Today we are reminded of the unique cars of the past, worth millions of euros, which delight wealthy collectors of rare classics. Here are the TOP 10 most expensive ones.
Porsche 917K / €12.6 million
One of the most iconic race cars ever, the Porsche 917K, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice and which was auctioned off at Gooding & Company in Pebble Beach in 2017 for 12.6 million euros. She also took part in the filming of the 1971 film “LeMans” with Steve McQueen.
This 1970 car, owned by racing driver Joe Siffert, is powered by a 5-liter 12-cylinder 639-horsepower boxer engine and is capable of a top speed of 340 km/h. A total of 12 such vehicles were built.
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato / €13.8 million
For fans of Newport Pagnell-built sports cars, the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato is one of the British automaker’s most important and coveted artifacts. In total, 19 such cars were produced from 1960 to 1963. One of them, dated 1962, was sold at auction in 2015 for about 13.8 million euros. Beneath its streamlined body lies a 3.7-liter inline engine with 318 hp. capable of accelerating a retro sports car to 247 km/h.
Leyat Hélica / €17.9 million
The rare 1922 Leyat Hélica was built by a French firm founded by engineer Marcel Leyat. This car was set in motion due to the propeller, and not from the wheels rotated by some kind of engine.
This strange-looking self-propelled cart with a closed body was released in a circulation of 10 copies, and only one of them has survived to this day. The rotating vane Leyat Hélica 2-cylinder engine with 25 horsepower allows the car to reach speeds of up to 110 km/h.
Aston Martin DBR1 / €20.2 million
Another retro masterpiece from Aston Martin is the 1956 DBR1 race car, which won the 1000 km race of the Nürburgring in 1959. And it was also driven by: Stirling Moss, Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori, and Jack Brabham.
The DBR1/1 chassis was one of the first built by Aston Martin and there were only 5 of them. They were equipped with a 3-liter 305-horsepower engine, which accelerated the car to almost 290 km/h. In 2017, such a car was sold at auction for €20.2 million.
Mercedes-Benz W196R / €25 million
The most expensive retro car with a “three-pointed star” ever existed is also the most expensive German car. It was auctioned in 2013 for an impressive 25 million euros (excluding inflation).
It is a Formula 1 single-seater that won the 1954 German and Swiss GP thanks to the efforts of Juan Manuel Fangio. Of the fourteen W196Rs produced, it is the only one kept in a private collection. As a reminder, this open-wheel racing car was powered by an 8-cylinder in-line engine, which at the best of times accelerated it to 280 km/h.
Bugatti Type 41 Royale / €27.4 million
In the late 1920s, the most expensive and exclusive car in the world was the Bugatti Type 41 Royale. This luxurious giant was intended for rulers, heads of state, and the wealthy.
The 7-piece Bugatti Royale is also one of the greatest cars of all time, with an incredible 6.4 m body length, 24-inch wheels, and a monstrous 12-liter, 300-horsepower 8-cylinder in-line engine that propels the car up to almost 200 km/h.
The last known deal for such a car is the sale of a 1938 Bugatti Royale Coupé de Ville Binder to the Volkswagen Bugatti collection.
Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa / €29.9 million
Today you can easily find a Ferrari among sport cars for rent all over the world. But not this one. This 1957 Italian stallion was moved from one private collection to another in 2014 for 29.9 million euros.
This is one of the most successful cars in Ferrari history. Especially this particular one with the 0704TR chassis and lightweight aluminum body from Scaglietti, which dominated the races of the time and won victories in Buenos Aires and Sebring in 1957 under the direction of Phil Hill and Pietra Collins. Under the hood of the car disappears 3-liter 300-horsepower motor V12, speeding up the machine to a maximum of 270 km/h. A total of 20 such cars were produced.
Rolls-Royce 15 hp / €31.3 million
It is the second oldest (1905) Rolls-Royce in the world to survive and is valued at 31.3 million euros. Of the six such Rolls-Royce produced, 15 hp. there was only one left. For 60 years, it belonged to a certain Scottish family and then was donated to the Glasgow Automobile Club. Its still functioning 15-horsepower three-cylinder engine is capable of accelerating the car to 60 km/h and even more.
Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic / €42 million
This black car, owned by the designer Ralph Lauren, receives prizes and cups in every competition in which it participates. This 1938 gemstone with a riveted aluminum body is the fourth and last Atlantic to be produced by a French company and is powered by a 200-horsepower 3.3-liter inline engine that propels the car to 190 km/h.
Ferrari 250 GTO / €62.7 million
It is a racing car, produced in only 39 examples between the two versions 1962 and 1964, which are named after the year of their debut. Here is the most valuable retro car in every sense in the world.
The absolute record for value and rarity goes to the 1963 GTO with body number 4153GT, which won the Tour de France in 1964 and changed hands in June 2018 for 62.7 million euros. The purchase was made by WeatherTech founder and CEO David McNeil. In his garage, or perhaps in armored storage, now located the beauty with a 300-horsepower 3-liter engine V12, capable of accelerating up to 280 km/h.
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