The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé holds the absolute record, at a price of €135 million. Image: Mercedes-Benz

The most expensive cars sold at auction: a top 10 of records

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé remains the most expensive car ever sold at auction, after the €135 million transaction in 2022. The gap to second place is huge: the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen reached €51.155 million in 2025.

The ranking was changed in 2026 by three important results. The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé set the record for an American car, the Ferrari Luce “Tailor Made” became the most expensive new car sold at auction, and a Ferrari 250 GTO with a rare configuration entered among the most valuable cars traded publicly.

The ranking below uses final prices, with buyer's fees where the auction house included them in the announced result. Sums set directly in euros are kept. Dollar results have been converted indicatively at the European Central Bank reference rate of 26 August 2026, of €1 = $1.1669.

This method allows comparison in euros, but it does not turn the cars into investments valued daily. The exchange rate on each auction date was different, and the order of a ranking expressed in dollars can vary slightly from the one obtained after the current conversion.

Top 10 most expensive cars auctioned

Place Car Year of sale Price in euros
1 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé (1955) 2022 €135 million
2 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen (1954) 2025 €51.155 million
3 Ferrari 330 LM/250 GTO, chassis 3765 (1962) 2023 approximately €44.31 million
4 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3413 GT (1962) 2018 approximately €41.48 million
5 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé, chassis CSX2300 (1964) 2026 approximately €36.77 million
6 Ferrari 250 LM, chassis 5893 (1964) 2025 €34.88 million
7 Ferrari Luce “Tailor Made”, chassis 0 (2026) 2026 approximately €34.28 million
8 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3729GT (1962) 2026 approximately €32.99 million
9 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3851GT (1962) 2014 approximately €32.66 million
10 Ferrari 335 S, chassis 0674 (1957) 2016 €32.075 million

1. Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé — €135 million

The record set on 5 May 2022 was not obtained in an auction open to the public. Mercedes-Benz and RM Sotheby's organised at the brand museum in Stuttgart an event accessible to a selected group of clients and collectors.

The car is one of the two 300 SLR coupés built in 1955. The name comes from Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the engineer who led development and used one of the examples as a company car.

The model takes the inline eight-cylinder engine and technical solutions from the W 196 R single-seater. The coupés had been prepared for the 1956 racing season, but they no longer competed after Mercedes-Benz withdrew from motorsport at the end of 1955.

The example sold came from Mercedes-Benz's internal collection. The private buyer accepted that the car could be displayed at certain events, and the €135 million initially funded the beVisioneers educational programme.

2. Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen — €51.155 million

Second place belongs to the single-seater with chassis 00009/54, sold in Stuttgart on 1 February 2025. It was the first W 196 R with Stromlinienwagen aerodynamic bodywork ever offered for private ownership.

The car was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum had received it from Daimler-Benz in 1965 and put it up for auction to fund the administration and restoration of its collection.

There are only four known examples with this bodywork. The price of €51.155 million set the record for a Grand Prix car and confirmed that documented competition history can matter as much as rarity.

3. Ferrari 330 LM/250 GTO — approximately €44.31 million

RM Sotheby's sold chassis 3765 in New York in November 2023 for $51.705 million. At the rate used in this article, the sum represents approximately €44.31 million.

The car is known as a 330 LM and was later rebuilt by the factory to 250 GTO specification. It was the only Tipo GTO entered by the official Scuderia Ferrari team and competed at Le Mans in 1962 with Mike Parkes and Lorenzo Bandini.

Before the auction, the car had remained with the same owner for 38 years. The long, documented provenance contributed to the price, even though the result was below the $60 million estimate.

4. Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3413 GT — approximately €41.48 million

This Ferrari was sold at Monterey in 2018 for $48.405 million, the indicative equivalent of €41.48 million at the current rate used for comparison.

Chassis 3413 GT is the third of the 36 250 GTO examples built. It was modified during its competition period to Series II specification and collected class and overall victories, including two consecutive successes at the Targa Florio.

The 2018 record remained the public-auction benchmark until the 300 SLR sale. Five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell drove the car onto the auction stage before bidding.

5. Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé — approximately €36.77 million

The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupé with chassis CSX2300 reached $42.905 million at Pebble Beach in August 2026. The conversion used here indicates approximately €36.77 million.

The result is the record for an American car sold at auction. Only six Cobra Daytonas were built, designed to beat the Ferrari 250 GTO in GT competition.

CSX2300 debuted in the 1964 Tour de France Automobile and took part in the season in which Shelby won the 1965 FIA International GT Championship. Carroll Shelby personally owned the car between 1975 and 1998.

