The 13 most expensive cars up for auction at Monterey

Looking for a bargain at Monterey? Move along, my friend. Nothing to read here. Of course, just like watching professional sports, you don’t have to be personally involved to be interested in the action.

So, whether you can afford to bid or just wish you could, here are the 13 most expensive cars up for auction during Monterey Car Week August 14–17, listed in ascending order.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta by Scaglietti

Gooding & Company, Lot 017

Estimate: $5.5M–$6M

One of 78 built, less than half of which had a single louver on the B-pillar (there were also three-louver and 14-louver versions), chassis #0903 GT was delivered new to Sweden before eventually making its way to the U.S. The TdF racked up four consecutive victories in the grueling 3600-mile Tour de France (hence the name), and it posted dozens of other wins as well, making it one of Ferrari’s most successful—and valuable—GT cars. It was fully restored in 2012. Once you’ve seen that amazing paint job, you’ll never forget it.

1960 Porsche 718 RS 60 Werks

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 348

Estimate: $5.75M–$7.75M

The 1960 Porsche 718 RS 60 is the ultimate iteration of Porsche’s legendary aluminum race cars. One of 18 RS 60 examples and one of four original RS 60 Werks cars, the Porsche raced in 1960–61 and competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, Targa Florio, Nürburgring 1000 KM, and Bahamas Speed Week. Its legendary drivers included Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, Dan Gurney, Jo Bonnier, Bob Holbert, and Hans Hermann.

1975 Ferrari 312T

Gooding & Company, Lot 031

Estimate: $6M–$8M

In 1975, Ferrari won its first F1 World Constructors’ Championship since 1964, thanks in large part to this car, not to mention the determination and talents of the Scuderia’s star driver Niki Lauda. He drove chassis #022 to victory in the French Grand Prix and scored podium finishes at both the Dutch GP and German GP. Of the five championship races in which Lauda piloted #022, he captured the pole all five times. In other words, this was one successful race car, driven by one successful driver. It should garner plenty of interest.

1953 Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM Superflow IV

Gooding & Company, Lot 135

Estimate: $6M–$8M

On a crowded list of crazy-expensive cars, this one stands out. Sure, it’s crazy expensive like the others, but it looks like nothing else. One of the most significant postwar Alfa Romeos in existence, the Pinin Farina-styled show car debuted at the 1956 Torino Auto Show and was also displayed at Paris and Geneva. Well-documented and owned by the same collector for 40 years, the car is powered by a 3.5-liter straight-six engine with six individual Weber carburetors. Not that anyone is looking past all that glass.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolet

Gooding & Company, Lot 145

Estimate: $7M–$8M

A masterpiece of Italian design, this 1958 Ferrari 250 GT is one of only 40 Series I Cabriolets built, plus it has factory side vents—one of just five with that feature—making it even more rare. The car was delivered new to Prince Alessandro “Dado” Ruspoli in Rome and has had only two owners in the last 30 years. Matching numbers throughout, its 3.0-liter SOHC alloy V-12 engine produces 240 horsepower.

1965 Ford GT40 Roadster prototype

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 252

Estimate: $7M–$9M

The first of five roadsters built and the eighth of a dozen GT40 prototypes, this ’65 Ford is the only roadster known to have continually survived in its original form. It was built for Shelby American as a test car and was driven by a list of icons that includes Ken Miles, Carroll Shelby, and Jim Clark. It sold for $6.93M at RM’s Monterey sale in 2014. Another roadster will also cross the block just down the road at Mecum’s Monterey sale; it was hammered not sold at $10M at Kissimmee earlier this year.

1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 337

Estimate: $8M–$10M

If you aren’t dreaming of Ferraris tonight, then you didn’t read this list all the way through. One of seven featured cars with a Prancing Horse badge, this ’62 Ferrari 250 GT SWB was a class award winner at the 2012 Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza. As a late-production model, it has a number of improvements over earlier versions, and it was recently restored by Ferrari’s preferred workshops. Three years ago, the car received a high bid of $9.3M at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction but was hammered unsold.

1962 Ferrari 196 SP by Fantuzzi

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 244

Estimate: $8M–$10M

The last of five surviving Scuderia Ferrari Sports Prototypes, chassis #0806 was originally fitted with a 2.4-liter V-8 and first raced at Sebring in 1962. Then it competed at the Nürburgring with a different V-8 before being rebuilt to 196 SP specifications and racing in the United States with a Dino V-6. Twenty years ago it sold at Quail Lodge for $1.285M. Its sister car, V-8-powered 268 SP chassis #0798, appeared in Monterey three years ago but hammered not sold after reaching a high bid of $12.5M. This one is likely to find a new home for much less.

1953 Aston Martin DB3S

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 129

Estimate: $8.75M–$10.5M

The second of 10 surviving Works cars, this highly-original 1953 Aston DB3S has a rich racing history, having competed at Le Mans, Sebring, Buenos Aires, Spa, and in the Mille Miglia in the capable hands of drivers like Peter Collins, Reg Parnell, Roy Salvadori, and Eric Thompson. A similar 1955 model without the impressive racing background sold for $5.5M at Gooding’s 2014 Pebble Beach auction.

1962 Ferrari 250 California SWB Spider by Scaglietti

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 331

Estimate: $10.5M–$13M

This is likely the most original, unmolested short-wheel-base California Spider in existence. Chassis #4131 GT is the 55th of 56 SWB Spiders built and is one of only 19 with open headlights. Among its previous owners was Swiss skier Ralph Olinger, who won a bronze medal at the 1948 Winter Olympics. The V-12-powered Spider is Ferrari Classiche-certified and has its original chassis, engine, gearbox, and differential. It should sell for eight figures.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti

Gooding & Company, Lot 044

Estimate: $11M–$13M

This ’58 Ferrari—the 11th of only 50 LWB 250 GT Cal Spiders built—has changed colors so many times that it’s more chameleon than Spider. In 2014, chassis #1055 GT was red and sold for $8.8 million at RM’s Arizona auction. Two years later at RM Monterey, it was black and was hammered not sold at $9.4 million. This time around it’s gray. Could the latest color change vault the matching-numbers beauty past the lower end of its $11M–$13M estimate? Who knows. If not, there are plenty of colors left to try.

1939 Porsche Type 64

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 362

Estimate: N/A

RM Sotheby’s hasn’t given an estimate for the original Type 64, which established much of Porsche’s historic engineering and design right up through the 911. Considering this may be the only opportunity to buy such a historic Porsche—at least for a long while—its hammer price is anyone’s guess. Don’t be surprised if it comes close to (or even surpasses) the record held by the 1970 Porsche 917K used in the Steve McQueen movie Le Mans, which sold for $14.08M at Gooding’s 2017 Pebble Beach auction.

1994 McLaren F1 LM-Specification

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 261

Estimate: $21M–$23M

Yes, it’s stunning. Yes, it’s fast. Yes, it has a gold-plated engine. And it’ll cost you. A lot. Although the F1 in its name might suggest it’s a race car, that’s just a nod to McLaren’s 1995 victory at Le Mans. Never fear, however. The F1 LM-Spec’s 6.1-liter V-12 engine produces 680 horsepower—80 more horses than the Le Mans winner did.