Collector Car Corner / Cars We Remember; The Multi-Million-Dollar Machines: 2025’s Most Expensive Auction Cars

By Greg Zyla —

Here’s something a little different for my readers this week, specifically a column dealing with the most expensive cars sold at auction worldwide here in 2025. Knowing there are still several months left in this year, there is more than enough time for other multi-million-dollar cars to join the list.

So, here we try to capture the prestige, excitement, and drama of these top 10 most expensive cars sold at major TV auctions in 2025. Results include vehicles from Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, RM Sotheby’s, and others not as well known as the auction’s “Big Three.”

Remember that in the collector car auctions, 2025 is a year of record-breaking bids, jaw-dropping designs, and historic significance. From the sleek lines of modern hypercars to the raw heritage of vintage race cars, the auction blocks at Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, and RM Sotheby’s were ablaze with excitement. Here are the top 10 most expensive cars sold at public auction this year, and the stories that made them unforgettable.

1. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Streamliner – $53,917,370

Auction House: RM Sotheby’s, Stuttgart
I featured this car in a previous column when it sold for so much. This crown jewel of 2025 is a legendary Formula 1 car, once piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss. With its aerodynamic “Stromlinien” bodywork and Grand Prix-winning pedigree, it became the most expensive F1 car ever sold. Only four of these streamliners exist, and this one came directly from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, currently under Roger Penske direction.

2. 1964 Ferrari 250 LM – $36,344,960

Auction House: RM Sotheby’s, Paris
This Le Mans-winning Ferrari, chassis #5893, is a rare Scaglietti-bodied masterpiece. It set a record for the model and became the most expensive Le Mans car ever sold. Its racing history and pristine restoration made it a collector’s dream.

3. 2001 Ferrari F2001 – $18,392,980

Auction House: RM Sotheby’s, Monaco
Driven by Michael Schumacher to victory at the Monaco Grand Prix, this F1 car is a piece of modern racing royalty. Its sale reaffirmed the growing value of early 2000s Ferrar Michael Schumacher suffered his life-altering skiing accident on December 29, 2013, while on a family holiday in Méribel, a ski resort in the French Alps.

He was skiing when he struck a hidden rock, which caused him to fall and hit his head on another rock. Despite wearing a helmet, the impact was so severe that it cracked the helmet in two, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. He was airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble and placed in a medically induced coma following emergency brain surgery.

Currently, Schumacher is still a near recluse trying to overcome the paralysis suffered in the skiing accident. Only close family and friends are allowed to see him, and he communicates by moving his eyes.  

4. 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II – $13,205,000

Auction House: RM Sotheby’s, Miami
A direct descendant of Ford’s Le Mans-conquering GT40s, this Mk II was a showstopper. With its original racing livery and documented competition history, it became the most expensive Ford ever sold at auction.

I currently own a carburetor from one of the Ford GT40 engines from back then, supposedly from the GT40 that Pennsylvania road racer extraordinaire Walt Hansgen had on the car he crashed while testing at Lemans when, in the rain, he took a safety runoff, unknowing that it was being worked on, and hit a huge hill of dirt, resulting in his death. Using the runoff area, a common safety maneuver, unbeknownst to him, the runoff had been altered for construction or blocked by a newly placed barrier or mound of earth. When he entered the escape road expecting a clear path, he instead collided with a large dirt embankment or barrier, resulting in a devastating crash. Hansgen was critically injured and taken to the American military hospital in Orléans.

He remained in a coma for five days and died on April 7, 1966, at age 46.

5. 1955 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta – $9,465,000

Auction House: Gooding & Company, Amelia Island (Florida)

I’ve been to Amelia Island in the past, but never for one of their famous auctions.
This elegant yet aggressive Ferrari was one of only a handful built. Its V12 engine and coach-built bodywork by Pinin Farina made it a standout among 1950s GT cars.

6. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione – $9,465,000

Auction House: Broad Arrow, Amelia Island (Florida)
Tied in price with the 375 MM, this California Spider was a rare “Competizione” version, built for racing. Its open-top design and racing pedigree made it irresistible to collectors.

7. 1908 Mercedes 17.3-Liter Brooklands Rennwagen – $8,255,000

Auction House: RM Sotheby’s, Miami
A true pre-war monster, this 17.3-liter behemoth was built for the legendary Brooklands circuit. Its sale marked a rare moment when Edwardian-era racers commanded modern hypercar prices.

8. 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS XP-64 – $7,705,000

Auction House: RM Sotheby’s, Miami
This experimental Corvette was a one-off prototype built for Sebring. With its magnesium body and racing history, it’s a symbol of America’s early attempts to challenge European dominance. Godfather of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov, took his Corvette from an underpowered sports car to its status as a real performance sports car in a matter of about five years, from ’57 to ’61, when V8 were used in many different fashions. Corvette arrived in 1953 with a straight-six for power.

His Grand Sport Corvettes in 1962-1963, with only five built, are his most famous.

9. 1966 Ford GT40 Mk I Road Car – $7,040,000

Auction House: Mecum, Kissimmee
Unlike its racing siblings, this GT40 was built for the road, but retained all the DNA of a Le Mans winner. Its rarity and originality made it a top seller at Mecum’s flagship event. I remember one night in Bridgeton, N.J., a ’66 GT40 passed me in my ’67 GTX, and I didn’t once try to goad the driver on by hitting my gas pedal. I just let it go, and I must admit it was impressive. 

10. 1989 RUF CTR “Yellowbird” – $6,055,000

Auction House: Gooding & Company, Amelia Island
The only modern tuner car on the list, this RUF CTR became a legend after its Nürburgring video went viral in the late ’80s. Its sale price reflects the growing appreciation for analog performance icons. A tuner car is usually a foreign vehicle that has been modified or customized – usually for performance, aesthetics, or personal expression – beyond its factory specifications. These modifications are typically done by aftermarket tuning companies or enthusiasts, and the culture around tuner cars is a major part of the automotive world. Tuner car companies have boomed in the last 10 years to service this growing trend.

Tuner cars are central to car enthusiast communities, street racing scenes (legal and illegal), and pop culture—especially through franchises like The Fast and the Furious movies. Events like SEMA, Tokyo Auto Salon, and Hot Import Nights highlight the latest in tuning trends.

The Bigger Picture

What makes 2025 unique is the diversity of the top sellers. From pre-war racers to 21st-century hypercars, the market showed strength across eras and genres. The presence of multiple Ferraris, two GT40s, and even a RUF CTR highlights the broadening tastes of collectors.

Moreover, the influence of motorsport history is undeniable. Cars with racing provenance, especially those tied to legends like Fangio, Schumacher, and Le Mans, command the highest premiums.

(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist who welcomes reader interaction on collector cars, auto nostalgia, and motorsports at extramile_2000@yahoo.com.)