6. Ferrari 250 LM — €34.88 million

The Ferrari 250 LM with chassis 5893 has on its palmarès the overall victory in the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, achieved by Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt for the North American Racing Team.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum kept the car for several decades before selling it in Paris in February 2025. RM Sotheby's announced a result of €34.88 million, above the €25 million estimate.

The engine and gearbox are original. That detail, the complete history and the fact that the car won Le Mans explain its placing above many Ferraris produced in even smaller numbers.

7. Ferrari Luce “Tailor Made” — approximately €34.28 million

The first production chassis of the electric Ferrari Luce was sold in August 2026 for $40 million, approximately €34.28 million. It became the most expensive new car knocked down at an auction.

The result needs context: it was a charity auction, and the buyer's premium was waived. The entire sum is directed to the Ferrari Foundation for educational projects.

The example identified as “Chassis 0” has a unique Tailor Made configuration, Madreperla Semi-Gloss paint and a specially made interior. The price cannot be used as an ordinary benchmark for the market value of other Luce examples.

8. Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3729GT — approximately €32.99 million

Mecum sold chassis 3729GT in Kissimmee in January 2026 for $38.5 million, approximately €32.99 million at the chosen reference rate.

It is the only Ferrari 250 GTO painted from the factory in Bianco Speciale and one of eight examples built with right-hand drive. The car was driven in its competition period by names such as Graham Hill and Jack Sears.

The auction house described it as maintained, repaired and repainted, but never fully restored. Retention of historical components and structure is valued by collectors, even if the finishes have been redone.

9. Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3851GT — approximately €32.66 million

Chassis 3851GT was sold by Bonhams at Monterey in 2014 for $38.115 million, the indicative equivalent of €32.66 million in the current conversion.

The car had been built for the 1962 World GT Championship and was owned for almost five decades by driver and collector Fabrizio Violati. The result was a world record at the time of the auction.

The presence of three 250 GTO examples in this ranking shows how consistent demand for the model is. Ferrari built only 36 cars, and each has a different competition history and succession of owners.

10. Ferrari 335 S — €32.075 million

Artcurial sold chassis 0674 in Paris in 2016 for €32.075 million. The Ferrari 335 S competed in the era when the World Sportscar Championship included the Mille Miglia, Le Mans, Sebring and other races run at very high speeds, with minimal protection for drivers.

The car was driven by Peter Collins, Maurice Trintignant, Wolfgang von Trips and Mike Hawthorn. Its history includes appearances at Sebring, the Mille Miglia and Le Mans.

The result remains one of the highest obtained for a convertible car at auction.

Why these cars reach such prices

Power or top speed alone do not explain the values. A modern supercar can be faster than most cars on the list and still be worth a fraction of the price.

At this level, buyers pay for a rare combination of factors:

  • a very small number of examples and almost non-existent availability;
  • appearances or victories in major races;
  • famous drivers associated directly with the chassis;
  • original engine, gearbox and bodywork;
  • documents that confirm owners and interventions without interruption;
  • long periods spent in a known collection;
  • access to historic events and concours d'elegance reserved for important cars.

An impeccable restoration is not always preferable to an original car. In this market, authentic traces of competition use can have a higher value than a recently redone finish.

Public auction versus private sale

Car rankings sometimes mix public auctions, restricted-access sessions and private transactions. The Mercedes 300 SLR record comes from an auction organised only for invitees, but the price was confirmed officially by Mercedes-Benz and RM Sotheby's.

Strictly private sales are harder to compare. The price may remain confidential, may include several assets or may be reported without public documents. For that reason, the ranking uses only auction results confirmed by manufacturers or the houses that organised the sale.

The final price frequently includes the auction house's commission, called buyer's premium. It does not always represent the net sum received by the seller and does not automatically include subsequent costs of transport, insurance, storage or taxes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most expensive car sold at auction?

The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé, sold for €135 million in 2022.

What is the most expensive car sold in an ordinary public auction?

The Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen, sold for €51.155 million in 2025. The 300 SLR auction was a restricted event, accessible only to invitees.

What is the most expensive new car auctioned?

The Ferrari Luce “Tailor Made”, chassis 0, sold charitably for $40 million in 2026, the equivalent of approximately €34.28 million at the rate used here.

Why do so many Ferrari 250 GTO models appear?

Only 36 examples were built, and the model combines rarity with an important competition history. Each chassis has its own provenance and its own race results.

Do the prices include the auction house's commission?

In general, results published by major houses are final sums with buyer's premium, but the rules can vary. The 2026 Ferrari Luce was sold without that commission.

Sources