Nowadays there is no classic car organizer or exclusive automotive assembly without a top -class auction. The most valuable classics and modern supercars in the world are either sold behind closed doors or offered at public auction – and the business is booming.
When Mercedes sold his legendary 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé three years ago, it was not through a private negotiation, but an ultra-exclusive auction that took place behind closed doors. The result? The most expensive car ever sold at an auction – by 135 million euros. Potential bidders were handpicked and thoroughly checked. At RM Sotheby’s in Monterey it gets more relaxed – registration is everything necessary. This August the 28th edition of RM Sotheby’s flagship during the Monterey Car Week was in the Portola Hotel Convention Center. And the results? More than satisfactory.
Surprisingly, the most expensive car was not a vintage classic, but a brand new hypercar: a 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3, which collected $ 26 million, which was the most expensive new car that was ever sold at an auction. RM Sotheby’s total turnover of more than 165 million US dollars achieved over two days. Bidders from 46 countries have dropped 87% of the properties, including 37 cars sold for over 1 million US dollars, and six that exceeded the 5 million dollars. “Monterey has always been a stage for historical results, and this year will be remembered as one of our best,” said Gord Duff, President of RM Sotheby. “From the record -breaking Daytona SP3 to the breathtaking prices for the Laferrari Aperta and the F40, I am incredibly proud of our team.”
A clear trend is a clear trend: pre-war cars and increasingly those from the 50s and 60s have difficulty attracting attention that they once did. RM was not the only auctioneer who was once captured by British, German and Italian sports cars behind their estimates. In the meantime, so -called “everyday” models from the 1980s and 90s are increasingly popular. How else can you explain a 1991 Lancia Delta integral with a low mileage for 155,000 US dollars – almost double expectations? A 1995 Delta Evo achieved almost 205,000 US dollars at a competing auction. Younger bidders who do not refer to the pre-war machines drive the demand for cars that filled their posters for children’s bedrooms: Porsche 959, Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16, BMW M3. A 1992 Ferrari 512 TR achieved 700,000 US dollars – almost twice as high as its guide price. In contrast, a flawless Aston Martin DB5 from 1964 tried to break $ 825,000 -950,000 US dollars.
It was a similar story at Broad Arrow, part of the Hagerty Group, who organized their sale in an aircraft hangar. The auctionators Lydia Fenet and Thomas Forrester led offers of almost $ 58 million with a sale of $ 80%. The Top -Los was a 2005 Maserati Mc12 Stradale, which was sold for 5.2 million US dollars. The wide arrow reflected the generation shift and also focused heavily on modern collections – Japanese icons and contemporary performance cars.
Gooding & Company (in partnership with Christie’s) was equally satisfied with her headlines-pebble beach sale and achieved $ 128 million to almost 20%in the previous year, which makes it one of its most successful auctions of all time. Your star car? A 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione, which was sold for $ 25.3 million. “It was the most expensive car I’ve ever sold, and it put on a personal recording,” said Charlie Ross, the main auctionator from Gooding. “The winner taught us all a master class when buying auction – Calm, determination and lightning quickly.” In the two days, 85% of the 153 cars sold, with around 30 plots cross the threshold of 1 million US dollars. The average price per car? $ 847.262.
As elsewhere, the demand for newer classics and sports cars with outstanding origin from the 60s and 70s was strongest. A 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione Series III reached $ 8.1 million, and a Ferrari Dino 246 GTs from 1974 solved the million dollar brand.
However, the record prices are not for mega events such as Pebble Beach or RetroMobile. At the beginning of 2025, a historic streamliner racing car he was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss in a unique auction in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart-for 51.16 million euros and is therefore the most expensive racing car of all time. “This chassis, number 00009/54, is absolutely unique,” said Peter Haynes from RM Sotheby’s in London. “It was simply not part of a conventional event. Although the Indianapoli Motor Speedway Museum carried out the sale, this car is inseparable from Mercedes-Benz-so the museum in Stuttgart was the only adapting venue.”
