The 10 Most Expensive Cars at the 2024 Monterey Auctions
This year’s Monterey Car Week auctions saw mixed results, with some disappointing numbers and unmet reserves contrasted with fervent bidding wars and record prices. These sales always bring out the cream of the crop in car-dom, though, and they always see huge prices no matter what the market is doing. As is often the case at Monterey, this year’s top 10 is dominated by Ferrari, but Porsches, an Alfa and a Ford grabbed spots as well. Here they are, below.
1976 Porsche 935 Coupe
Sold for $4,295,000
The Porsche 935 won over 100 races in its day, including really big ones like Le Mans, Sebring, and Daytona. Its famous slanted nose, or flachbau, was also popular enough that it made its way to 911 road cars as an option. Gooding & Co.’s auction offered the very first 935 built (Chassis 935-001), which not only served as a testing and development car but also won a race at Watkins Glen and finished on the podium at Dijon in 1976. It was also represented as the only Works Martini Racing 935 in private ownership.
Porsche 935s don’t come to auction often—a few have sold in the mid- to high-$1M range. This one’s history and restoration helped it, and it slots in behind the ex-Paul Newman, 1981 Daytona-winning car that sold for $4.84M back in 2016.
1995 Ferrari 333 SP Evoluzione
Sold for $5,120,000
Until Ferrari’s triumphant return to Le Mans last year with the 499P, the last time the company tackled the top tier of international sports car racing was with the 333 SP in the 1990s. Developed in collaboration with Dallara (who built this example), the 333 SP borrowed heavily from Ferrari’s F1 program and became the car to beat in the IMSA GT and European ISRS series. This one raced with the Scandia Motorsport team for the 1995 season. It retired at Daytona, started on pole and then finished fourth at Sebring. It also won overall at the Halifax 3 Hours and finished second at Atlanta, Mosport, and Texas World Speedway. It notched top 10 finishes at Lime Rock, Sears Point, and New Orleans. In 1996, it started on pole at Le Mans but retired after 208 laps. More decent results followed in 1997, including sixth overall and second in class at Le Mans, the best overall finish for a 333 SP at the famous French race. Just 40 333 SPs were completed by Ferrari, Dallara, and Michelotto, so auction appearances are rare. One came to Pebble Beach two years ago but failed to meet reserve, and the last 333 SP to actually sell at auction was one that sold for $2.1M back in 2015.
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Alloy Coupe
Sold for $5,285,000
Campaigned by Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART), this car started out as a road car with power windows and a radio, finished in Avorio (Ivory) over Rosso (red) leather. It did have alloy bodywork, though, making it one of 16 alloy-bodied cars. Its first owner, bought through Luigi Chinetti Motors in New York, was the appropriately named Jan de Vroom. He quickly traded it back to Chinetti, who converted it for racing. In it, Sam Posey and Riccardo Rodriguez won their class at the 24 Hours of Daytona. By 1970, it passed to another owner with an amusing name, Dr. Ron Finger, and has since been restored to its Daytona configuration.
1995 Ferrari F50
Sold for $5,505,000
F50s have always been expensive (half a million dollars when new) and rare (349 built). But it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and hasn’t always enjoyed the same rabid following as other Ferrari halo cars like the F40 and 288 GTO. Ten years ago, even the best F50 in the world wasn’t worth $2M. Since about 2021, though, things have shifted in this car’s favor and values have rocketed up. That trend appears to be continuing because even in a week of underwhelming results for high-dollar Ferraris, an 8600-mile, U.S.-spec car brought a record price of $5,505,000.
1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider
Sold for $5,615,000
There were three Ferrari 250 GT California Spiders on offer this year, which is probably the most you’ll see for sale anywhere. This one is a less desirable long wheelbase (LWB) with open headlights, but any Cal Spider is a big deal. It was also used in a 1967 Italian movie called Le Dolci Signore and owned by Swiss racing driver Jo Siffert. It also sold in Monterey 20 years ago for $1,052,500. Wearing a visibly older restoration, it sold last week for a price that’s under its condition #4 (“fair”) value in the Hagerty Price Guide.
1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Rennversion
Sold for $7,045,000
Under the eye-catching colors of the Rohr Racing team, this 911 GT1 notched four victories and took the 1997 IMSA GTS-1 class championship. One of nine cars constructed for customer teams, it’s the first 911 GT1 offered at auction since back in 2017, so this was a highly anticipated car. Bidding took a while for it, though, and in the end the $8.5M – $10.5M presale estimate proved a tad ambitious.
1969 Ford GT40 Lightweight
Sold for $7,865,000
A race winner that retains its original body, chassis, engine and transaxle, the GT40 Lightweight (read a more detailed profile of the car here) that sold in Monterey this year is a special car even if its on-track glory was at events in Africa rather than in the big leagues at Le Mans or Daytona. Its $7,865,000 final price makes it the third most expensive GT40 ever sold at auction, exceeded only by the Mk II GT40 that took third at Le Mans in 1966 and the Gulf/Mirage used in the filming of the 1971 movie Le Mans.
1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider
Sold for $12,985,000
One-off spider coachwork by Scaglietti, its original engine, and a win at the 1956 Palm Springs Road Races with Carroll Shelby at the wheel gives this Ferrari a solid resume. It started off as a factory development car before selling to construction tycoon and race team owner Tony Parravano, who commissioned this special body. When Parravano fled the U.S. to escape the tax man, the Ferrari went with him, and it had a renewed racing career south of the border. Its history and looks were more than enough to push it to an eight-figure price, though the presale estimate of “in excess of $15,000,000” proved a few mil high.
