The year’s biggest classic car auction sales

All the top lots from 2018

The numbers don’t lie: it’s been a huge year for classic car sales.

Think a million is a lot for an automobile, however storied? That’s mere pocket changed compared to the bank-breaking figures claimed by the year’s biggest lots.

From Monaco to Monterey, the top auction houses were out in force in 2018, shipping rare wares worth staggering sums – and breaking countless records along the way.

Want the full run-down? Here are the 25 biggest auction sales of the year, in reverse order.

25. 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione

Sold for: £2.7m

First up in this list of the biggest hitters is a rare racing Alfa Romeo, which claimed a tidy sum at the Bonhams Quail Lodge sale in August.

Finished in 1948, it’s the last surviving example of just three Competizione Berlinetta machines. Raced in period at events such as the Targa Florio, Mille Miglia and Coppa d’Oro, the Italian coupé then entered the collection of Michel Dovaz – a stable of some 50 cars that was famously left to rust in a French barn.

Eventually rescued and fixed up to compete in the 1984 Mille Miglia, it wasn’t until 1995 that it enjoyed the first of three restorations.

24. 1959 Porsche 718 RSK

Sold for: £2.8m

Another big winner in August was this racing Porsche, which went under the hammer at Gooding & Co’s flagship Pebble Beach sale.

One of just 34 718 RSK Spyders built by the Stuttgart marque, the late-’50s roadster competed at Le Mans and Pikes Peak in period, and sold new to American racer Ed Hugus.

The featherweight racer remains a stunning thoroughbred today, which probably did nothing to harm the hefty sale price.

23. 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix

Sold for: £2.8m

Not one for the winter months, this next lot might look like a kit-built weekender but it’s actually an ultra-rare Bugatti that claimed almost £3m at Gooding’s Pebble Beach sale.

Why? It’s an original factory Type 51 racer that competed in a host of Grand Prix events in period, at the likes of Spa Francorchamps, Pau and Monza, before being sold and raced as a privateer machine.

22. 1934 Packard Twelve

Sold for: £2.8m

Proving age is no barrier to value, this stunning 1934 Packard Twelve – from the collection of Judge Joseph and Margie Cassini – turned plenty of heads at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction.

A pristine and unique 1930s number, it has several awards to its name – including best-in-show honours at Pebble Beach in 2013 and the Concours d’Elegance of America in 2016 – and went to its new owner complete with its original chassis, engine, steering box and body. We’d expect nothing less for £2.8m.

21. 1933 Duesenberg Model J

Sold for: £2.9m

The first of two Duesenberg machines to make this list, this Model J from 1933 sold at Mecum’s Monterey sale – and offered bidders a bit of Hollywood history: it was bought new by actress Marie Dressler and later stabled with director Roy Del Ruth.

In fact, it was Del Ruth who commissioned fresh coachwork for the Duesy from Bohman and Schwartz – which the car still wears today – making it one of just 10 Deusenberg cars ever to get the treatment.

20. 1931 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster

Sold for: £3.2m

One of the first big auctions of the year delivered a real zinger in the form of this magnificent pre-war Bugatti, the first of just 38 Type 55s ever built by the French marque.

Finished in 1931 and wrapped in unique roadster coachwork, the Bugatti was first stabled with French nobleman Duc de le Tremoille, before entering the collection of Dr Peter and Susan Williamson, where it would remain for some 45 years.

Restored in 2012, it’s a well-documented, Concours-winning machine – so there’s perhaps little wonder it topped £3m at Gooding’s Scottsdale sale in January.

19. 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder

Sold for: £3.4m

Another Pebble Beach lot, another competition classic: this pristine example of Porsche’s world-beating 550 Spyder changed hands at the Gooding sale in August for a pretty tidy sum.

Campaigned in 14 races in California in the mid-’60s, the rare Stuttgart special then went off the radar for a while, eventually resurfacing in 1971 before enjoying a sensitive restoration in the ’80s.

18. 1956 Maserati A6G/2000

Sold for: £3.4m

Just the second Italian on this list – spoiler alert: it’s not the last – this restored, highly original Maserati sold with RM Sotheby’s at the Monterey auction in August, and it’s a pretty special thing. 

One of only 60 twin-plug A6G/54 machines built and one of just 20 to wear bodywork by famed coachbuilder Zagato, it’s had quite the storied life – from competing in the ’56 Mille Miglia to spells in France, Spain, Italy and the USA, where it was an award-winner at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

17. 1998 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR

Sold for: £3.4m

Youngest of the top lots, this late-’90s Mercedes special is also one of the most powerful: an AMG-tuned racer good for a bonkers 600bhp, it was launched as a direct rival to the McLaren F1 and Porsche GT1.

