Every car on this list sold for more than $34 million, and the most expensive brought nearly three times as much as the runner-up. Ferrari dominates, with six of the ten. The rest come from Mercedes-Benz’s Silver Arrows era, Carroll Shelby’s war on Ferrari, and the McLaren F1 race car that redefined modern collectibility. Three of the ten sold in 2026 alone.

Prices include buyer’s premium and are converted to U.S. dollars at the time of sale where needed. Results are public auctions through early October 2026. We’ve excluded brand-new cars, so the one-off 2026 Ferrari Luce “Tailor Made” that sold for $40 million at Monterey isn’t ranked here.

10. 1996 McLaren F1 GTR — $34,655,000

Sold: $34,655,000
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Monterey, August 2026

The McLaren F1 was the defining supercar of the 1990s, and its GTR racing version won Le Mans outright on its first try in 1995. This sale is the newest car on the list by more than three decades and a clear sign that the modern era has arrived at the very top of the market. See Monterey 2026’s top sales.

9. 1957 Ferrari 335 S by Scaglietti — $35,730,510

Sold: €32,075,200 (approx. $35.7 million)
Auction: Artcurial, Rétromobile, Paris, February 2016
Chassis: 0674

A works Scuderia Ferrari sports-racer from the 1957 World Sportscar Championship, with a Scaglietti body and a four-liter V12. It sold at Artcurial’s Rétromobile auction in Paris. See the full auction record list.

8. 1964 Ferrari 250 LM — $36,344,960

Sold: approx. $36.3 million
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Paris, February 2025
Chassis: 5893

Ferrari’s mid-engined 250 LM was meant to replace the GTO, and a privately entered example won Le Mans outright in 1965, the last Ferrari to do so for half a century. This sale set the record for the model. See the full list of $20 million-plus sales.

7. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, Chassis 3851GT — $38,115,000

Sold: $38,115,000
Auction: Bonhams, Quail Lodge, Carmel, August 2014

Only 36 250 GTOs were built, and owners rarely sell them, let alone at public auction. When Bonhams offered 3851GT in 2014, it set a world record that stood for four years. See the full auction record list.

6. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO “Bianco Speciale” — $38,500,000

Sold: $38,500,000
Auction: Mecum, Kissimmee, January 2026
Chassis: 3729GT

The only one of the 36 GTOs finished in white, a color Enzo Ferrari reportedly disliked. British team owner John Coombs ordered it, and Graham Hill, Mike Parkes, and Jack Sears raced it, including second-place finishes in the RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in 1962 and 1963. Read more about the sale.

5. 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe — $42,905,000

Sold: $42,905,000
Auction: Gooding Christie’s, Pebble Beach, August 2026
Chassis: CSX2300

Shelby built just six Daytona Coupes to take the 1965 FIA GT championship from Ferrari, and CSX2300 was the only one Carroll Shelby ever owned himself. It raced at Daytona, Sebring, the Nürburgring, and Reims, and later competed in Japan into 1968. It nearly doubled the previous record for an American car and is the most expensive car Gooding has ever sold. Read more about the sale.

4. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, Chassis 3413GT — $48,405,000

Sold: $48,405,000
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Monterey, August 2018

An early GTO with a strong Italian racing record, 3413GT made Monterey history in 2018 when it became the first car to sell for more than $48 million at auction. It held the overall record until the Uhlenhaut coupe sold in 2022. See the full auction record list.

3. 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO — $51,705,000

Sold: $51,705,000
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, New York, November 2023
Chassis: 3765LM

Built by the factory as a 4.0-liter 330 LM and raced by Scuderia Ferrari at Le Mans in 1962, this car was later rebodied to GTO specification. Its Sotheby’s sale in New York made it the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction. See the full list of $20 million-plus sales.

2. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R Stromlinienwagen — $53,917,370

Sold: €51,155,000 (approx. $53.9 million)
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Stuttgart, February 2025
Chassis: 00009/54

Mercedes-Benz returned to Grand Prix racing in 1954 with the W196 R, and its enclosed-wheel streamliner body was built for the fastest circuits of the day. A streamlined W196 R almost never comes to market, and this one became the most expensive Formula One car ever sold at auction. See the full auction record list.

1. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé — $143,000,000

Sold: €135 million (approx. $143 million)
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, May 2022

Mercedes built just two 300 SLR coupés, road-going versions of its championship-winning sports-racer, and engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut used one as his company car. In 2022, Mercedes sold one of the pair in an invitation-only auction run by RM Sotheby’s, with proceeds funding a global scholarship program. At $143 million, it remains the most expensive car ever sold, nearly three times the next-highest price. See the full auction record list.

Just Missed the Cut

The 1967 Ferrari 412P sold for $30,255,000 at Bonhams in 2023, and the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R open-wheeler raced by Juan Manuel Fangio brought about $29.6 million at Bonhams Goodwood in 2013.

What the List Tells Collectors

Racing history is the common thread: every car here was built for competition or derived directly from a race car. Ferrari’s 250 series remains the market’s bedrock, but 2026 broke new ground, with an American car and a 1990s McLaren both selling for well over $30 million. The $143 million Uhlenhaut coupé may stand alone for a long time, but the gap below it keeps getting more crowded.

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