Top 25 car auction sales so far in 2024

Top auction results for January-June 2024

The first half of 2024 has proven no barrier to the sale of automobiles at the top of the classic car market.

Even in this well-heeled environment, buyers are still wary, but the best cars have found willing bidders and many have sold above estimate.

To make it into the top 25 sales for the first six months of 2024, a hammer price of more than $3.6 million has been required, which is down from the $4 million minimum needed to be in the top 30 sales of 2023.

The US still dominates this highest end of classic car auctions, with 19 of the 25 cars presented here sold in America.

Our list goes from (relatively) low to high, finishing with the car that has achieved the biggest price at auction between 1 January and 30 June 2024.

All prices are from Glenmarch for cars sold at auction, and quoted in Sterling and the currency in which the sale in question was held

1. 1972 Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona (£2,849,000/$3,635,000)

The first of two Ferrari 365 Daytona Spiders to make it into the top 25 cars sold at auction in the first half of 2024, this one was in its original Verde Bahram green.

It was listed as a GTB rather than a GTS by Gooding & Company at its Amelia Island sale, but that did not undermine its appeal as one of only 121 factory-built Spiders – and this was one of just five finished in this attractive colour.

It had a beige-leather interior and had covered just 7800 miles (c12,500km) from new.

The first owner was North American Racing Team driver John ‘Buck’ Fulp to add to its buyer appeal, and the car came with its original tools and a Massini Report.

2. 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari (£2,892,000/$3,690,000)

This 2015 LaFerrari is among five of Ferrari’s more modern hypercars to make the top 25 sales for the first six months of 2024.

With only two owners from new, this car was originally sold in Canada and was finished in the popular Rosso Corsa red with a Pelle Neri black-leather interior.

It also came with the Scuderia wing badges from the factory and that bodywork has been protected from new with a clear film.

After around 1000km (c621 miles) in the first year, its first keeper sold the car to the Dare to Dream Collection and it came to the RM Sotheby’s sale in Toronto with 2842km (1766 miles) on the clock.

The car was sold complete with its battery charger, manuals, Ferrari Yellow Book, fitted luggage, tools and tyre inflator.

3. 1972 Ferrari 365GTS/4 Daytona Spider (£2,909,500/€3,436,250)

The second Ferrari Daytona Spider in the top 25 for this period was sold by RM Sotheby’s at its Monaco sale in May.

Some spring sunshine perhaps helped this car achieve a marginally higher price than the one auctioned by Gooding & Company earlier in the year.

This car was the 48th built out of 121 factory Spiders and was sold new in Italy.

It left the factory painted in Grigio Argento grey, but has since been repainted in a gunmetal grey and has a red-leather interior.

The car moved to the US in 1983 and then returned across the Atlantic in 2011 to the UK.

A subsequent owner had it restored by Joe Macari over two years and it came to auction with a Ferrari Classiche Red Book and a full report from Marcel Massini.

4. 2005 Maserati MC12 (£2,978,500/$3,800,000)

For those seeking something different to a Ferrari at this end of the market, the Maserati MC12 proved tempting enough to make $3.8 million at the RM Sotheby’s Dare to Dream Collection sale in Canada.

This 2005 MC12 is one of just 50 road cars built and came in the distinctive Bianco Fuji over Blu exterior colour scheme.

Inside is blue upholstery and this car was in excellent condition, having covered only 6780km (4213 miles) from new.

This Maserati was first sold in the US but was unable to be registered for road use, so spent the first part of its life in the Riverside International Automotive Museum in California.

It was then sold to the Dare to Dream Collection from where it was consigned to auction.

5. 1930 Duesenberg Model J (£3,021,500/$3,855,000)

The market for the best Duesenbergs remains strong and stable in the US, where this car was sold by RM Sotheby’s at its Miami auction in March.

What elevated this car’s price above other Duesenbergs and into the top 25 for first-half 2024 sales was its body.

This car is one of only two surviving Disappearing Top models and had its original rear-mounted spare wheels.

With an intriguing history, the car was sold after a lengthy concours-standard restoration by Randy Ema.

