Ferrari 250 GTO

6 years ago RM Sotheby’s made auction history when a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis no. 3413 GT, long considered to be the ‘holy grail’ of the collector car world sold for $48.4 million, becoming the most valuable car ever sold at auction. The car hammered for $44mil + auction house fee (usually 10% of the final bid). The numbers-matching GTO was offered with its original engine, gearbox, rear axle and factory Series II body.

The Ferrari 250 GTO is a racing car produced from 1962 to 1964. A total of 39 250 GTOs were manufactured. (Gran Turismo Omologato, grand tourer homologated) which means officially certified for racing in the grand tourer class. In 2004, Sports Car International nominated it the top sports car of all time. Motor Trend Classic placed the 250 GTO first on a list of the "Greatest Ferraris of All Time." Popular Mechanics named it the "Hottest Car of All Time."

In 2012 the 1962 250 GTO made for Stirling Moss became what was then the world's most expensive car in history, selling for $35m.

The 250 GTO was designed to compete in GT racing. The car was built around a hand-welded oval tube frame, incorporating A-arm front suspension, rear live-axle with Watt's linkage, disc brakes, and Borrani wire wheels. The highly reliable engine was the Tipo 168/62 Comp. 3.0 L V12. The engine was an all-alloy design utilizing a dry sump and six 38DCN Weber carburetors.

The world record for a car at auction was broken for the fifth time in six years on August 14, 2014 when a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO sold at Bonham's Quail Auction for US$34,650,000 (US$38,115,000 including buyers premium). The car sold from the Maranello Rosso Collection was stamped with chassis number ‘3851 GT’ and was the 19th 250 GTO Berlinetta made by Ferrari, completed on Sept. 11, 1962.

The car was delivered to the leading French racing driver Jo Schlesser, co-driven by himself and French ski Champion Henri Oreiller in the 1962 Tour de France Automobile race. Oreiller later crashed the car during a race at Montlhery Autodrome, south of Paris, and died of his injuries in hospital. A newspaper report at the time said the Ferrari careered off the track and flipped twice after a tire burst.

The car was repaired by Ferrari in Italy and was sold to Italian driver Paolo Colombo in time for the start of the 1963 competition season. In 1965 young Fabrizio Violati, the scion of a wealthy Italian family, bought the car. “I saved the car from scrap and hid it from my parents. I only drove it at night so nobody would see me”

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The cop car John Dillinger stole

The 1933 Ford V8 stolen by John Dillinger on March 3, 1934, from Lake County Sheriff Lillian Holley returned home to Crown Point for the first time in 87 years in 2021. Dillinger escaped from the jail, taking guards hostage with a wooden gun, stealing two submachine guns and then the car to make his escape.

By taking the stolen car across state lines, Dillinger committed a federal offense, and the FBI began it's own manhunt.

The car was abandoned in Chicago. “If I ever see John Dillinger, I’ll shoot him dead with my own pistol,” Lillian Holley told Time Magazine. Holley died June 15, 1994, at the age of 103.

1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America

Lancia used the Turin Motor Show in 1950 to officially introduce the Aurelia. Unremarkable at a glance, the new car hosted advanced technology, including front and rear independent suspension, inboard rear brakes and a new 1.8-litre 60-degree alloy V-6 engine of 125 hp that would become the world’s first volume-produced V-6. The race-derived 2,451cc OHV unit with hemispherical heads was available with one or two carburetors.

The Aurelia was built in six generations through 1958, increasingly refined with each evolution. The open top debuted in 1955 with the B24 Spider America. Lancia built 240 examples of the B24 spider through late 1955, with 181 cars specified as the B24S, the ‘S’ (for sinistra, Italian for ‘left’) denoting left-hand drive. The 4-speed manual transaxle combined with sliding pillar fully independent front suspension and De Dion rear suspension allowed for excellent weight distribution.

