A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is by far the most expensive car sold at auction (Image: Getty)
It is often said that a car is the second most expensive thing a person will ever buy, with Auto Trader highlighting that the average Brit paid £42,340 for a new model in May 2024.
However, a new study by the motoring publication has found the most expensive cars to ever go , all selling for well over £10,000,000 a piece.
According to the company, the most to have ever been sold at auction was a 1955 , which fetched an eye-watering £107,183,250.
Going under the hammer in 2022 at RM Sotheby’s in Stuttgart, Germany, only two examples of this particular model were ever named, being named after the car’s designer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut.
In addition to being one of the , the 300SLR Ulenhaut Coupe also features a powerful 3.0-litre eight-cylinder engine also used by grand prix cars.
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Built from 1962 to 1964, the 250 GTO is often seen as the most attractive Ferrari of all time (Image: Getty)
Unsurprisingly, a wide range of different Ferraris also fetched a significant sum at auctions, with the second, third, and fourth most expensive auction cars all being 1962 250 GTOs.
Out of the three, the most expensive was a specialist version of the car, produced by Scaglietti for racing by the Scuderia Ferrari team, which sold for more than £41,050,000 at RM Sotheby’s New York auction house in 2023.
To petrolheads, the Ferrari 250 GTO is often regarded to be the most desired model ever made by the Italian brand, with just 36 being built between 1962 and 1964.
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Another rare Ferrari, the 335 Sport Scaglietti is the most expensive open-top car sold at auction (Image: Getty)
However, the 250 GTO is not the only classic Ferrari to have been sold for millions at auctions, with a 1957 335 Sport Scaglietti reaching over £28,344,000 at Artcurial in Paris, 2016.
The most expensive open-top car to ever be sold, the 335 Sport Scaglietti was designed for all manner of motorsport invents, including the famous Le Mans.
Whilst it is unlikely that the owner will be regularly getting behind the wheel, those wishing to push the Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti to its limits will find it has a top speed of 190mph.
Top 10 most expensive cars sold at auction:
- 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe (£107,183,250)
- 1962 Ferrari 330LM 250 GTO by Scaglietti (£41,051,185)
- 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (£38,431,150)
- 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (£30,261,405)
- 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti (£28,344,015)
- 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta (£24,020,960)
- 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 (£23,500,920)
- 1956 Ferrari 290MM (£22,270,300)
- 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider (£21,833,625)
- 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti (£20,960,280)