Monterey Car Week is one of the biggest motoring events on the US calendar. And the RM Sotheby’s classic car auction taking place there is one of the biggest sales of the year.
The 2017 event was no exception. While it didn’t set a new record as the highest value car auction in terms of all the vehicles sold, a total figure of $133million suggests there were plenty of cheque books being scribbled in during the course of last weekend.
Here’s a look at eight cars that became record holders when they went under the hammer.
1956 Aston Martin DBR1
Sold for $22.6m (£17.5m) – Most expensive British car EVER
Most expensive British car EVER: This Aston Martin took the title as the most expensive car by surpassing the fee paid for a Jaguar D-Type 12 months ago
The racer competed at three 24 Hours of Le Mans events and won the 1959 Nürburgring 1,000 KM in the hands of Sir Stirling Moss
Described as ‘the most important Aston Martin ever produced’, this DBR1 stole the headlines at the 2017 Monterey sale by setting a new record as the most expensive British car ever sold.
The 1956 racer, which is chassis number one of just five made, took part in three Le Mans 24 Hour races between 1956 and 1958 and won the 1959 the Nürburgring 1,000 KM event in the hands of Sir Stirling Moss and Jack Fairman.
It surpassed the $21,780,000 paid for a 1955 Jaguar D-Type at the same auction 12 months prior to take the crown as the most expensive British-built motor on record.
Find out more about the record-setting 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 in our pre-sale feature.
1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider by Scaglietti
Sold for $5.7m (£4.5m) – World record for this model at auction
This mid-50s racer took part in famous endurance events including the Mille Miglia and Le Mans 24 Hours
In 1956, American hot-rodder Ernie McAfee crashed it into a tree at Pebble Beach and died from his injuries. The car was subsequently rebuilt and continued to compete after
While it achieved a world record sum at the weekend, this 1955 Ferrari has a tragic tale to tell. It was originally created to race in the 1955 Mille Miglia endurance event, but it retired after a tyre exploded at 174mph. It was returned to Ferrari and upgraded to 121LM spec – one of just four created – to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same year, where it suffered engine trouble.
A year later, American hot-rodder Ernie McAfee crashed it into a tree – ironically at Pebble Beach in California – and died from his injuries.
The Ferrari was subsequently rebuilt and still retains the 121LM-specification 4.4-litre straight-six engine and stunning blue and white colour scheme.
1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III Coupe
Sold for $5.4m (£2.6m) – World record for this model at auction
This is now officially the most expensive 410 Superamerica ever sold – and it’s far from standard
Along with a number of exterior modifications, it is fitted with an upgraded 4.9-litre, 400bhp, race-dervied Lampredi V12 motor
When the Superamerica arrived in the ’50s it was the most powerful road-going Ferrari you could buy. Very few 410 Superamericas were built, and this is the fourth of just 12 Series III models produced by the iconic car maker.
This example is described as a ‘modern coachbuilt car,’ meaning it has a few adaptations from how it came off the assembly line in Maranello. That includes a more powerful 4.9-litre, 400bhp, race-dervied Lampredi V12 motor and a raft of special features.
This includes competition-style covers for the headlamps, redesigned rear fenders and one-off tail lights. While it hasn’t retained the original paint scheme, the combination of an exterior sprayed in British Racing Green with yellow striping and a cabin clad in Naturale leather is a great combination.
1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Prototype
Sold for $6.8m (£5.3m) – World record for a non-Zagato bodied example at auction
The Aston Martin DB4 is pretty, but the DB4 GT is arguably even prettier. This car is the prototype used to create the 75 examples
Like the Aston Martin DBR1 higher up on the page, this one was piloted by legendary F1 driver Sir Stirling Moss
This was the prototype Aston Martin used to create the DB4 GT, which entailed chopping five inches out of the wheelbase of the standard DB4, losing the rear seats and shortening the door length. According to Sotheby’s, they sliced an early GT4 in two and reinforced the floor joint with a fishplate that is still visible on the car today.
It wasn’t treated like prototypes of today, which are coated in camouflage for excursions on the public highway and hidden in a secret room away from prying eyes. This one laid down some fast laps at Le Mans once it was finished and Stirling Moss set a track record at Silverstone during a 12-lap GT race soon after in 1959.
