2023 (February): The most expensive cars sold at auction thus far in 2023 are a 2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée, 1951 Ferrari 340 America, and a 1912 Simplex.
The list of the ten most expensive cars sold at public auction thus far in 2023 spans more than a century from the 1912 Simplex to the unique 2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée. The most expensive cars thus far in 2022 were sold at Scottsdale, Arizona, and Paris by RM Sotheby’s, Artcurial, and Bonhams. Expect the list to change again after the Amelia Island sales in Florida, USA, in March 2023.
Top-Ten Lists for: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 & all time.
List of the Top Ten Most Expensive Cars Sold at Auction in 2023
The 10 highest results achieved for cars sold at public auction thus far in 2023:
| Year | Car | Price ($) | Auction House | Auction | |
| 1 | 2022 | Bugatti Chiron Profilée | 10,677,742 | RM Sotheby’s | Paris |
| 2 | 1951 | Ferrari 340 America Barchetta Touring Superleggera | HP* 5,428,962 | Artcurial | Paris |
| 3 | 1912 | Simplex 50 HP 5 Passenger Torpedo Tourer | 4,845,000 | Bonhams | Scottsdale |
| 4 | 2003 | Ferrari Enzo | 4,421,572 | RM Sotheby’s | Paris |
| 5 | 2014 | Ferrari LaFerrari | 4,075,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Arizona |
| 6 | 1991 | Ferrari 643 | 3,992,227 | RM Sotheby’s | Paris |
| 7 | 2006 | Maserati MC12 Corse | 3,811,000 | Bonhams | Scottsdale |
| 8 | 1971 | Lamborghini Miura P400 SV | 3,580,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Arizona |
| 9 | 1967 | Ferrari 275 GTB/4 | 3,378,877 | RM Sotheby’s | Paris |
| 10 | 1967 | Ferrari 275 GTB/4 | 3,360,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Arizona |
| 11 | 1969 | Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ZL-1 Convertible | 3,140,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Arizona |
Note: *HP = hammer price, other prices include the auction premium. May include post-hammer deals and charity lots if the price was disclosed publicly.
Most Expensive Cars of 2023 Sold at Public Auction
The most expensive cars sold at public auction thus far in 2023 were:
2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée
The unique 2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée sold for €9,792,5000 (US $10,677,74) as the most expensive car in the RM Sotheby’s Paris 2023 classic car auction. This was the highest price ever paid in a public auction for a new car and also set the new Chiron model record. It is the second-most-expensive Bugatti ever in nominal terms and only the fifth Buggati ever to achieve over $10 million at a public auction.
The 2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée was developed as a less radical interpretation of the Chiron Pur Sport but as production slots for all 500 Bugatti Chirons were already filled, only this one example was ever produced. The Profilée, with a top speed of 380 km/h, integrated aspects of the Pur Sport character, while maintaining the elegance of models like Chiron or Chiron Sport. The Profilée is the last Bugatti to be sold with the iconic W-16 quad-turbo engine and has a European single-type approval.
1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta Touring Superleggera
The 1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta Touring Superleggera sold for €4,950,00 (hammer price, excluding auction premium) as the most expensive car at the Artcurial Paris Retromobile 2023 classic car auction after a bid of €20 million was insufficient to buy the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM.
The 340 America’s in-period racing history included participating in the Hours of Le Mans 1951, Tourist Trophy 1951 with Mike Hawthorn, 12 Hours of Sebring 1953, and Daytona Speed Week 1954.
1912 Simplex 50hp 5 Passenger Torpedo Tourer
A 1912 Simplex 50hp 5 Passenger Torpedo Tourer sold for a sensational $4,845,000 as the top result at the Bonhams Scottsdale 2023 classic car auction and the most expensive car sold during the 2023 Scottsdale auction week.
The result was nearly double the presale estimate making the 1912 Simplex 50hp 5 Passenger Torpedo Tourer the most expensive pre-First World War car ever sold at public auction. It also took the Simplex marque record.
This remarkable car had an equally remarkable first owner — US tennis superstar Eleanora Sears, who received it as a gift from her fiance Harold Vanderbilt (but they never married). She is considered one of the first female motorists in the US, one of the first women to drive a racing car, and the first woman to contest a speeding ticket.
2003 Ferrari Enzo
The 2003 Ferrari Enzo sold for €4,055,000 ($4,421,572) as the second-most-expensive car in the RM Sotheby’s Paris 2023 classic car auction. This Enzo was finished in a rare black over black (Nero) and was fitted from new with large-sized racing seats. This is the second-highest result for an Enzo ever at a public auction. The record holder remains the final of 400 Enzos produced: the 2005 Ferrari Enzo that was donated to Pope John Paul II that sold for $6,050,000 at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2015.