A 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America project. Coachwork by Pinin Farina. It made £319k at a Bonhams auction in 2022. Hagerty suggests a top end 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America is trending around $1.3m

Cheap classics on the rise

The Datsun 240Z is the first generation of Z GT 3-door two-seat coupés, produced by Nissan from 1969 to 1978. It was one of the most successful sports car lines ever produced. The heart of the 240Z is a 2.4-liter six-cylinder engine pumping out 151 hp. The 240Z's sleek styling, modern engineering, relatively low price, and impressive performance was a hit with the public. On top of that, the 240Z is super reliable with many still on the road today.

1990 Corvette ZR-1. In 1990 Chevy partnered with Lotus to build the ZR-1. 3,049 ZR1 coupes were produced at an original list price of $58,995. Powered by a Lotus-built 5.7-liter LT5 V8 generating 375 hp, the ZR-1 could go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and had a top speed of 180 mph.

The R129 generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL Class is a landmark of the auto industry. The R129 was lauded for its over-engineered nature and was considered to be one of the most advanced cars of the '90s. The most powerful engine is an M120 V12 pumping out 389 hp. The R129 is available for around $30k, making it one of the cheapest V12-powered sports cars you can buy.

Top Cars at Auction in 2018

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO by Scaglietti. The third of 36 GTOs built; considered by marque experts to be one of the most authentic and original of all GTO examples. One of 3 factory converted to 'Series II'. As was widely predicted, it made a princely $48.4m. The price achieved by the car is over $10m more than the previous world record auction 250 GTO, sold by Bonhams in 2014.

Gary Cooper’s 1935 Duesenberg “SSJ” was the star of the Gooding and Company's Pebble Beach 2018 auction. The Duesenberg realized $22m. This record price makes the car the most valuable American collector car ever sold.

A 1956 Ferrari 290 MM, chassis 0628, sold for $22m at RM Sotheby’s auction at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. It is one of only four cars built and one of three survivors.

1963 Aston Martin DP215 Competition Prototype. It was the first car to hit 300kph (186mph) down the famous Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans du ring practice ahead of the 1963 race. The DP215 was 12 seconds per lap quicker than the Ferrari 250 GTO but was forced to retire that year after just 29 laps due to gearbox issues. This car made $21,455,000. The current record for an Aston Martin sold at auction is $22.5m, paid for the 1956 Aston Martin DBR1/1 in 2017.

Bonhams sold this 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato July 13th for £10,081,500, making it the most valuable British car ever sold at European auction. It is one of just 19 examples.

A 1966 Ford GT 40 Mk II, chassis P/1016 achieved $9.8m at RM Sotheby’s Monterey.

A 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Speciale, chassis 06437, sold for $8m. Top result at the Gooding Scottsdale sale.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta, chassis 0905 GT, sold for $6.6m at the Gooding Pebble Beach 2018 sale.

$6,067,210 for an ex-Scuderia Ferrari 1932-4 Alfa-Romeo Tipo B Grand Prix Monoposto. Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed sale 2018.

1958 Edsel Citation Convertible

Known as the Solid Gold Edsel. 1 of 930 Citation Convertibles built for 1958 with fewer than 15 restored examples known to exist. The only known fully restored Citation Convertible ordered in Gold Metallic paint. Purported to have been previously owned by Robert Horton, star of the hit television series “Wagon Train”, which was sponsored by Edsel during 1958. Stored in a Chicago warehouse from 1978-2019 when it was acquired by the current owner from the collector's estate. Meticulous two-year frame-off nut and bolt restoration to factory specs using the original factory assembly manuals and NOS parts. Less than 30 miles since completion. Only 28,000 miles prior to restoration.

410 CI V-8 engine rated at 345 HP and 470 lb-ft of torque. Teletouch pushbutton transmission with shift buttons located in the center of the steering wheel. Optional exterior dress-up package. Illumination group. Signal-seeking radio with discrete FM chip. Original OEM spotlight. Rare power chassis lubrication system which is operated by a button on the dashboard. The Citation was the top Edsel model and was built on the large Mercury platform. In total, 9,299 Citations were produced by Edsel in 1958 with 930 convertibles.

The 1958 Edsel was introduced with much fanfare as a unique and innovative car, but ultimately became a massive failure. Reasons included poor marketing, design missteps, a depressed economy, and absolutely terrible build quality. Only around 100,000 Edsels were sold over its three-year production run.