The 2026 Mecum Auctions event in Kissimmee has secured its place as one of the most remarkable collector car sales in recent history, highlighted by the $38.5 million sale of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. The final totals told the story of an extraordinary week, with dozens of vehicles surpassing the million-dollar mark and the top 10 sales alone exceeding $130 million. At the center of it all stood Ferrari, once again dominating the upper tiers of the auction results.
The $12 Million GT40 Confusion — And What It Might Signal for the Collector Car Market
The undisputed headline car was the Ferrari 250 GTO, a model long regarded as the ultimate prize in the collector car world. This particular example was especially distinctive. Built in 1962, it is the only 250 GTO finished from the factory in white, a shade known as Bianco Speciale. While most GTOs are associated with traditional racing colors, this car’s understated appearance has made it one of the most recognizable and discussed examples of the model.
Its appeal extended beyond color alone. The car has never undergone a full restoration, retaining much of its originality despite a light repaint earlier in its life. That preservation has allowed it to remain a rare, authentic representation of Ferrari’s golden era of competition. Previously owned by Jon Shirley, the former president of Microsoft, the GTO had been carefully maintained since he acquired it in the late 1990s.
When bidding opened in Kissimmee, attention quickly turned to the unidentified buyer participating by phone. As bids climbed past $34 million and then crossed $38 million, speculation intensified. When the gavel finally fell at $38.5 million, the identity of the new owner remained unknown, adding another layer of intrigue to the historic sale.
That mystery was resolved days later with confirmation that the buyer was David Lee, a California-based entrepreneur of Hong Kong origin and head of the Hing Wa Lee luxury watch and jewelry group. Lee is widely recognized among Ferrari enthusiasts for his extensive collection, which includes roughly 20 examples of the marque. His collection is famously organized by color rather than model or era, grouping red cars as “ketchup,” yellow cars as “mustard,” and all other hues into a broader category often referred to as “vegetables.”
The addition of the white 250 GTO represents a milestone within that unconventional framework. Already valued at more than $100 million before the purchase, Lee’s collection now includes one of the most important Ferraris ever built. While the price did not surpass the $52 million paid for another 250 GTO in 2013, the Bianco Speciale car’s uniqueness and originality have secured its place as the most expensive vehicle ever sold at a Mecum auction.
With this acquisition, Lee completes a long-standing personal pursuit, adding an irreplaceable piece of Ferrari history to a collection defined as much by personality as by rarity.