2014 Ferrari LaFerrari
A 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari finished in Blu Elettrico over Crema leather sold for $4,075,000 as the top result in the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2023 classic car auction. This LaFerrari was delivered new to Ferrari super-collector Greg Whitten and had only 3,185 miles on the odometer. Although this result was just within the presale estimate of $4,000,000 – $4,500,000, it was still the best LaFerrari auction result since a LaFerrari sold for $5,170,000 at Mecum Monterey 2016.
1991 Ferrari 643
The 1991 Ferrari 643 Formula 1 Single-Seater race car sold for just less than $4 million at the RM Sotheby’s Paris 2023 auction. The result was quite remarkable given the car’s lack of racing success — its best finish was 4th in the French Grand Prix while being driven by Jean Alesi.
2006 Maserati MC12 Corse
A 2006 Maserati MC12 Corse sold for model-record $3,811,000, as the second most expensive car at Bonhams Scottsdale 2023. The MC12 Corse, a non-competition track day car, was developed from the GT1 racing car in which Maserati won the FIA GT World Championship twice. Free from competition rule restrictions, the track-day car was actually more powerful than the official racing variant. This was the third of only 12 produced and had only 123 miles on the clock.
1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV
The second most expensive car in the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2023 auction was a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone that achieved $3,580,000. This Miura was one of 150 SV examples built and with a color combination of Blu Notte over light gray. It was desirably equipped with air conditioning and a split-sump lubrication system.
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 sold for $3,378,877 at RM Sotheby’s Paris 2023 was the most expensive of the three GTB/4s sold during the first six weeks of 2023. This matching numbers car was finished in silver over black.
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti was at $3,360,000 the third-highest result at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2023 sale. This largely original and well-preserved example, presented in its original color combination of silver of black, had only four previous owners, including a 45-year period of single-family ownership. It was the 203rd of 330 examples built.
1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ZL-1 Convertible
The most-expensive American car in the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2023 auction was a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ZL-1 Convertible – the only convertible ZL-1 that sold for $3,140,000. Bloomington Gold Certified, and one of two factory aluminum 427 ZL-1 Corvettes, this ZL-1 was powered by its factory-correct, date-coded, all-aluminum ZL-1 427-cu. in. V-8 engine and an accurate, award-winning restoration by Kevin Mackay of Corvette Repair, Inc. The auction was the first time that the ZL-1 Convertible had ever been offered publicly and the result was one of only a handful of Corvettes to ever have sold for over $3 million.
Million-Dollar-Plus Cars Sold at Public Auctions in 2023
In 2023, at least* 49 cars were sold at public auctions for over a million dollars. (*Definitions vary, results include auction premium, charity lots, and post-hammer deals announced in first published results.)
- January 35 — 13 at Kissimmee (13 – Mecum), 22 at Scottsdale / Arizona (12 – RM Sotheby’s, 6 – Bonhams, 4 – Barrett-Jackson)
- February 20 — 20 at Paris (14 – RM Sotheby’s, 6 – Bonhams)
In the battle of the auction houses:
- 26 – RM Sotheby’s
- 13 – Mecum
- 12 – Bonhams
- 4 – Barrett-Jackson
- 0 – Artcurial
- 0 – Gooding & Co
- 0 — Broad Arrow
The list takes the published results of the following 2023 auctions into consideration:
- January: Kissimmee (Mecum), Scottsdale / Arizona (Barrett-Jackson, Bonhams, RM Sotheby’s)
- February: Paris (RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams)
The next major classic car auctions in 2023 include:
- February: Paris (Artcurial)
- March: Amelia Island (Bonhams, Broad Arrows, Gooding, RM Sotheby’s), Glendale (Mecum)
- April: Goodwood Members (Bonhams), Houston (Mecum), Palm Beach (Barrett-Jackson)
- May: Villa Erba (RM Sotheby’s), Indianapolis (Mecum)
- June: Greenwich (Bonhams), Bonmont-Geneva (Bonhams), Le Mans (RM Sotheby’s), Tulsa (Mecum)
- July: Goodwood-Festival of Speed (Bonhams), Kissimmee (Mecum), Harrisburg (Mecum), Carrera Collection (RM Sotheby’s)
- August: Monterey Week (Bonhams at Quail Lodge, Broad Arrow, Gooding at Pebble Beach, Mecum, RM Sotheby’s)
- September: Goodwood Revival (Bonhams), Dallas (Mecum), Audrain-Newport (Bonhams)
- October: Indianapolis (Mecum), The Zoute (Bonhams)
- November: Las Vegas (Mecum), London (Bonhams), F1 Abu Dhabi (Bonhams)
- December: Kansas City (Mecum), London (Bonhams)