It was then used as the template for the 75 DB4 GTs Aston built, making this car even more iconic.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE MCLAREN F1 ALSO SOLD IN MONTEREY OVER THE WEEKEND
One careful owner from new: This is the first McLaren F1 to enter America and it hasn’t changed owners until this weekend
Monterey Car Week has a number of sales from highly-respected auction houses other than RM Sotheby’s. This includes Gooding & Company, Mecum Auctions and Bonhams. The sale hosted by the latter included this one-owner 1995 McLaren F1.
It is number 44 of 106 made, is the very first one imported into the US and one of only a handful to be fully cleared as a US road-legal car there.
But what makes it more exceptional is that one owner had it from new. Before having it shipped to America, the owner and two close friends made use of the F1’s unique three-seat cabin on a 4,000 mile trek through Europe, with a route from England to France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
It went under the hammer for a staggering $15,620,000 – around £12.1 million – at the weekend. That eclipsed the $13,750,000 paid for an LM Specification F1 at the RM auction at Monterey in 2015.
2015 Porsche 918 Spyder
Sold for $1.8m (£1.4m) – World record for the model at auction
With a mere 1,188 miles on the clock, this Porsche 918 Spyder sold for more than twice the original fee paid in 2015
Just 294 examples of the Porsche 918 Spyder were delivered to the US – hence why the price soared to $1.8m
Fast forward more than half a century to this low-mileage Porsche 918 Spyder. It set a new record figure paid for one of the 918 models made, though the limited availability in the US is likely to have hiked the value.
It is number 89 to leave the factory and is believed to be the first 918 to arrive in America. It hasn’t done too many miles since landing on US soil, clocking up no more than 1,188 in total.
With just 294 of the Porsche hypercars – which were sold new for around £675,000 in the UK – delivered to America, it posed a rare opportunity for collectors to get their hands on a little-used example.
1954 Ferrari 500/735 Mondial Spider by Pinin Farina
Sold for $3.9m (£3m) – World record for the model at auction
This is just one of 13 Mondial Spiders ever created and has a one-off engine unlike the 12 other models
The original owner, who was in trouble with the IRS in the ’60s, went missing and was never seen again, according to RM Sotheby’s
This is just one of 13 Mondial Spiders ever created, but unlike the other 12 it has a totally unique engine. That’s because it isn’t fitted with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that graced most 500s – instead, it has a bigger capacity 2.9-litre in-line four that was used in the 735 model.
The original owner, Anthony Parravano, raced this car during the mid-1950s before selling it to a friend in 1960. Soon after, having been hounded by the IRS, he went missing and disappeared forever – many of his other collectible cars had to be sold by the US government.
This was the first time in 18 years that this car had been made available, which is why someone was willing to shell out $3.9 million to snap it up.
2014 Pagani Huayra Tempesta
Sold for $2.4m (£1.9m) – World record for the model at auction
Just 100 Pagani Huayra coupes were made, and this one features the €183,000 Tempesta performance pack
The owner wasn’t afraid of adding some optional extras to the car when it was ordered. The seven-piece luggage set (one of those pictured right) cost a massive $20,000
Pagani only made 100 Huayra coupes and this is the only one finished in a colour called ‘Grigio Scuro Opaco’. It’s also the first of the hypercars to be sent to a customer in the United States – who retained it until the sale at the weekend.
As well as a raft of pricey options from new, this one was also ordered with a seven-piece luggage set – a $20,000 add-on. But the most significant financial addition was the ‘Tempesta’ pack, which cost €183,000 – the equivalent of buying a new Ferrari California.
The outrageously expensive option improves aerodynamics and reduces weight with a completely new underbody to the car along with a reworked front splitter and rear diffuser to improve downforce. New suspension, a racier exhaust and bigger wheels complete the optional pack. No wonder it raised $2.4 million when it sold.
1951 Porsche 356 1500 Coupe by Reutter
Sold for $1m (£793,000) – World record for the model at auction
A very earlier edition of the first-ever Porsche, the 365. This one still has the original engine and paintwork
Since new, the car has covered around 50,000 miles – that works out at approximately 757 miles a year on average
The first sports car created by Ferdinand Porsche, the 365 entered production in 1948 and by 1951 some 1,103 units had been built. In that time upgrades to the engine were introduced, with the motor growing to an air-cooled four-cylinder powerplant at just under 1.5-litres. This example has retained that very engine and even comes in the original exterior paintwork.
Despite being 66 years ago, Sotheby’s believes this one has covered just over 50,000 miles – on average, that works out at around 757 miles a year.
This fine example has become an award winner, picking up the Best in Class trophy at the prestigious Zuffenhausen Awards at the 2015 Porsche Parade.