2025 (mid-August): The ten most expensive cars sold at auction thus far in 2025 include a mix of modern hypercars and classics from the mid-century, as well as the most expensive Formula 1 Grand Prix car ever, the most expensive Le Mans race winner, and the most expensive new car sold for charity.
The list of the ten most expensive cars sold at public auction so far in 2025 is led by the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Stromlinien racing car — the most expensive Formula 1 single-seat racer ever. The second most expensive car in 2025 is the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, which is the most expensive Le Mans race winner ever. It is followed by two Ferrari model-record cars: a new Daytone SP3 sold for charity and the most expensive Ferrari California Spider ever. The top results also include the 2001 Ferrari F2001, in which Michael Schumacher won the Monaco Grand Prix. The 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II is the most expensive Ford ever sold at auction.
Top-Ten Lists for: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 & all time.
List of the Top Ten Most Expensive Cars Sold at Auction in 2025
The 10 highest results achieved for the most expensive cars sold at public auction thus far in 2025:
| R | Year | Car | Price ($) | Auction House | Auction |
| 1 | 1954 | Mercedes-Benz W196R Streamliner F1 | 53,917,370 | RM Sotheby’s | Stuttgart |
| 2 | 1964 | Ferrari 250 LM | 36,344,960 | RM Sotheby’s | Paris |
| 3 | 2025 | Ferrari Daytone SP3 ‘Tailor Made’* | 26,000,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Monterey |
| 4 | 1961 | Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione | 25,305,000 | Gooding Christie’s | Pebble Beach |
| 5 | 2001 | Ferrari F2001 F1 Racer | 18,392,980 | RM Sotheby’s | Monaco |
| 6 | 1966 | Ford GT Mk II | 13,205,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Miami |
| 7 | 1993 | Ferrari F40 LM by Michelotto | 11,005,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Monterey |
| =8 | 1955 | Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta | 9,465,000 | Gooding Christie’s | Amelia Island |
| =8 | 1959 | Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione | 9,465,000 | Broad Arrow | Amelia Island |
| 10 | 1995 | Ferrari F50 | 9,245,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Monterey |
| 11 | 1948 | Ferrari 166 Spyder Cora by Ansaloni | 8,864,200 | Broad Arrow | Villa Erba |
| 12 | 2020 | Bugatti Divo | 8,557,500 | Bonhams | Quail Lodge |
Note: Prices include the auction premium. May include post-hammer deals if the price was disclosed publicly and *charity lots.
Most Expensive Cars of 2025 Sold at Public Auction
The most expensive cars sold thus far in the calendar year 2025 at public auctions were:
1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1
The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 car driven by Fangio and Moss sold for €51,155,000 ($53,917,370) at a special RM Sotheby’s auction at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, as the most expensive F1 racing car ever and the second most expensive car ever sold at auction. It was only the third time ever that a car sold for more than $50 million at a public auction.
This racing car is one of only 14 W196R chassis ever produced, of which ten survived and only four wear the special Stromlinien (Streamliner) coachwork. It was sold by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum to finance expansion and was only the second W196R ever offered at public auction.
1964 Ferrari 250 LM
The 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti, chassis #5893, sold for a model record €34,880,000 ($36,344,960) at the RM Sotheby’s Paris Rétromobile 2025 classic car auction. This 250 LM won the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours race and the sale set a new record for a Le Mans race-winning car.
This 1964 Ferrari 250 LM had a remarkable in-period racing history. Not only was it the only privateer Ferrari to have won Le Mans outright but it also participated in a record six 24-hour races: three times at Le Mans and three times at Daytona. In 1970, the seven-year-old Ferrari still finished a remarkable seventh at Daytona — its final race before spending the next five decades in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 ‘Tailor Made’
The 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 ‘Tailor Made’ sold, as a charity lot, for an extraordinary $26,000,000, as the most expensive car sold in the RM Monterey 2025 auction and the highest price paid for a car during the annual Pebble Beach / Monterey motor week in California, USA. The car was donated by Ferrari and sold to benefit The Ferrari Foundation. The result not only set a model record but is also the highest price ever paid for a new car as a charity lot.
The black and yellow SP3 was produced as the 599 plus one edition with exposed carbon fibre and giallo Modena details. The regular price for a Daytona SP3 is around $2.3 million before options.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider Competizione
The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider Competizione, chassis 2383 GT, sold for a model record $25,305,000 at the Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach 2025 sale. It was the most expensive regular lot car sold in the 2025 Monterey / Pebble Beach motoring week auctions. It was also the most expensive car ever sold by Gooding Christie’s.
