The most expensive cars sold at auction in 2013
12/27/2013
If anyone can't complain about financial crises and economic problems, it's the big auction houses Bonhams, Gooding & Company and RM Auctions. These three companies made the big auction coups among themselves in 2013. Eleven cars feature in the top ten list, with two sharing 10th place. These eleven cars include six Ferraris, a Bugatti, a McLaren, an Alfa Romeo and two Mercedes Benz. And while five of the cars were created for normal road traffic, six are racing cars. There are three pre-war cars compared to eight post-war cars, one of which is only 16 years old. Three of the high premiums were listed in Europe, the others in the United States.
1st place - Mercedes Benz W196R from 1954
The buyer of the ex-Fangio Mercedes Benz W1965 from 1954, which Bonhams auctioned off at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 12, 2013, paid a whopping 22,737,740 euros or CHF 28,030,145. Although this does not make the Mercedes the most expensive car in the world, it fetched the highest price achieved at auction in 2013.
This Mercedes monoposto with chassis 00006/54 emerged victorious from the German and Swiss Grand Prix with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel. At the same time, this car was also the first post-war Mercedes with free-standing wheels to win a Grand Prix, on its debut in Germany.
2nd place - Ferrari 275 GTB/4 S N.A.R.T. from 1967
The Ferrari 275 GTB/4 N.A.R.T. Spider from 1967, which was called up on the second evening of RM's Monterey auction in August 2013, caused a major surprise. The estimated price of USD 14 to 17 million had already raised eyebrows, but at the auction itself, bidders went as high as USD 25 million, i.e. 60% higher.
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This made this Ferrari the most expensive road vehicle ever to change hands at auction. After all, RM's commissions were "sacrificed" for charity, which may have increased the bidders' motivation to buy. Including surcharges/commissions, the buyer had to transfer 20,625,000 euros or CHF 25,300,000.
3rd place - Ferrari 250 LM from 1964
The auction, organized by RM Auctions in collaboration with Sotheby's, shone with mass instead of class. On average, each knockdown cost over 1.6 million euros or 2 million francs. The most expensive Jaguar E-Type in the world to date was sold at that auction. However, only the last car in the November 2013 auction, a Ferrari 250 LM from 1964, made it into the top ten list.
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The bidding war lasted five minutes. The price rose from five million to 8, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5 and 11 million. The reserve price had already been reached, but the bidding continued until the hammer fell at the record price of USD 13 million. Including surcharges/commissions, the new owner paid Euro 10,582,000 or CHF 13,156,000, a new record for one of the 32 250 LMs built.
4th place - Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta 'Competizione' Pinin Farina 1953
The auction of the Ferrari 340/375 MM from 1953 turned into a veritable bidding war at the RM auction in the park of Villa Erba in May 2013. Right up to the end, there were two bidders on site and one on the phone who refused to give up. Auctioneer Marc Girardo counted the car down several times, but it was only at 8.8 million euros (almost 11 million CHF) that the hammer finally came down. With surcharges, the buyer invested 9,856,000 euros or CHF 12,221,440, and this did not even include any customs duties and import costs.
The car was one of three works 375-MMs that took part in the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. The sister car with Ascari at the wheel drove the fastest lap, but only the Marzottos' Berlinetta reached the finish line, while the car offered in the auction, driven by Hawthorn and Farina, advanced to second place but was then disqualified for refilling brake fluid. The same car later won the 12 Hours of Pescara with Hawthorn and Magioli at the wheel.
5th place - Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 1957
Nine special Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta were built as the ultimate Tour de France variant, so to speak, eight of which have survived and one of which achieved a sales price of EUR 7,095,000 or CHF 8,703,200 at the Goodging & Company auction in Pebble Beach in August 2013 thanks to its racing history (including the Mille Miglia) and extensive restoration.
6th place - Alfa Romeo 8C-35 GP Monoposto 1935
The estimated price for the Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C-35 with chassis number '50013' from 1935, which was once driven by Tazio Nuvolari in the service of Scuderia Ferrari, was set at a dizzying £5.5 to 6.5 million. However, this did not deter bidders and eventually a new record price of £5,937,500 was achieved for an Alfa Romeo at auction, which equated to Euro 7,072,242 or CHF 8,752,527 including buyer's premium/commissions.
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The car was built by Alfa Romeo as a weapon against the overpowering German manufacturers. The technology corresponded to what was feasible at the time: In-line eight-cylinder with supercharging installed low down, independent suspension all round, hydraulic brakes.
After its time at Scuderia Ferrari, the auctioned car was sold to the Swiss Hans Rüesch, who competed in the Shelsey Walsh hill climb in England and won the 1936 Donington Grand Prix together with Dick Seaman. In the following months, Rüesch competed in races around half the world, winning the Grand Prix des Frontieres in Chimay (Belgium) and other races.