Just 25 were built for the road, including the one sold by RM Sotheby’s in August – an all-original number carrying its factory engine, drivetrain and shell (paintjob and all).

16. 1957 Porsche 550A Spyder

Sold for: £3.7m

Continuing a strong run for classic Porsche machines in 2018, this 1957 example of the aluminium-bodied 550A was another winner in Monterey, selling for $4.9m at the RM Sotheby’s sale.

Equipped with a full tubular space frame chassis and a top speed of almost 150mph, the mid-century racer was run in period by several privateer owners in California, before going on to enjoy a comprehensive restoration in the ’90s and, later, win its class at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Not bad for a 61-year-old.

15. 1993 McLaren MP4/8A

Sold for: £3.8m

May saw Bonhams host its annual Monaco auction – and what better place for this incredible piece of Formula 1 history to go under the hammer? 

McLaren MP4/8A – chassis no. 6 – was raced by the legendary Ayrton Senna at some eight races in the 1993 Grand Prix season, including the Monte Carlo event – where Senna steered the British-built machine to an incredible sixth victory around the tight streets, a record that remains unbeaten today.

14. 1957 BMW 507 Roadster

Sold for: £3.8m

How do you reward a driver who’s won seven motorcycle World Championships for you? You buy them a stunning BMW – which is exactly what MV Agusta did for the late John Surtees in the 1950s.

After a little negotiation, Count Domenico Agusta gifted this beautiful BMW 507 – a rare and desirable roadster in its own right – to the racing great in recognition of his four 500cc and trio of 350cc titles.

Surtees retained the 507 for the rest of his life, before his family decided to sell it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, where it comfortably eclipsed its estimate of £2.2m.

13. 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial

Sold for £3.8m

Back to Pebble Beach for the next lot, a 1955 racer that fetched a remarkable $5m at the Gooding sale. 

A rare Series II example of the 500 Mondial, of which just seven others were built, it was campaigned and proven at countless events in the late-’50s and early-’60s, before entering private ownership – and its custodians were clearly careful: it sold in concours condition, after 58 years with the same owner.

12. 1955 Maserati A6GCS/53

Sold for: £3.9m

Proving that Pebble Beach is good for Gooding & Company, this mid-century Maserati claimed more than $5.1m at the hammer in California this August – and little wonder: it’s one of just three coached with drop-trop bodies by Frua.

Commissioned by Rome Maserati dealer Guglielmo ‘Mimmo’ Dei and stabled with numerous notable collectors over the years, chassis 2110 has been exhibited several times across the decades and, well-kept, went to its new owner in remarkable condition.

11. 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder

Sold for: £4.1m

Not the most expensive Porsche machine sold this year, this 550A is the second of its kind to make this list – proving that the 530kg aluminium-skinned pocket rocket is very much a hit with big-money buyers.

The second-to-last 550A Spyder built, this Stuttgart racer left the factory in 1958. It went to enjoy outings at several fabled races, from the Mille Miglia to the 24 Hours of Le Mans – and even an appearance at the Dutch Grand Prix, where it finished 11th.

10. 1932-34 Alfa Romeo Tipo B Monoposto

Sold for: £4.6m

Into the top 10 and we meet the most expensive Alfa Romeo sold at auction this year: an early-’30s Grand Prix racer with quite the past – sold in July after 30 years with the same owner.

Bought direct from the Scuderia Ferrari racing team by Richard Shuttleworth – a legendary figure in both motorsport and aviation – the mighty Monoposto competed in a host of events in its heyday and not just for fun: it won the Donington Grand Prix in 1935, before promptly setting a blistering lap record at Brooklands.

9. 1985 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar

Sold for: £4.6m

The highlight of a dedicated Porsche sale hosted by RM Sotheby’s in October was this mighty competition machine – one of just seven developmental 959 rally cars built by the marque and the only one in private ownership today.

Entered into the 1985 running of the fabled Paris-Dakar rally by three-time winner René Metge, it was sadly forced to retire with a ruptured oil line – but that wouldn’t be its last brush with greatness.

Three appearances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed would follow (with famed racer Jacky Ickx taking the wheel), as would a class win at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, before it sold in Atlanta complete with its correct and original Type 953/85 engine.

8. 1958 Ferrari 250GT Tour de France

Sold for: £5m

First over the five-million mark and – in a fitting sign of things to come – it’s a Ferrari. Or, more specifically, an example of the beautiful, capable 250GT Tour de France.

