The most expensive car ever sold at auction is the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which fetched about $142 million (€135 million) in May 2022, as of October 2026. This ranking covers the ten highest verified auction prices for single cars, converted to dollars and including buyer’s fees. Ferrari holds seven of the ten places, and three cars passed $50 million.
| Rank | Car | Price paid (with fees) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé | about $142 million | 2022 |
| 2 | Mercedes-Benz W196 R Stromlinienwagen | about $54 million | 2025 |
| 3 | Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO | $51.7 million | 2023 |
| 4 | Ferrari 250 GTO | $48.4 million | 2018 |
| 5 | Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe | $42.9 million | 2026 |
| 6 | Ferrari Luce “Tailor Made” (new car, charity sale) | $40 million | 2026 |
| 7 | Ferrari 250 GTO (Bianco Speciale) | $38.5 million | 2026 |
| 8 | Ferrari 250 GTO (Violati) | $38.1 million | 2014 |
| 9 | Ferrari 250 LM | $36.3 million | 2025 |
| 10 | Ferrari 335 S | $35.7 million | 2016 |
Which sales just missed the top 10?
Five records sit just below the cut. A 1967 Ferrari 412P sold for $30.3 million in 2023, the 1954 W196 that Fangio drove sold for $29.6 million in 2013, a 1956 Ferrari 290 MM went for $28.05 million in 2015, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider fetched $27.5 million in 2013, and the 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale reached $26.4 million in 2014.
What about private sales?
Private deals are not public, so we leave them out of the ranking. A 250 GTO was reportedly sold privately in 2018 for about $70 million, but neither party confirmed the figure. We rank only prices with a result on record.
The ranked list
1. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé: about $142 million
Only two Uhlenhaut Coupés were built, as road-going versions of the 300 SLR race car. RM Sotheby’s sold one in May 2022 for €135 million (about $142 million), the highest price ever paid for a car at auction.
The sale took place at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart with a private buyer, and the price is about 2.6 times the car in second place.
How we valued it: final price with fees at the May 2022 RM Sotheby’s sale, converted to dollars at the sale-date rate.
2. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R Stromlinienwagen: about $54 million
The streamlined W196 R is the Grand Prix car Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss drove in 1954 and 1955. This car sold at RM Sotheby’s on 1 February 2025 for €51.155 million including fees (about $54 million), the highest price ever paid for a racing car, again at the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
The buyer was not publicly named.
How we valued it: final price with buyer’s premium at RM Sotheby’s, February 2025, converted from euros.
3. Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO: $51.7 million
This is a 250 GTO converted to 330 LM specification, one of the rarest road-going racing Ferraris. It changed hands at RM Sotheby’s in New York on 13 November 2023 for $51.705 million including fees.
That makes it the most expensive Ferrari sold at auction.
How we valued it: RM Sotheby’s New York result of November 2023, fees included.
4. 1962 250 GTO (2018 sale): $48.4 million
The 250 GTO was built to win GT racing in the early 1960s, and only 36 were made. RM Sotheby’s Monterey sold this car on 26 August 2018 for $48.405 million, which held the Ferrari auction record until the 2023 sale above.
How we valued it: RM Sotheby’s Monterey final price, August 2018, with fees.
5. 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (CSX2300): $42.9 million
This is the third of six Daytona Coupes built, and it was once owned by Carroll Shelby. Gooding Christie’s sold it in Pebble Beach on 14 August 2026 for $42.905 million including fees, against a hammer price of $39 million.
No American car has ever sold for more at auction. The previous American record was $22 million for a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ in 2018.
How we valued it: final price with fees at Gooding Christie’s, August 2026.
6. Ferrari Luce “Tailor Made”: $40 million
This one is not a classic. It is the first Ferrari Luce, the brand’s first fully electric car, a one-off “Tailor Made” example marked as chassis 0. RM Sotheby’s sold it in Monterey in August 2026 for $40 million, with the buyer’s premium waived and the proceeds going to the Ferrari Foundation’s education programs.
How we valued it: reported hammer price at the August 2026 RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale, with no buyer’s fee. It is a new car sold for charity, so some collectors would not count it against vintage records.
7. 250 GTO in Bianco Speciale: $38.5 million
This 250 GTO, reported as the only one painted factory white, went at Mecum Kissimmee in January 2026 for $38.5 million including fees, on a $35 million hammer price. Reports disagree on its chassis number, so we do not state one.
How we valued it: Mecum Kissimmee final price, January 2026, with fees.
8. 250 GTO (Violati collection): $38.1 million
This was the car that topped our original 2017 ranking. It sold at Bonhams in California on 14 August 2014 for $38.115 million, and it came out of the Maranello Rosso collection of Fabrizio Violati.
It stood as the auction record for a car until 2018.
How we valued it: Bonhams final price, August 2014, with fees.
9. Ferrari 250 LM: $36.3 million
The 250 LM was Ferrari’s mid-engined Le Mans racer of the mid-1960s. A car sold at RM Sotheby’s on 5 February 2025 for about $36.3 million including fees.
How we valued it: final price with fees at the February 2025 RM Sotheby’s sale.
10. 1957 Ferrari 335 S: $35.7 million
Only four 335 S Spiders were built. This one came out of a long-held private collection before it sold at Artcurial in Paris on 15 February 2016 for $35.73 million.
We no longer repeat the claim that the buyer was a famous footballer, because it was never confirmed.
How we valued it: Artcurial Paris final price, February 2016, with fees.
Keep reading
- the fastest cars in the world: for the other side of the story: speed instead of auction value
- which car matches which wealth level: for what people actually drive at each net worth
FAQ
What is the most expensive car in the world?
The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, which sold for about $142 million (€135 million) at RM Sotheby’s in May 2022. It is the highest confirmed auction price for any car.
What is the most expensive Ferrari ever sold?
The 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO sold for $51.7 million at RM Sotheby’s in November 2023. The 250 GTO model also holds three other top 10 places.
What is the most expensive American car ever sold?
The 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (CSX2300) sold for $42.9 million in August 2026. It beat the previous American record of $22 million set in 2018.
Why are classic race cars so expensive?
Rarity, racing history and condition set the price. Most cars on this list were built in single digits or low double digits, and they carry race wins or famous drivers.
What changed since the 2017 version of this list?
The top moved from a $38.1 million Ferrari to a $142 million Mercedes-Benz, and the price needed to make the top 10 roughly doubled.
How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
For this list we used auction results including buyer’s fees, exchange rates on the sale date and the number of cars built. We ranked only sales with a public result on record.
Last updated: October 2026.
