2012 – Ten Most Expensive Classic Cars Sold at Auction

A Mercedes 540 K Special Roadster was the most expensive car sold at auction in 2012. Six Ferraris were amongst the top ten classic and vintage cars.

1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster
1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster Photo: Gooding & Co

In 2012, a 1936 Mercedes 540 K Spezial Roadster sold for $11.8 million as the most expensive car sold at auction. It was also the highest price ever paid for a Mercedes. Six of the most expensive classic cars sold at auction in 2012 were Ferraris, including three Ferrari California Spider models. Five of the top ten cars were sold b RM Auctions, three by Gooding, and two by Bonhams. The oldest car in the list was a Rolls Royce of 1912, the newest a 1968 Ford GT40 – the only non-European car. A 1929 Bentley achieved the highest price ever for a British car.

Ten Most Expensive Cars Sold at Auction in 2012

The ten most expensive classic and vintage cars sold at auction in 2012 were according to Classic Car Tax:

Rank Auction Price Make & model Year Auction House Auction Venue Country 
1 $11,770,000 Mercedes-Benz 540K Spezial Roadster 1936 Gooding & Co Pebble Beach USA
2 $11,275,000 Ferrari 250GT California Spider LWB 1960 Gooding & Co Pebble Beach USA
3 $11,000,000 Ford GT40 Lightweight 1968 RM Auctions Monterey USA
4 $8,580,000 Ferrari 250GT California Spider SWB 1962 RM Auctions Monterey USA
5 $8,250,000 Ferrari 410S 1955 RM Auctions Monterey USA
6 $7,867,000 Bentley „Birkin Blower“ 1929 Bonhams Chichester GB
7 $7,343,000 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 1912 Bonhams Chichester GB
„The Corgi“
8 $6,710,000 Ferrari 250GT Tour de France 1956 RM Auctions Monterey USA
9 $6,600,000 Ferrari 250GT California Spider LWB 1957 Gooding & Co Pebble Beach USA
10 $6,527,000 Ferrari 625 TRC 1957 RM Auctions Monte Carlo MC

1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Racer – Most Expensive Mercedes Ever

Black 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster
Photo. Gooding & Co

A 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Racer was the most expensive classic car sold at auction in 2012. The hammer at Gooding & Co’s auction in Pebble Beach came down at $11,770,000 for the highest price ever paid for a Mercedes-Benz, as well as the highest price ever paid for a pre-Second World War car.

1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster 3/4 Rear View
Photo: Gooding & Co

The highest price previously paid for a Mercedes-Benz was $9.7 million also for a 540K  – the third most-expensive classic car in 2011.

The 540k Spezial Roadster sold by Gooding is in an exceptionally good restored condition considered “faithfully presented in original, as-delivered appearance”. The car had only three owners (or caretakers in classic-car speak) in the past 76 years.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB

Red 1960 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB
Photo: Gooding & Co

The second most expensive car sold at auction in 2012 was a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider LWB also by Gooding & Co at Pebble Beach. The Ferrari fetched $11,275,00 and was the most expensive of the six Ferraris and three Ferrari Californias on the top-ten list for 2012. This car was one of only nine alloy-bodied long-wheel-base Ferrari California Spiders.

Last years most expensive car, and the most expensive car ever sold at auction was a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR selling for $16,390,000.

1968 Ford GT40 Lightweight

1968 Ford GT40 Lightweight
Photo: RM Auctions

The 1968 Ford GT40 Lightweight is the newest car on the top ten-list and the only non-European model. It was sold for $11,000,00 by RM Auctions in Monterey.

This 1968 Ford GT40 Lightweight won its debut race at Spa driven by Jacky Ickx and Dick Thompson. It was later used as a camera car for the Steve McQueen “Le Mans“ movie.

1962 Ferrari 250GT California Spider SWB

1962 Ferrari 250GT California Spider SWB
Photo: RM Auctions

A 1962 Ferrari 250GT California Spider SWB was the second-most-expensive Ferrari sold at auction in 2012. It achieved $8,580,000 at RM Auctions in Monterey, California.

The 1962 Ferrari 250GT California Spider SWB is one of only 37 produced with covered headlights. It is a former Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance class winner.

1955 Ferrari 410S

1955 Ferrari 410 S Berlinetta
Photo: RM Auctions

A 1955 Ferrari 410 S Berlinetta with one-off coachwork by Carrozzeria Scaglietti was the oldest Ferrari on the list and sold for $8,250,00 by RM Auctions in Monterey, California.

The Ferrari is unique and was specially built for Ferrari SEFAC board member Michel Paul Cavallier. It won the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2009.

1929 Bentley „Birkin Blower“

1929 Bentley „Birkin Blower“ in racing action
Photo: Bonhams

The 1929 Bentley „Birkin Blower“ became the most expensive British car ever sold at auction when Bonhams achieved $7,867,000 (£5,040,000) for the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed sale.

The single-seater racer originally belonged to Sir Henry Tim Birkin and held the Brooklands Outer Circuit record at 137 mph.

1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost „The Corgi“

Classic 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost  „The Corgi“
Photo: Bonhams

The 1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost „The Corgi“ with coachwork by Barker is the oldest car on the top-ten list and the only pre-First World War model. It was sold for $7,343,000 (£4,705,500) by Bonhams – the highest price ever paid for a Rolls Royce and second highest for a British-made car ever at public auction.

The nickname – The Corgi – was only establish half a century after production when Corgi based its Silver Ghost toy car on this model.

1956 Ferrari 250GT Tour de France

1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France'
Photo: RM Auctions

The 1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ with coachwork by by Carrozzeria Scaglietti sold for $6,710,00 by RM Auctions in Monterey.

The car featured in the movie “The Love Bug”.

Tour de France refers to the GT races the Ferrari won in France, not to the more famous cycling race.

1957 Ferrari 250GT California Spider LWB

1957 Ferrari 250GT California Spider Prototype
Photo: Gooding & Co

The 1957 Ferrari 250GT California Spider LWB was the “cheapest” of the three Ferrari Californias on the top-ten list in 2012.

It was sold for $6,600,000 by Gooding & Co at Pebble Beach.

This Ferrari was a pre-production prototype and the only of its kind in existence.

1957 Ferrari 625 TRC

1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Racer
Photo: RM Auctions

The 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC was sold by RM Auctions in Monaco for $ 6,527,00 (€ 5,040,00) as the cheapest of the six Ferraris on the top ten list of most expensive cars sold at auction in 2012.

It is one of only two factory built 625 TRCs.

Auctions in the Californian coastal towns of Pebble Beach and Monterey have seen the highest prices for classic and vintage cars in recent years with RM Auctions and Gooding & Co the two top auction houses for classic cars. In Europe, Bonhams is the leading auction house for classic cars in Britain.

See also: Top Ten Most Expensive Classic Cars Sold at Auction in 2011, which included the most expensive car ever, and the Concourse d’Elegance at Villa d’Este in Italy, where one of the top European classic car auctions are held biannually.

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.