Five most expensive cars sold at auction in 2019
When I featured the top 5 car movies to watch on Netflix last week, I mentioned a 1961 Ferrari GT convertible similar to the one in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off sold for $16 million at an auction. So, what were the most expensive cars sold last year according to CarBuzz? And yes, there may be a Ferrari (or two) in that list.
5: 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (NZ$13.55m)
This fully restored, and Ferrari Classiche certified, came with a full set of books and tools. It also features a Rosso Vaumol leather interior under Grigio Argento paint. The short-wheel-based Ferrari sold at RM Sotheby's Monterey auction last year, after being sold at Gooding & Company's 2016 Pebble Beach sale in 2016 for a million less.
4. 2014 Lamborghini Veneno Roadster (NZ$13.87m)
This one has had some press over the past few years. It was part of a haul seized by Swiss authorities from the son of the despotic president of Equatorial Guinea. Only nine units of the Veneno Roadster were made, each delivering 690Nm of torque from its 6.5-litre V12 engine. Price? NZ$5.49m. But this one sold on the banks of Lake Geneva in Switzerland at auction last year.
3. 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider (NZ$16.47m)
Surprise, surprise, another Ferrari in the list. This was the 11th of 50 long-wheelbase California Spiders built and it was also raced in the 1960s, mainly in Florida. It's one of an even smaller group fitted with the desirable covered headlights from the factory. Expect to this appreciate over the next few years.
2. 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta (NZ$30.8m)
This is one of only 5 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B models built with Carrozzeria Touring Berlinetta coachwork. It has a 2.9-litre inline-8 engine with a pair of superchargers. It was sold at the Artcurial Paris Retromobile auction, but still doesn't beat the record for an Alfa Romeo set by a Lungo Spider that sold for NZ$32m in 2016.
1. 1994 McLaren F1 LM-Specification (NZ$33m)
Taking the top spot is this McLaren that not only breaks records for the most expensive car sold for the British marque, but also makes it the most expensive post-1960s car sold at auction and the 14th-most expensive car ever publicly sold. Why the hoopla? Only 64 McLaren F1 cars were built, and of those only two were built to Le Mans (LM) Specification.
