2026 (August): The ten most expensive cars sold at auction in 2026 include records for Shelby, McLaren, and Chevrolet, the most expensive electric car and charity lot ever, and many Ferraris.
The list of the ten most expensive cars sold at public auction in 2026 is dominated by Ferraris after some stunning results on classic and modern hypercars at auctions in the USA and Europe. However, the most expensive car thus far in 2026 is a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, which is also by far the most expensive American car ever. It is followed by the 2026 Ferrari Luce — by far the most expensive electric car, new car, and automotive charity lot ever.
Top-Ten Lists for: 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 & all time.
List of the Top Ten Most Expensive Cars Sold at Auction in 2026
The highest results achieved for the most expensive cars sold at public auction in 2026, with prices including premiums, were:
| R | Year | Car | Price ($) | Auction House | Auction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1964 | Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe*** | 42,905,000 | Gooding Christie’s | Pebble Beach |
| 2 | 2026 | Ferrari Luce ‘Tailor Made’*/** | 40,000,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Monterey |
| 3 | 1962 | Ferrari 250 GTO | 38,500,000 | Mecum | Kissimmee |
| 4 | 1996 | McLaren F1 GTR*** | 34,655,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Monterey |
| 5 | 1962 | Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider** | 19,520,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Monaco |
| 6 | 1963 | Ferrari 250 P** | 18,705,000 | Gooding Christie’s | Pebble Beach |
| 7 | 1963 | Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport*** | 18,705,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Monterey |
| 8 | 1963 | Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider | 18,150,000 | Mecum | Indianapolis |
| 9 | 2003 | Ferrari Enzo** | 17,875,000 | Mecum | Kissimmee |
| 10 | 2023 | Ferrari Daytona SP3 | 17,825,000 | RM Sotheby’s | Monterey |
| 11 | 1960 | Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider | 17,176,418 | RM Sotheby’s | Paris |
| 12 | 1960 | Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider | 16,505,000 | Gooding Christie’s | Amelia Island |
| 13 | 1996 | Ferrari F50** | 14,575,000 | Mecum | Monterey |
| 14 | 2003 | Ferrari Enzo | 15,185,000 | Broad Arrow | Amelia Island |
Note: Prices include the auction premium. May include post-hammer deals if the price was disclosed publicly.
*Charity lot **Model record ***Marque record
Updated / Verified: 18 August 2026
Most Expensive Cars of 2026 Sold at Public Auction
The most expensive car auction results thus far in 2026 include:
1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
The 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, chassis CSX2300, sold for $42,905,000 as the most expensive car at the Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach 2026 classic car auction. The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe set a new marque record and became the most expensive American-built car ever. It is also the highest Pebble Beach auction and Gooding Christie’s result ever.
This 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe was the third of only six Cobra Daytona Coupes created by Carroll Shelby with the explicit aim of defeating the Ferrari 250 GTOs. It was fitted with lightweight aluminium Carrozzeria Gransport coachwork designed by Peter Brock.
CSX2300 raced at Daytona (3rd in class / 6th overall) and Sebring (3rd in class) before joining the European campaign led by Alan Mann Racing, including in endurance races at Nürburgring (3rd in class) and Reims (2nd in class).
Carroll Shelby owned CSX2300 from 1975 to 1998.
2026 Ferrari Luce ‘Tailor Made’ — Record Charity Car
The 2026 Ferrari Luce ‘Tailor Made’, Chassis 0, achieved an astonishing $40 million as the most expensive car sold at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2026 classic car auction. It took the records for the most expensive charity car, new car, and electric car ever sold at public auction. It is the sixth-most expensive car ever and the third-most expensive Ferrari.
This Ferrari Luce will use the first production chassis of Ferrari’s first-ever all-electric car. It was donated by Ferrari with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting charitable initiatives through The Ferrari Foundation.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO “Bianco Speciale”
The unique white 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO “Bianco Speciale”, chassis 3729GT, sold for $38,500,000 as the most expensive car at the Mecum Kissimmee 2026 auction. The result was probably slightly disappointing and makes it only the third most expensive GTO ever, but still the highest result ever achieved at a Mecum auction.
The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO “Bianco Speciale”, chassis 3729GT, was originally owned by John Cooms, a prominent British racing team owner, and raced in period by, amongst others, Graham Hill, Mike Parkes, and Jack Sears. It achieved numerous second-place finishes overall, and some class wins.
The GTO has been raced, repaired, maintained, and refinished, but never fully restored. It is thus considered a highly original car.
1996 McLaren F1 GTR — Marque and British Car Record
The 1996 McLaren F1 GTR, chassis #10R, sold for a record $34,655,000 at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2026 as the most expensive British-built car and the most expensive McLaren ever sold at public auction.
