20 Vintage Cars That Are Worth a Fortune
If you have the funds to buy a Ferrari or Porsche, it could be worth the investment — some of these high-end vintage cars for sale have gone for millions at auction. Of course, whether the car appreciates or depreciates in value will depend on how rare it is and how well it is maintained.
To find some of the most expensive vintage cars ever sold, GOBankingRates worked with the auction houses Gooding & Company and RM Sotheby’s to compile some of their top sellers in recent years. If you’re looking for the best of the best, you’re in the right place to find some high-priced cars.
1967 Ford GT40 Mk IV
Sale price: $1.93 million
Only 12 GT40 Mk IV chassis were ever built, and the final model was sold at Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island auction in 2018. The car is described as the “ultimate iteration of America’s finest sports racing car,” and it had previously been owned by the same owner for 24 years.
1958 BMW 507 Series II
Sale price: $2.75 million
This beautifully restored 1958 BMW was sold, along with its BMW Classic Certificate, at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction in 2017. It was expected to sell for $2 million to $2.5 million, but it beat that estimate by $250,000.
1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante
Sale price: $2.81 million
Before going up for auction, this Bugatti was owned by John W. Straus, heir to the Macy’s fortune, and Al Garthwaite, an amateur sports car racer, Italian sports car aficionado and founder of Algar Ferrari. The car is fitted with rare alloy coachwork. It was sold for $2.81 million at the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach 2018 auction.
1931 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix
Sale price: $3.74 million
This historical racing car still has its original bodywork, gearbox and rear axle. It was previously owned by noted racing driver Jean-Pierre Wimille and was sold at Gooding & Company’s 2018 Pebble Beach auction for $40,000 above its estimated sale price.
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder
Sale price: $4.46 million
Privateer racer Eldon C. Beagle raced with this vintage car from 1955 to 1956, and the new owner who snagged it at Gooding & Company’s 2018 Pebble Beach auction received original racing photographs and video footage along with the car itself.
1955 Maserati A6GCS/53 Spider
Sale price: $5.17 million
This classic car is one of only three Frua Spiders built on Maserati’s A6GCS/53 chassis. Among the most beautiful sports cars of the 1950s, this 1955 Maserati was awarded the Coppa d’Oro at the 2010 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. It sold for over $5 million at Gooding & Company’s 2018 Pebble Beach auction.
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1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
Sale price: $7.6 million
Sold at Gooding & Company’s 2019 Scottsdale auction, this Berlinetta is Ferrari Classiche Red Book-Certified. It’s a late-production example of the 250 GT and is the fourth-to-last SWB produced.
1970 Porsche 917K
Sale price: $14.08 million
If you’re a Steve McQueen fan, you might recognize this car from his movie “Le Mans,” as it was used extensively in the production. The vintage racing car was previously owned by Porsche legend Jo Siffert and was most recently sold at Gooding & Company’s 2017 Pebble Beach auction.
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C
Sale price: $14.52 million
This 1966 Ferrari was raced in Italy between 1966 and 1970, and it was previously owned by racing driver Renzo Sinibaldi. It‘s one of only 12 GTB/Cs built, and it retains its original chassis, body and engine. This vintage car was sold in 2017 at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction.
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione
Sale price: $17.99 million
This competition car is the second of eight aluminum-bodied California Spiders built. It was raced by Bob Grossman from 1959 to 1960 and was sold by RM Sotheby’s at the Icons auction in New York in 2017.
1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider
Sale price: $19.8 million
This vintage sports car is the first “Immortal 2.9” to be offered at public auction this century — it was sold by RM Sotheby’s in Monterey in 2016. The Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider is the Italian equivalent of the Bugatti Atlantic, and it’s one of approximately 12 extant Touring Spiders in the world.
1963 Aston Martin DP215 Grand Touring Competition Prototype
Sale price: $21.46 million
This car is one of the most significant one-off works made by Aston Martin. It was developed to compete at Le Mans and was driven by Lucien Bianchi and Phil Hill at the race in 1963. The race car — which was sold by RM Sotheby’s at the 2018 Monterey auction — is fitted with its original engine and correct-type five-speed gearbox.
1955 Jaguar D-Type
Sale price: $21.78 million
This race car is one of the most valuable Jaguars in the world and was sold by RM Sotheby’s at its 2016 Monterey auction. It was originally owned by Ecurie Ecosse, who won first place while racing it at the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is the only Le Mans-winning C- or D-Type that is still intact and is essentially original to its winning form.
1935 Duesenberg SSJ
Sale price: $22 million
This 1935 Duesenberg is one of only two SSJs ever built. It was originally delivered to Hollywood legend Gary Cooper, and it retains its original chassis, engine and bodywork. The car was expected to sell for an excess of $10 million at Gooding & Company’s 2018 Pebble Beach auction, and it broke the auction house’s records when it sold for a cool $22 million.
1956 Ferrari 290 MM
Sale price: $22.01 million
This race car has been driven by some of the world’s best drivers, including Stirling Moss. It’s one of only three surviving examples of the Ferrari 290 MM, and it retains its original body. The classic car was sold by RM Sotheby’s at the Peterson Automotive Museum Auction in 2018.
1956 Aston Martin DBR1
Sale price: $22.55 million
This Aston Martin is arguably the most important model in the brand’s history, and this particular vehicle has a storied history of its own. It was raced by Roy Salvadori, Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham and Carroll Shelby, among others, and was the winning car in the 1959 Nürburgring 1000 KM. The legendary race car was sold by RM Sotheby’s at its 2017 auction in Monterey.
1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale
Sale price: $26.4 million
This historic racing car is the first of only three Works Berlinetta Competizione cars built. It sold at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in 2014.
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider
Sale price: $27.5 million
Sold by RM Sotheby’s at the 2013 Monterey auction, this Ferrari is one of only 10 N.A.R.T. Spiders ever built. Prior to being auctioned off, it was owned by the same father and son since its original purchase. Proceeds from the auction sale were given to charity.
1956 Ferrari 290 MM
Sale price: $28.05 million
Racing enthusiasts had the chance to take home a piece of history when this Ferrari was auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s in New York in 2015. The Ferrari Classiche-certified race car was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio during the 1956 Mille Miglia, and he was awarded fourth overall at the event. It has also been driven in numerous other races throughout the late 1950s.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Sale price: $48.41 million
The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO tops the list of the most expensive classic cars ever sold by RM Sotheby’s — it made history during the 2018 Monterey auction. The legendary motor car is the third of only 36 GTOs built and is thought by experts to be one of the most authentic and original examples remaining. The car was driven by Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi to victory in the 1962 Italian GT Championship and won first-in-class at both the 1963 and 1964 Targa Florio.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Vintage Cars That Are Worth a Fortune