After restoration, it was a double award winner at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

6. 1985 Ferrari 288GTO (£3,043,000/$3,882,500)

Another car to come to auction from the Dare to Dream Collection, this Ferrari 288GTO was sold new to Emilio ‘Chico’ Gnutti, who owned it for 26 years and kept it in fastidiously immaculate condition.

During Gnutti’s tenure, the car acquired its Ferrari Classiche Red Book and was then sold in 2012 to professional golfer Ian Poulter.

He then sold it to the Dare to Dream Collection in 2015 and the car came to auction in Toronto with 26,617km (c16,500 miles) on its odometer.

Finished in its original Rosso Corsa paint with a Nero black vaumol leather interior, this was a 288GTO ready to use or show.

7. 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial (£3,131,000/$3,995,000)

With plenty of period racing history in its file, this 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series I Spider also came with entries to the 2024 Mille Miglia Warm Up USA event and the 2025 Mille Miglia.

Adding to the car’s appeal at Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island 2024 auction was this example’s matching-numbers engine and transaxle, proving the car has survived in remarkably intact form.

It is one of only 14 Pinin Farina-bodied Mondial Spiders and was sold new to Dutch racing driver Herman Roosdorp.

When new, it was campaigned at Spa-Francorchamps and Zandvoort, before going on to be owned by Ferrari collectors Ed Niles, Peter Sachs and David Sydorick.

8. 2022 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport (£3,172,500/$4,047,500)

The joint-newest car in this list of the top 25 sales in the first half of 2024, along with another 2022 Chiron, this Bugatti achieved around £900,000 less than the Super Sport 300+ sold by Bonhams.

The differences between the various Chiron versions matter to collectors, but for most it will seem like a bit of a (relative) bargain to bag one of only 60 Chiron Pur Sports.

Sold with a mere 393 miles (632km) on the odometer from new, this car also had its original window sticker, factory handbooks and full documentation.

It had spent most of its life on display and had been featured at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

9. 1967 Shelby Cobra 420 Competition (£3,276,500/$4,180,000)

Chassis number CSX3006 is one of just 23 factory Shelby 427 Competition Cobras made, and this one still has its original chassis and aluminium body.

Further adding to the appeal of this car when it was sold by Mecum at its Kissimmee sale in January is a racing past that includes drivers such as Bob Bondurant, Chris Irwin and David Piper.

It was campaigned when new by The Chequered Flag team across Europe and took part in the 1966 FIA World Sportscar Championship race at Zeltweg in Austria.

It also won at Brands Hatch that year driven by Bondurant and Piper. It has since been used at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and displayed at the 2014 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

10. 2004 Ferrari Enzo (£3,310,500/€3,910,000)

One owner from new and a little more than 9500km (c5900 miles) since it was supplied in 2004 made this Ferrari Enzo a very keenly bid lot at Bonhams’ Paris sale in February.

Helping this car to achieve its considerable hammer price was its rarity as one of only 12 Enzos finished in Nero Daytona black paint, plus it’s one of just three in this colour with a red interior.

It was sold new in France and spent its life there before moving with the owner to Brussels in Belgium.

A full service record was included in the sale, even though the car has not been used since 2021.

This Ferrari also came with its original luggage, toolkit and instruction books in their pouch, and a personal letter from then-Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo to the first owner.

11. 1996 Ferrari F50 (£3,323,500/$4,240,000)

Another Ferrari to come under the hammer from the Dare to Dream Collection, this F50 sold well at the RM Sotheby’s Toronto sale.

Despite being sold in Canada, this car was built to European specification and spent the first 13 years of its life in Monaco.

It was the 182nd Ferrari F50 made and supplied in July 1996.

As well as a full service record and Ferrari Classiche certificate, this F50 was also sold with its original hardtop and the flight case for it, hard tonneau and roll bars, soft-top and bag, tools, manuals and fitted luggage, to make it a very complete package.

=13. 2003 Ferrari Enzo (£3,366,600/$4,295,000)

The RM Sotheby’s Toronto 2024 auction of cars from the Dare to Dream Collection saw a number of Ferraris cross the block – and this 2003 Enzo made the highest price of any of this marque in that sale.

