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The Three Most Expensive Cars in The World: $11m to $30m
The world record for the highest price ever paid for a car was smashed recently when a car sold for $30m to an American car museum.
The car was a 1936 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic. Only three of these cars were ever built and it was designed by Jean Bugatti, the son of Ettore Bugatti. The cars were made from aluminium with distinctive riveted seams. This is one of only two of the cars that remain in their original condition: the other is owned by Ralph Lauren.
The car had been part of a Bugatti collection owned by neurologist Dr Peter D. Williamson. Following the death of Williamson in 2008, and the consequent sale of the other cars in the collection (for $15.5m), Gooding & Company brokered a deal on behalf of the family, with the Mullin Automotive Museum. The car is known to have been sold for at least $30 million, although some sources suggest an even higher figure.
Previously, the highest price known to have been paid for a car was for a 1957 Ferrari250 Testa Rossa. This auction carried out by Sotherbys,in Maranello, Italy, in May 2009 saw the car sold to an unknown telephone bidder for $12.2m
This specific Ferrari is considered one of the most competitive racing Ferraris ever built, having won 10 races in North and South America between 1958 and 1961. It boasts a 300 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead cam degrees V-12 engine, six Weber 38 DCN carburetors and a four-speed manual gearbox. Only 22 of these cars were ever produced.
It would appear that year by year the highest price record is being smashed. Prior to the 2009 auction, in 2008, again at the Ferrari test track, Fiorino, in Italy at the annual Sothebys’ auction, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Spyder California came up for sale.
This car had previously been owned by actor James Coburn. This time the purchaser was not unknown: it was UK radio and television presenter Chris Evans, who paid $11m for the privilege of owning it.
Following the sale of the Bugatti Leslie Kendall, curator of the Petersen Automotive Museumin Los Angeles, said: “It does sort of recalibrate things in the sense that now, it’s official, certain cars have reached the level of art. People will start paying attention. It’s should be obvious that there are connoisseurs out there who appreciate cars just as much as they do art, fine wine, furniture and sculpture.
“When the first car sold for seven figures, nobody could believe it. Then one went for eight figures, now the Williamson Bugatti. The nine-figure car is out there. It’s just a matter of when.”
Edit added 14May 2010
From the Sun newspaper today:
“Chris Evans gave himself a present for pulling in a million more Radio 2 listeners – the most expensive car in Britain.
The Beeb DJ celebrated getting a breakfast show audience of 9.5million by paying £12 million for the vintage Ferrari 250 GTO.
His latest motor cost £6,000 when new in 1963.
Evans, 44, who collects Ferraris as investments, flogged at least three from his existing fleet to help pay for it.
Just 36 of the 174mph roadgoing racing cars were made – and Ferrari nut Evans had long dreamed of owning one.
Evans, who has a £45million fortune…. stumped up around 20 million US dollars – and he plans to use the car on the road.”
Also by C. Jordan:
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May 09, 2010
That Ferrari is sweet. Great read and write.
May 09, 2010
The first one was the best looking, still I could find better things to spend that kind of money on…
May 09, 2010
awesome cars and great pics nicely done
May 09, 2010
Nice cars. I have a ‘91 Camro myself
May 09, 2010
I bet Cameron, Cleg and Brown would make dangerous drivers . j
May 09, 2010
I just wish somebody would make the homermobile
May 09, 2010
Oh my, they’re certainly cool.
May 09, 2010
…. very cool cars that are extremely valuable “toys” for those of you who are “independently wealthy” !! The Bugatti is awesome !! I hear Bugatti is still going strong with their “Veyron”, 300 handmade each year with about a $280,000 price tag as the “privilege” to owning one of those !! Chickenfeed you say….
!!
May 09, 2010
Wow, good one, nothing is better than having a Ferrari.
May 09, 2010
I’m better off without any of them… I’d just drive too fast!
Good piece.
Thanks,
Clay
May 09, 2010
Wow, I only like the Buggati (that’s the third pic down right?)
May 09, 2010
The prices of some classic cars are approaching that of rare art.
I wonder how long it will be before the first 100 million dollar car is sold!
May 09, 2010
Hi, should say amazing website you’ve, i stumbled across it in AOL. Does you get much traffic?
May 09, 2010
I just saw your web page on Yahoo its a terrific website you have done a great job I will surely come back Thanks!
May 09, 2010
A brilliant discussion on fabulous cars. You may know already I wrote a lot here on Classic cars. I love the Bugatti. Thank you so much.
May 09, 2010
I wasn’t looking at the cars; I was actually checking out your amazing pen power.
Great stuff.
May 09, 2010
Lmao, I missed it first time! Thanks for that
May 09, 2010
excellent research sir…looking forward to read more of such kind.
May 09, 2010
Your Triond articles are being followed by The Triond Experiment blog and when your articles happen to be related to the blog posts, your article links are automatically pulled up and attached with the blog posts as a related article.
This article is currently showed under “My Friends Articles ” inSix Most Expensive Cars .
Thanks and best of luck!
May 09, 2010
Woah! Great article! Nice cars! No Jay Leno cars?
May 09, 2010
Great post with great infor, thanks for sharing!
May 09, 2010
Bugatti is so special, but i am a super fan of Ferrari , too expensive…
May 09, 2010
I thought one of them was for charity and was Paul McCartney’s customised Beetle or something…huh, well colour me corrected
May 09, 2010
If you’re still on the fence: grab your favorite earphones, head down to a Best Buy and ask to plug them into a Zune then an iPod and see which one sounds better to you, and which interface makes you smile more. Then you’ll know which is right for you.
May 09, 2010
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May 09, 2010
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May 09, 2010
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May 09, 2010
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May 09, 2010
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May 09, 2010
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May 09, 2010
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May 09, 2010
Some rocking cars dude!