Finally, the Swiss driver sold the racing car to Robert Arburthnot, who passed it on (in a roundabout way) to Dennis Poore. The racing career of the Monoposto was not over even after the war, with the car taking part in the Goodwood race in 1948 and winning the English Hillclimb Championship that year. It was not until 1955 that the racing car was mothballed and only reappeared in 1987 after Poore's retirement.
At the 1987 Bonhams Monaco auction, chassis 50013 was sold for USD 2.85 million, an incredibly high price for a Grand Prix car at the time, and later restored to race-ready condition by Peter Giddings. Since then, the price has obviously quadrupled.
7th place - Ferrari 375 MM Spider Pinin Farina from 1953
Only twelve Ferrari 375 MM Spiders were built, no wonder chassis 0364AM fetched a high price at the RM auction in Monterey on August 17, 2013.
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Euro 6,806,250 or CHF 8,349,000 was the value to the new owner of this racing car, which impressed with its American racing history. 340 hp, twelve V-shaped cylinders, four gears and a beautiful body by Pinin Farina certainly promise an attractive appearance at future classic car events.
8th place - Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante from 1937
The Bugatti 57 SC Atalante from 1937 won a class victory at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elégance in 2011, and the highly restored car was valued accordingly at the Pebble Beach auction by Gooding & Company. At Euro 6,558,750 or CHF 8,045,400, it became the most expensive Bugatti ever.
9th place - McLaren F1 from 1997
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The youngest car among the most expensive cars in the world is one of 106 McLaren F1s built in 1997, which were offered by Gooding & Company at the Pebble Beach auction in August 2013. At EUR 6,352,500 or CHF 7,792,400, the highest price ever achieved for a McLaren F1 was reached, making the auctioned F1, which is not even a classic car, the most expensive used car in the world.
10th place - Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider from 1958 and Mercedes Benz 680S Torpedo Roadster Saoutchik from 1928
10th place is shared by two vehicles that fetched the same price in USD. At the Scottsdale auction in January 2013, Gooding & Company sold a Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider from 1958 for EUR 6,187,500 and CHF 7,672,500 respectively. These vehicles are particularly popular in the United States, so it's no wonder that they fetch high prices.
Seven months later, a 1928 Mercedes Benz 680S Torpedo Roadster Saoutchik fetched the same dollar price at the RM auction in Pebble Beach, the equivalent of Euro 6,187,500 or CHF 7,590,000. This car had won the "Best of Show" award at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elégance just a year earlier.
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Only eleven vehicles, but the combined value is Euro 110 million or CHF 136 million. I wonder if the new owners will dare to take these gems out on the road? In any case, it would be a shame if the sports and racing cars were hidden behind closed doors.
The following table shows the "top sellers" again in a sortable list. The links in the "Auction" column lead directly to the respective item with all the results and an extensive photo gallery.
The sales prices in the "VPrice" columns include surcharges/commissions and were converted using the exchange rates valid at the time.
| Rank | Auctioneer | Auction | Brand | Type | Year | Price € | Price CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bonhams | Goodwood FoS | Mercedes Benz | W196R | 1954 | 22737740 | 28030145 |
| 2 | RM Auctions | Monterey | Ferrari | 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. | 1967 | 20625000 | 25300000 |
| 3 | RM Auctions | New York | Ferrari | 250 LM | 1964 | 10582000 | 13156000 |
| 4 | RM Auctions | Villa Erba | Ferrari | 340/375 MM Berlinetta 'Competizione' by Pinin Farina | 1953 | 9856000 | 12221440 |
| 5 | Gooding & Co | Pebble Beach | Ferrari | 250 GT 14-Louver Berlinetta | 1957 | 7095000 | 8703200 |
| 6 | Bonhams | Goodwood Revival | Alfa Romeo | 8C-35 GP Monoposto | 1935 | 7072242 | 8752527 |
| 7 | RM Auctions | Monterey | Ferrari | 375 MM Spider by Pinin Farina | 1953 | 6806250 | 8349000 |
| 8 | Gooding & Co | Pebble Beach | Bugatti | Type 53 SC Atalante | 1937 | 6558750 | 8045400 |
| 9 | Gooding & Co | Pebble Beach | McLaren | F1 | 1997 | 6352500 | 7792400 |
| 10 | Gooding & Co | Scottsdale | Ferrari | 250 GT LWB California Spider | 1958 | 6187500 | 7672500 |
| 10 | RM Auctions | Monterey | Mercedes Benz | 680S Torpedo Roadster Saoutchik | 1928 | 6187500 | 7590000 |
All auction reports of the year 2013 can be found here.
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