An early car from the production run, this particular Enzo was the first on North American soil and is among the 118 destined for the US when new.

It was also the car used by Ferrari to give the Enzo its debut at the 2003 Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach.

This example is unusual in being a US-spec car, but it was fitted with European ECUs when new, which were replaced at no cost for the first owner.

With a recent service, all records, manuals and luggage, it also went to auction with a spare set of original wheels with tyres date-stamped 2002.

=13. 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé by Vignale (£3,366,600/$4,295,000)

While more modern Ferraris are more prevalent in the lower half of the top 25 sales in the six months from January to June 2024, this 250 Europa Coupé shows the company’s cars from an earlier period are where the larger sums are spent.

With bodywork by Vignale, this was the first of 22 Europas made and was shown at the 1953 Paris motor show.

It’s also one of three 250 Europas with a Vignale coupé body and one of just two of this model to use the 3-litre V12 Colombo engine.

With a string of awards to its credit, this Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé was fully rebuilt by Patrick Ottis and was sold with Ferrari Classiche certification, which proves it has a matching-numbers engine.

14. 1967 Ford GT40 (£3,452,500/$4,405,000)

It might have been originally supplied as a road car, but this Ford GT40 went under the hammer with an FIA Historic Technical Passport to allow it to compete in many of the best events. 

Such versatility surely helped its sale at Broad Arrow’s Amelia Island auction in March 2024, and the car was further aided by an impressive history that included it being the ‘Hostage Car’ kept by Swiss dealer Scuderia Filipinetti for a prolonged period after it appeared at the 1967 Geneva Auto Salon.

15. 2001 Ferrari Enzo (£3,535,000/$4,510,000)

This 2001 Enzo is the top-ranking modern Ferrari in the top 25 cars sold at auction in the first half of 2024.

It is also the third-highest price achieved by an Enzo at auction.

This particular car was helped to this healthy sum by being one of only six Ferrari Enzos finished in its attractive Grigio Titanio grey-metallic paint.

Also lifting this car’s value was its low odometer reading of just 2745 miles (4418km) from new, plus it came with full service records, reports from Ferrari Classiche and Marcel Massini, books and tools.

As well as this peace of mind, its winning bidder will enjoy the unmarked black-leather interior with red stitching.

16. 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV (£3,840,700/$4,900,000)

While Ferraris dominated the RM Sotheby’s sale of the Dare to Dream Collection in Toronto, the highest price in that auction was set by this Lamborghini Miura SV.

It saw the hammer fall at just shy of $5 million (£3.9 million), making it the most expensive Miura SV to be sold at auction to date.

As well as being one of only 150 SVs built, this car was a full matching-numbers example and had been previously owned by noted enthusiasts, including Jay Kay of the band Jamiroquai.

This Miura had been the subject of a detailed restoration by specialist Cremonini Carrozzeria and it was subsequently issued with a certificate of authenticity by Lamborghini’s Polo Storico.

17. 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ (£4,056,250/$5,175,000)

This Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ achieved the highest auction price in the first half of 2024 for a modern car.

It says a lot about the lure of Bugatti’s most recent hypercar that it can mix with long-established, blue-chip machines in the rarefied end of the automotive market.

This particular Chiron is one of only eight Super Sport 300+ examples produced for the US, and this was out of a total run of 30 300+ cars.

Each one came with an 8-litre W16 engine with a top speed rated at 304.777mph (c490kph).

This car came with all of its original documentation and delivery mileage on the clock, and was finished in carbonfibre with orange highlights.

18. 1958 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spider (£4,391,600/€5,186,800)

Part of a 44-car collection that was sold by Artcurial in Monaco in May 2024, this 1958 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spider was one of the highlights.

Any California Spider causes interest at auction, but this one further caught potential buyers’ attention by being the 12th example made, plus it came with a complete history.

The 250 had also been subject to a full and detailed restoration led by the Brandoli family. It was then given Ferrari Classiche certification.

