than the last record holder, another GTO, which had sold for $38.115 million in 2014 ($41.4 million today).

Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi drove the record-breaking Ferrari to victory in the 1962 Italian GT Championship and it’s only one of seven with Series II coachwork. The car’s history is fascinating.

But this GTO isn’t even the most expensive GTO ever sold. A silver 1963 GTO sold to the founder of WeatherTech for $70 million in 2018 in a private sale. That car won the 1964 Tour de France,

RELATED: Most Expensive Car of All Time - 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO - in the World

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