Built to the tune of 78 examples, just 36 were bodied by Scaglietti in single-louvre style, including this magnificent number, sold by Gooding & Company at – where else? – Pebble Beach.

Raced in the Targa Florio in ’58, it was subsequently restored to concours quality and exhibited several times before being won by its new owner.

7. 1965 Ferrari 275GTB Speciale

Sold for: £6.4m

Fully into Ferrari territory now, this 275GTB is arguably as much a piece of art as it is automotive history – and topped Gooding’s Scottsdale sale back in January.

Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina has bodied a host of the most beautiful Prancing Horses ever, so it’s only fitting that the design house should build a truly stunning special edition for its founder, Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina.

Wearing a shell replete with bespoke touches – from a novel bonnet and grille to tweaked indicators, window frames and even door handles – it’s an exercise in custom craft and a true one-off model, displayed in period at the Frankfurt, Paris, Turin and Brussels Motor Shows.

6. 1966 Ford GT40 MkII

Sold for: £7.4m

Climbing higher, still, it seems racing provenance is a good bet if you want to shift a car for millions.

This Ford GT40 MkII finished third overall at the 1966 running of the Le Mans 24 Hours – and cruised past its $9m lower estimate at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale in August.

Driven to a podium finish in ’66 by Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson, it was the fourth of just eight MkII examples ever built and was further raced and tested in period by the likes of AJ Foyt, Mark Donohue and Richie Ginther.

5. 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato ‘2 VEV’

Sold for: £10.1m

Into truly silly territory now, meet ‘2 VEV’ – a racing Aston Martin that’s the very definition of rare: it’s one of just three ultra-lightweight racing DB4GT Zagatos ever built. It’s competed at Le Mans, Silverstone and the Nürburgring. Oh, and it was driven by the late Jim Clark at Goodwood in 1961 and 1962.

No surprise, then, that it topped 10 million when it went under the hammer with Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed sale – sold by a family who’d owned it for some 47 years. 

4. 1963 Aston Martin DP215

Sold for: £16.3m

You wait a whole list for an Aston Martin to come along, then two arrive in sequence. Naturally, this is no average tourer, either: DP215 was built as a pure one-off, a prototype designed to be at the cutting edge of competition and to dominate the 1963 running of the Le Mans endurance race.

And that it most certainly did, hitting a record 198.6mph on the circuit’s Mulsanne straight, becoming the first car to officially break the 300kph barrier and eclipsing its Ferrari contemporaries.

Alas, it didn’t beat the Prancing Horse in auction takings this year, but $21.4m is hardly a shabby hammer price.

3. 1935 Duesenberg SSJ

Sold for: £16.7m

Spoiling an otherwise all-Sotheby’s party at the business end of the list, this 1935 Deusy turned unexpected showstopper at Pebble Beach for Gooding & Company.

Delivered new to actor Gary Cooper as a shrewd marketing move, it’s one of just two short-chassis, 400bhp Deusenberg SSJ machines built.

Subsequently stabled in the Briggs Cunningham and Miles Collier Collections, this aerodynamic American icon absolutely smashed its ‘more than $10m’ estimate – becoming both the most expensive American car ever sold at auction and the most expensive pre-WW2 car as it did so.

2. 1956 Ferrari 290MM

Sold for: £17.4m

A last-minute entry that slips into second on the 2018 list, this 290MM topped the RM Sotheby’s sale at the Petersen Automotive Collection in December with its hammer price of $22m. Not a bad way to end the year.

Built to compete in the 1956 running of the Mille Miglia, it went on to enjoy a diverse life, racing in both Europe and the USA across a variety of disciplines.

Driven in its prime by the likes of Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney, chassis 0628 has a backstory that involves several restorations, numerous owners and an impressive record as a Ferrari works car – and now it’s the 10th most expensive car ever sold at auction.

1. 1962 Ferrari 250GTO

Sold for: £37.8m

Here we are, then: the undisputed auction winner in 2018 – and by a vast margin – is this Ferrari 250GTO, auctioned by RM Sotheby’s at Monterey (obviously). Oh, and it’s also the most expensive car ever sold at auction.

One of just 36 built, the fabled racer left the factory in 1962 as a Series I machine. Tested by Phil Hill ahead of the Targa Florio, it was then raced by prolific privateer Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi in 10 events, claiming victory in nine.

Contesting a total of 20 races in period, it was never crashed and sold in almost entirely original condition, including the Series II shell it gained at the hands of Scaglietti in 1964.

That it spent many years with Microsoft man Greg Whitten probably helped the price tag, as did its record of careful maintenance and event participation. How long will its record stand? Only time will tell – but another 250GTO sold privately this year for a staggering £52m…