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider
Sold for $14,030,000
Built during what was arguably Alfa Romeo’s golden age, the 8C 2900 has a glorious 2.9-liter straight-eight with dual overhead camshafts, hemispherical combustion chambers, and twin superchargers for anywhere from 180 to 225 hp. These cars often wore equally glorious bodywork, too. This one is one of just five Lungo (“long”) Spiders by Carrozzeria Touring known to exist. Its early history places it in Egypt, but it made news more recently in 2022 when someone stole the truck and trailer transporting it to a restoration facility. It was recovered last year. While it was likely insured for much more than the price paid here, it was still the second most expensive sale of Monterey Car Week.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
Sold for $17,055,000
A desirable short wheelbase (SWB) version of the California Spider with a competition-spec engine, factory hardtop and covered headlights, this was also the very first 250 GT SWB California Spider built, and the one that Ferrari showed off at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show. It had also never been offered publicly for sale before Monterey ’24.
Another SWB Cal Spider failed to sell at a $13.5M high bid, leaving this as the most expensive car in a week of expensive cars. Even so, it is only the seventh-most expensive Cal Spider ever and the 20th most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction.
all foreign we have better cars in america
Ford GT40 is foreign?
And as far as ‘having better cars in America’, thats open for debate.
Technically the GT40 was originally based off of the Lola MK6 GT, which is from the UK.
GT40 was English.
American cars are crap in comparison to these cars. American cars built before 1975, maybe, after 1975 never.
I think the C7 and C8 family of Corvettes are pretty much the cream of cars worldwide now, technically and visually. My brother’s C5 and my C6 are no slouches either!
all Italian not interested
I’m thinking the guys that bought the Porsches and the GT40 might disagree with you.
I’d like to hear your definition of ‘better’.
Is it style? Although that’s a very subjective criterion — and there are some gorgeous American cars (’63 Corvette and Rivera, for starters) — few would argue the Italian cars shown here (except for the lumpy F50, whose appeal totally escapes me) are anything less than sublime.
Is it performance? Unless you’re talking anything except 0-60 times, the vehicles shown here outclass anything built in America at the time.
Which is not to knock American cars — especially those built before 1970. With few exceptions, they were created to meet the everyday needs and wants of American drivers, and they did an excellent job of it. But with few exceptions, they were mass-market transportation — not the rare rolling sculptures and racing instruments shown here.
In response, can you provide us with a few examples of American cars that are better than the ones on this list — and can you tell us why they’re better?
Reflexive xenophobia — and an utter lack of capitalization and punctuation — never make a good impression.
Not surprised a Ferrari 250 GT was the top car from this list. The 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Rennversion may not have reached expectations but $7 million is not bad.
Pursuant to Mr. Groves comment: Not since America stopped building the Model J Duesenberg.
Ridiculous! Just more proof some people have more money than brains. Maybe you should use the money you spent on these piles of metal and rubber to feed hungry kids instead of your massive egos.
While I agree with the premise of your opinion, I try to adhere to the 10th Commandment and accept it is not my business to tell others how to spend their own money nor criticize them for their wealth or their expenditures. I just shake my head in bewilderment at times. I have also leaned that to many people who have the financial wealth to spend this kind of money on cars, art, jewelry etc., money really means nothing to them, one upmanship and status is everything. And this is why I seldom pay attention to these auctions and do not spend my time worrying about them nor their purchases because these people don’t exist in my middle class blue collar world and I’m satisfied with my status or lack of it. I take a lot less antacids that way.
Rather get the parents of these hungry kids to get off their backsides, get a job, and earn the money to buy food for them!
You’re very judgmental, take a step back and reflect, to each its own.
The misconception is that the buyers of these cars are simply throwing millions of dollars away on frivolous purchases…..which could not be further from the truth. Each of these automobiles is a blue chip investment which will provide months or years of enjoyment and then be sold, most likely, for a substantial profit…..or at least a break-even price. Try that with your Disney stock, bonds, or annuities. As far as the starving orphans, it’s wise to heed the old saying “The Lord helps those who help themselves”.
How very true. The one car was $1M some years ago, now it’s $5M. Great investment return, plus you get to enjoy it in the meantime! This is what smart money does. Same with the F50. Bought new for $500K or so, now it’s worth 10 times that.
My thoughts exactly !
These auction houses have hundreds of employees, many of them with kids. I’m pretty sure more than a couple dollars from these employees pay checks got to feeding children.
More money than brains? I guess you missed where it discussed the significant price increase of the F50. I’d be very happy with that return.
“Would the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry.”
John Lennon
I totally agree with Javman!
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”
Karl Marx
Impressive number for the F50. The design has aged well in my opinion. It is certainly still weird looking, but a good weird.
Great cars crazy prices…
How much to rent the GT40 for one day?
all Italian not interested.
Sure they are metal, rubber and other assorted hardware but their lineage makes them likely good investments. Us bottom feeders (myself especially) can mock the ridiculousness but their new owners will surely do better on them than I will on my IRA.
What?? No mention of the ’69 Charger Daytona that went for a record-breaking 3.3 million???
Why that’s merely chicken feed my friend! Just, chicken feed.
Rich or poor, it’s good to have money
Anyone happen to know the name of the color of the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider? The best I can find it is that it is “Grigio”, but there are many different versions of that color from Ferrari.
When the 333 SPs were introduced our film crew was at Road Atlanta where they had four of the first ones. One was owned by MOMO owner Gianpiero Moretti. We were next to his MOMO display and I was wearing a red AUDI hat. He offered me one of his and signed it which my dog promptly chewed beyond recognition. I still have the Ferrari press kit from that day. Mr. Moretti was a wonderful person and was honored to meet him.
Will any of them ever be actually driven and enjoyed? Sadly, the answer is probably no.