The F1 GTR was the first of only two short-tail prototypes built as a development of the 1995 winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, chassis 01R.
It became famous both as Nick Mason’s car and for wearing the special McLaren factory livery in Blood Red with bold yellow “96 GTR” graphics, which led to its nickname “The Pop Art F1”.
1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider — Model Record
The most expensive car at the 2026 RM Sotheby’s Monaco classic car auction was the 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider by Scaglietti, which sold for a new model record €16,655,000 (USD 19,520,000). (The ex-Alain Delon 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, sold by Artcurial in Paris in 2015 as part of the barn-find Baillon Collection, held the record for a decade at €16,300,00 ($18,649,760 million at the time of sale).
The record Ferrari was the 26th of 56 short-wheelbase California Spiders built and one of only 39 originally fitted with covered headlamps. It was restored after 2019 and refinished in Blu Scuro over a red interior with a silver hardtop.
The only higher California Spider result ever was for a competition version: the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione, which sold for $25,305,000 at Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach 2025.
→ An unusually high number of California Spiders came to market in 2026.
1963 Ferrari 250 P
Ferrari’s first-ever “P” car, the 1963 Ferrari 250 P, chassis 0810, sold for $18,705,000, as the second-highest result at the Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach 2026 classic car auction.
The 250 P was Ferrari’s original mid-engine V-12 sports-racing prototype. Its success solidified the marque’s destiny in international endurance racing and defined its flagship 12-cylinder road and racing cars for decades.
As an official Scuderia Ferrari entry, 0810 finished 2nd Overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring and 3rd Overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Mike Parkes and Umberto Maglioli. In 1964 and 1965, it was campaigned by Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.) and William McKelvy’s Scuderia Bear.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport — Marque Record
The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, chassis #003, sold for $18,705,000 at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2026 sale to more than double the previous marque record.
This 1963 Corvette Grand Sport was one of only five ever built and the first of three coupes. It was sold in the blue number 2 livery it wore at its most memorable race: the Sebring 12 Hours, where it finished second in class in 1964 (and 3rd in 1965).
1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder
The 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder, chassis 4137GT, sold for $18,150,000 as the most expensive car in the Mecum Indy 2026 classic car auction. This covered-headlight version was the last of the 56 SWB California Spiders produced. It is a fully restored car that retained its original chassis, body, engine, and gearbox.
Chassis 4137GT was previously sold at Mecum Kissimmee 2024 for $17,875,000, so the price at Mecum Indy 2026 was only $275,000 higher, nominal, without taking into account auction costs. This was the joint fourth-highest result ever for a California Spider and the third-highest ever for a short-wheelbase, non-competition California Spider.
2003 Ferrari Enzo — Model Record
The 2003 Ferrari Enzo from the Bachman Collection sold for an incredible $17,875,000 at the Mecum Kissimmee 2026 auction — it more than tripled the existing Enzo model record.
The 2003 Ferrari Enzo was one of 400 produced, of which 127 were in US specification. It is one of 36 with Giallo Modena DS 4305 yellow paintwork, of which only 11 were delivered to the USA.
The record Enzo is one of the few customized by the Ferrari factory and is considered the most heavily optioned Enzo ever ordered. Phil Bachman even screwed on a few parts in person while watching the car being produced. It was sold with only 645 miles on the clock. A very special car, but an incredible result.
→ Many Ferrari Enzos have sold for record prices thus far in 2026.
2023 Ferrari Daytona SP3
The 2023 Ferrari Daytona SP3 sold for a remarkable $17,825,000, as the most expensive regular Ferrari lot at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2026 classic car auction.
This Atelier-configured example is finished in Giallo Triplo Strato with Nero racing stripes and shows only 227 miles despite two owners.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
The most expensive car in the RM Sotheby’s Paris 2026 sale was the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider by Scaglietti, chassis 1916 GT, which sold for €14,067,500 ($17,176,418).
It was the third of 56 short-wheelbase examples built and one of only 39 cars originally configured with covered headlamps. It retained its original engine, but the sale also included a spare purpose-built 3.8-litre engine completed by expert Piet Roelofs.
→ An unusually high number of California Spiders came to market in 2026.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
A 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider by Scaglietti, chassis 1963 GT, sold for $16,505,000 as the most expensive car in the Gooding Christie’s Amelia Island 2026 classic car auction.
This California Spider is a covered-headlamp version and sports a very rare factory hardtop. It is currently finished in a period-correct non-metallic dark blue. It was originally delivered in Germany but has been in the USA since the early 1960s.
