The RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 auction will offer for sale the first winning Lewis Hamilton Mercedes F1 car, two CLKs, and several Porsches.
See also: 2023 RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas Sale Results
RM Sotheby’s collector car auction during the 2023 Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend has 18 cars on offer for which results in excess of a million dollars are expected. The top three cars, all very rare Mercedes cars, may be among the most expensive ever sold by the German brand and include the only Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 racer ever sold outside the company. Two LaFerraris — an Aperta and Rory McLlroy’s coupe — are also on offer.
RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 Sale
RM Sotheby’s: special auction in the Wynn Las Vegas on 17 November 2023 during the Las Vegas Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The auction will feature around three dozen cars and a couple of sport-related memorabilia. The auction will also feature football superstar Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey from his final NFL game — sale estimate $1,500,000 to $2,500,00.
Million-Dollar-Plus Cars at RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 Sale
The following cars on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 collector car auction have pre-sale upper estimates exceeding a million dollars:
| Year | Car | Estimate | |
| 1 | 2002 | Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster | 10,500,000 – 13,000,000 |
| 2 | 2013 | Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04 | 10,000,000 – 15,000,000 |
| 3 | 1999 | Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Coupe | 8,000,000 – 9,000,000 |
| 4 | 2017 | Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta | 5,300,000 – 5,800,000 |
| 5 | 2014 | Ferrari LaFerrari | 3,900,000 – 4,400,000 |
| 6 | 1990 | Ferrari F40 GT | 3,250,000 – 4,000,000 |
| 7 | 1994 | Bugatti EB110 Super Sport | 2,500,000 – 3,250,000 |
| 8 | 2015 | Porsche 918 ‘Weissach’ Spyder | 1,900,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 9 | 2012 | Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package | 1,800,000 – 2,400,000 |
| 10 | 2021 | McLaren Elva | 1,800,000 – 2,400,000 |
| 11 | 2008 | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | 1,800,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 12 | 2022 | Ferrari 812 Competizione | 1,650,000 – 1,950,000 |
| 13 | 1988 | Porsche 959 ‘Komfort’ | 1,650,000 – 1,850,000 |
| 14 | 2005 | Porsche Carrera GT | 1,500,000 – 1,750,000 |
| 15 | 1957 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1,300,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 16 | 1994 | Porsche 911 Turbo S 3.6 Package | 1,250,000 – 1,550,000 |
| 17 | 1994 | Porsche 911 Turbo S X85 Flat-Nose | 1,000,000 – 1,250,000 |
| 18 | 2012 | Lexus LFA | 900,000 – 1,200,000 |
Top Cars at RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 Sale
The most expensive cars in the RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 auction enter the sale with eyewatering high pre-sale estimates. However, apart from the seven most expensive cars, all others are offered without reserve and some bargains might be had if buyers don’t get caught up in the exuberance of the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.
Mercedes Cars at RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 Auction
The three most expensive cars on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 sale are extraordinary cars. All three Mercedes cars are very rare, models very rarely offered for sale, and coming with very high presale estimates (and presumable very high reserve prices too.) Only three Mercedes cars have ever sold for over $10 million at auction.
The 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04-04, driven by Lewis Hamilton, is the first Mercedes-AMG Petronas car ever offered for sale in a public auction. This was the car in which Lewis Hamilton won his first race for Mercedes (Hungarian GP 2013). Hamilton drove the car at 14 out of 19 races in the 2013 Formula 1 season. Only one other Hamilton F1 victory car has ever been sold at auction (and that was a McLaren). If the estimate of $10–$15 million is realized, this should be the most or second most expensive modern Formula 1 car ever.
The 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster was the third of only six ever made. Its 6.9-liter V12 engine produces 604 horsepower, which allows this roadster to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds and reach over 200 mph. However, despite the awesome potential, this roadster has only been driven for 170 km. This CLK GTR Roadster is in the USA on a “show or display” exemption. Only one CLK GTR Roadster has sold at auction and it achieved only $2.3 million at Bonhams Goodwood 2015 — new the roadsters sold for around $1.5 million.
The 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Coupe is almost a Silver Arrow for the street and is amongst the most sought-after homologation specials from Mercedes-Benz and AMG. This vehicle is the seventh of just 20 examples meticulously crafted by AMG’s Special Vehicle Construction Office and HWA AG to homologate their championship-winning FIA GT1 racecar. This CLK GTR has 7,015 km (4,358 miles) on the clock. The last CLK GTR Coupe sold at auction achieved $4.5 million at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2018.
Top Ferraris at RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 Sale
Three interesting Ferraris are among the top cars on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Las Vegas 2023 auction:
The 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, with only 2,072 miles, is a prime example of Ferrari’s flagship hypercar and finished in Nero Daytona with Nero leather and Rosso accents. It is the first used Aperta at auction — the final one produced sold for $10 million new in a charity auction.
In contrast, more than two dozen regular LaFerraris have sold at auction. The 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari was formerly owned by Rory Mcllroy and is finished in a rare Grigio Silverstone over red leather. The estimate is well towards the top end of previous results.
The 1990 Ferrari F40 GT is one of only 21 F40s raced in national or international GT championships in period. It is further one of only nine built to CSAI-GT specifications.