Of the 56 California Spider SWB cars, Ferrari built only three with lightweight aluminum coachwork, of which chassis 2383GT is one of only two completed to full competition specification. It was raced in period in German and Austrian hill climbs and circuit races.
2001 Ferrari F2001 Formula 1 racer
The 2001 Ferrari F2001 Formula 1 racer sold for €15,980,000 ($18,392,980), as the most expensive Ferrari F1 car ever. It was the second time this car took that record — it achieved a then-record $7.5 million at the RM Sotheby’s 2017 New York auction.
Michael Schumacher achieved his fifth and final Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix victory in this Ferrari, chassis 211, in 2001. He drove the same chassis to victory at the Hungaroring later in the year to clinch his fourth (of eventually seven) Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship with four races to spare. This was his second championship (of five) with Ferrari and secured Ferrari its 11th Constructors’ Championship.
The result made the Ferrari F2001 the fourth most expensive Formula 1 racing car ever sold at public auction.
1966 Ford GT40 Mk II
The 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II, chassis P/1032, sold for a marque-record $13,205,000 as the most expensive car at the RM Sotheby’s Moda Miami 2025 sale. It became the most expensive Ford ever sold at public auction — the previous record was $11 million paid for a 1968 Ford GT40 Lightweight at RM Auctions Monterey 2012.
The record 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II was raced by Holman-Moody at the famous 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours race but it retired early with mechanical issues. Its best result was second at the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring Race. It was the third most expensive car sold by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
1993 Ferrari F40 LM by Michelotto
The 1993 Ferrari F40 LM by Michelotto sold for a magnificent $11,005,000 at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2025 sale. The result was more than a million above the upper estimate and doubled the previous F40 model record price of the 1987 Ferrari F40 LM, chassis 74045, sold for €4,3842,500 ($5,568,875) at the RM Sotheby’s Paris 2019 sale.
This 1993 Ferrari F40 LM was the 14th of only 19 examples built by Michelotto to GTC specification, which featured the most powerful F40 engines. This F40 was the Winner of the Ferrari: Passion and Performance Collection class at the 2025 ModaMiami concourse.
1955 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta
A 1955 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta sold for $9,465,000 as the most expensive car in the Gooding Christie’s Amelia Island 2025 classic car auction. This Ferrari, chassis 0472 AM, is one of only 22 cars built on the 375 MM chassis, of which only four were road-going berlinettas sold to VIP customers. It had only three previous owners and was in the collection of Fred Leydorf since 1969.
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione
A silver 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione with coachwork by Scaglietti was the most expensive car at the Broad Arrow Amelia Island 2025 classic car auction. It sold for a relatively low $9,465,000. The seller bought this California Spider for $17,990,000 at the RM Sotheby’s New York 2017 auction.
The second of only eight aluminum-bodied Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione examples ever produced, chassis no. 1451 GT, boasts an impeccable Le Mans history. Its first owner, Robert “Bob” Grossman, and co-driver Fernand Tavano achieved the single most successful result in a 250 GT California Spider in competition, securing a remarkable fifth-place overall finish and third in the GT Class at Le Mans.
1995 Ferrari F50
The ex-Ralph Lauren, yellow 1995 Ferrari F50 sold for $9,245,000 at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2025 sale. The result, almost $2 million above the pre-sale upper estimate, increased the F50 model record from the $5,532,500 paid for a 1996 Ferrari F50 at the RM Sotheby’s Moda Miami 2025 classic car auction.
Of the 349 F50s produced, only 55 were US-spec, of which only four were non-red examples and only two finished in yellow. Originally ordered by Ralph Lauren, this Ferrari F50 remained in his collection until 2003. It has since remained in single, quietly preserved for 22 years, with a brief public showing at the Cavallino Classic in 2009. It shows just 5,300 miles.
1948 Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa by Ansaloni
A 1948 Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa by Ansaloni sold for €7,543,750 ($8,864,200) as the top result at the Broad Arrows sale during the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2025 in Italy. The result set a new model record. This 166 Spyder Corsa was one of two commissioned by the Besana brothers, some of Ferrari’s earliest customers, and participated in, amongst others, the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio.