→ An unusually high number of California Spiders came to market in 2026.
Million-Dollar-Plus Cars Sold at Public Auctions in 2026
In 2026, at least 393 cars* were sold at public live auctions for over a million dollars:
- January 114: 53 at Kissimmee (Mecum), 27 at Scottsdale / Arizona (13 – Barrett-Jackson, 13 – RM Sotheby’s, 1 – Bonhams), 31 at Paris (5 – Artcurial, 2 – Bonhams, 10 – Gooding Christie’s, 14 – RM Sotheby’s), 3 at Broad Arrows Europe Online.
- February 21: 4 at Palm Beach (4 – RM Sotheby’s), 21 at Miami (RM Sotheby’s)
- March 35: 33 at Amelia Island (13 – Gooding Christie’s, 20 – Broad Arrow), 2 at Glendale (Mecum).
- April 31: 1 at Houston (Mecum), 3 at Palm Beach (Barrett-Jackson), 1 at California Mille (Broad Arrow), 22 at Monaco (2 – Bonhams, 20 – RM Sotheby’s), 4 at Costa Mesa (Broad Arrow)
- May 38: 3 at Miami (Bonhams), 25 at Indianapolis (Mecum), 10 at Villa d’Este (Broad Arrow)
- June 4: 4 at Columbus, Ohio (Barrett-Jackson), 1 at DuPont Registry (Online)
- July 7: 3 at Tegernsee (RM Sotheby’s), 4 at Woodcote Park, UK (RM Sotheby’s)
- August 143: 143 at Monterey Car Week [2 – Bonhams (Laguna Seca) | 21 – Broad Arrow (The Quail) | 28 – Gooding Christie’s (Pebble Beach) | 23 – Mecum (Monterey) | 69 – RM Sotheby’s (Monterey)]
(*Definitions vary; results include auction premium, charity lots, and some post-hammer deals announced in the first published results of major auctioneers. Results of the online auction are only included if by major auction houses listed below or specifically mentioned.)
Million-dollar-plus cars sold by major auction houses in 2026:
- 144 – RM Sotheby’s
- 104 – Mecum
- 59 – Broad Arrow
- 51 – Gooding Christie’s
- 20 – Barrett-Jackson
- 10 – Bonhams
- 5 – Artcurial
Most Expensive Cars Auction Series in 2026
The list takes the published results of the following 2026 auctions into consideration:
- January: Kissimmee (Mecum, White 250 GTO), Scottsdale / Arizona (RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams, Barrett-Jackson), Paris (Rétromobile — Artcurial, Bonhams, RM Sotheby’s, Gooding Christie’s), Online (Broad Arrows).
- February: Palm Beach (RM Sotheby’s), Miami (RM Sotheby’s).
- March: Amelia Island (Broad Arrow, Gooding Christie’s, Glendale (Mecum).
- April: Houston (Mecum), Barrett-Jackson (Palm Beach), Goodwood Members (Bonhams), Monaco (Bonhams, RM Sotheby’s), California Mille (Broad Arrow), Costa Mesa, California (Broad Arrow).
- May: Miami (Bonhams), Indianapolis (Mecum — Top Ferraris), Villa Erba (Broad Arrow), Greenwich (Bonhams).
- June: Tulsa (Mecum), DuPont Registry (online), Reno (Bonhams).
- July: Tegernsee, Germany (RM Sotheby’s), Woodcote Park, UK (RM Sotheby’s), Harrisburg (Mecum), Columbus, Ohio (Barrett-Jackson).
- August: Monterey Car Week (Bonhams | Broad Arrow | Gooding Christie’s (Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe) | Mecum | RM Sotheby’s (McLaren F1 GTR, Ferrari Luce, Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport)
Next Major Classic Car Auctions in 2026:
- September: Goodwood Revival (Bonhams), Zurich (RM Sotheby’s), Nashville (Mecum), Las Vegas (Barrett-Jackson).
- October: Hershey (RM Sotheby’s), Dallas (Mecum), Audrain-Newport (Broad Arrow), Zoute Belgium (Bonhams, Broad Arrow), Las Vegas (Broad Arrow), London (Bonhams, RM Sotheby’s), Paris (Artcurial).
- November: Las Vegas (Mecum, Broad Arrow), Zurich (Broad Arrow), New York (Gooding Christie’s), Munich (RM Sotheby’s).
- December: Kansas (Mecum).
- January 2027: Kissimmee (Mecum), Scottsdale / Arizona (RM Sotheby’s, Barrett-Jackson).
- February 2027: Paris Rétromobile (RM Sotheby’s, Gooding Christie’s, Broad Arrow, Artcurial)
- March 2027: Glendale (Mecum)