2020 Bugatti Divo
The 2020 Bugatti Divo sold for $8,557,500, as the most expensive car result in the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2025 classic car auction. It set the model record as the first Divo sold at auction-
Bugatti produced only 40 Divo models, based on the Chiron. The 2020 Bugatti Divo sold, had fewer than 800 miles from new, and was one of the stars of the recent exhibition ‘Hypercars: The Allure of the Extreme’ at the Petersen Museum, a showcase of one of the ultimate expressions of the word ‘hypercar’.
Million-Dollar-Plus Cars Sold at Public Auctions in 2025
Thus far in 2025, at least 203 cars have been 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 26: 9 at Kissimmee (9 – Mecum), 17 at Arizona / Scottsdale (9 – Barrett-Jackson, 7 – RM Sotheby’s, 1 – Bonhams)
- February 29: 1 at Stuttgart (1 – RM Sotheby’s), 14 at Paris (4 – Artcurial, 2 – Bonhams, 8 – RM Sotheby’s), 1 at Las Vegas (1 – Mecum — Most Expensive Motorcycle Ever), 2 at San Francisco (2 – Broad Arrow), 13 at Miami (13 – RM Sotheby’s)
- March 25: 25 at Amelia Island (16 – Gooding Christie’s, 9 – Broad Arrow)
- April 5: 4 at Costa Mesa (4 – Broad Arrow), 1 at Houston (1 – Mecum)
- May 19: 1 at Miami (1 – Bonhams), 3 at Indianapolis (3 – Mecum), 1 at Monaco (1 – RM Sotheby’s), 7 at Milan (7 – RM Sotheby’s), 7 at Villa d’Este (7 – Broad Arrow)
- June 1: 1 at Bonmont-Geneva (1- Bonhams)
- July 4: 4 at Goodwood (4 – Bonhams)
- August 92: Monterey Week 92: Monterey (13 – Broad Arrows, 6 – Mecum, 37 – RM Sotheby’s), Quail Lodge (9 – Bonhams), Pebble Beach (27 – Gooding)
In the battle of the auction houses:
- 74 – RM Sotheby’s
- 43 – Gooding Christie’s
- 35 – Broad Arrow
- 20 – Mecum
- 18 – Bonhams
- 9 – Barrett-Jackson
- 4 – Artcurial
- 0 – Worldwide
Most Expensive Cars Auction Series in 2025
The list takes the published results of the following 2025 auctions into consideration:
- January: Kissimmee (Mecum), Scottsdale / Arizona (RM Sotheby’s, Barrett-Jackson, Bonhams).
- February: Stuttgart (RM Sotheby’s – W196R), Paris (Artcurial, Bonhams, RM Sotheby’s – 250 LM, Bonhams), Las Vegas (Mecum – Most Expensive Motorcycle Ever), Miami (RM Sotheby’s incl. Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum cars), San Francisco (Broad Arrow).
- March: Amelia Island (Gooding Christie’s, Broad Arrow), Glendale (Mecum)
- April: Goodwood Members (Bonhams), Houston (Mecum), Palm Beach (Barrett-Jackson), Costa Mesa – Porsche (Broad Arrow).
- May: Miami (Bonhams), Milan (RM Sotheby’s), Monaco (RM Sotheby’s), Indianapolis (Mecum), Villa d’Este (Broad Arrow)
- June: Bonmont-Geneva (Bonhams), Tulsa (Mecum), Cliveden House, England (RM Sotheby’s)
- July: Festival of Speed (Bonhams), Kissimmee (Mecum), Harrisburg (Mecum)
- August: Monterey Week: Monterey (Broad Arrows, Mecum, RM Sotheby’s), Quail Lodge (Bonhams), Pebble Beach (Gooding)
Next Major Classic Car Auctions in 2025:
- September: London (Gooding), Dallas (Mecum), Goodwood Revival (Bonhams), Beaulieu (Bonhams), Long Beach (Gooding).
- October: Indianapolis (Mecum), Audrain-Newport (Bonhams), Zoute (Bonhams, Broad Arrow), Scottsdale (Barrett-Jackson), Las Vegas (Mecum, Broad Arrow), Hershey (RM Sotheby’s), Munich (RM Sotheby’s).
- November: Zurich (Broad Arrow), London (Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s), Las Vegas (RM Sotheby’s), Munich (RM Sotheby’s)
- December: Dubai (RM Sotheby’s), Kansas (Mecum), London (Bonhams).
- January 2026: Kissimmee (Mecum — White Ferrari 250 GTO)