Delivered new to New York, this classic was kept by first owner Robert Gumper for 10 years. It was sold painted in metallic grey, but the original colour is not known.

19. 1962 Ferrari 250GT SWB (£4,682,200/€5,530,000)

Another car from the W Collection sale by Artcurial held in Monaco in May, this Ferrari 250GT SWB was that event’s star lot and achieved the highest auction price.

Even so, its €5.5 million was some way short of its €8.5 million lower pre-sale estimate.

Arguably, the winning bidder got a good deal, then, and will enjoy a car that was used by Pininfarina on its stand at the 1962 New York Auto Show.

It was then due to be supplied to its first owner, Norman Blank, who requested the special colour of Blu Tigullio and a red-leather interior. However, Blank didn’t take delivery of the car and it was sold to a Dr Anderson from Florida.

By the time Dr Anderson sold it, the car had almost 100,000 miles (c160,000km) on the clock and subsequent keepers added a further 30,000 miles to that tally.

This classic Ferrari was restored in the early 2000s and returned to its original specification, which was how it was sold, complete with the engine, gearbox and body it left the factory with.

20. 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet’ (£5,177,100/$6,605,000)

The sale of cars from the late Peter Mullin’s collection by Gooding & Company at Oxnard in the US was crowned by this Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet’.

One of just four cars bodied by Gangloff with this coachwork, the car was made even more special by being one of only two built on the supercharged Type 57C chassis.

Such exclusivity and elegance brought out eager buyers to help this Bugatti achieve a price that was almost double its higher estimate of $3.5 million.

A superb restoration meant the car was in ready-to-use-and-show condition, and it also has an impeccable history, because its first owner was Bugatti works driver Maurice Trintignant, who raced it in the 1939 Grand Prix du Comminges in France.

21. 1966 Ford GT40 Mk1 (£5,431,850/$6,930,000)

A second Ford GT40 in this top 25 and this one sold by Mecum at its Kissimmee sale in January made $2.5 million (£1.96 million) more than the one sold by Broad Arrow not long after.

The reason for this car’s high price is down to its immaculate condition following a restoration by RUF Automobiles.

It was also helped along by the car coming from long-term ownership of almost 30 years and not having been seen in public for much of that duration.

This car was one of the 30 original road car GT40s sold, but came with competition options from new.

It has never been in an accident and is rated as one of the best, most original Ford GT40 road cars in existence.

22. 1979 Ferrari 312 T4 (£6,481,400/€7,655,000)

One of three Ferraris to make it into the top five of this list, this 312 T4 came to auction from Ferrari Formula One World Champion Jody Scheckter’s private collection.

That kind of provenance will always help a car find a willing buyer, and this car is made all the more special because it’s the one Scheckter used to win all three of his Grand Prix victories in 1979, the year he claimed the championship.

Scheckter bought this car from the factory in 1982 and owned it right up until he consigned it to the RM Sotheby’s Monaco sale in May 2024.

It was presented for sale in exactly the condition it left the factory, complete with worn seatbelts and matching numbers.

23. 1960 Ferrari 250GT SWB Competizione (£8,600,750/€10,158,125)

Any Ferrari 250GT SWB is a blue-chip buy, but this example, sold by RM Sotheby’s in Paris back in January, is further distinguished by its history.

One of 45 aluminium-bodied Competizione cars made in 1960, it was also built especially for the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring race in the US.

This was the competition debut for the Ferrari 250GT SWB and this car was built with a ‘hot rod’ engine for George Arents and Bill Kimberly, and Arents was the car’s first keeper. This car finished seventh overall in the race and fifth in class.

A number of other well-known racing drivers owned the car and it continued competing in the new millennium.

A restoration followed in 2014 and the car has been confirmed to still have its matching-numbers chassis, engine and rear axle, and its Ferrari Classiche certificate notes the originality of the body.

24. 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP Roi des Belges (£9,488,100/$12,105,000)

Proving that top performers in auctions can come from the early period of motoring, this 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP Roi des Belges sold well above its estimate.

Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island sale 2024 was well chosen for this car, because the right buyers were there to appreciate its significance.

It is one of only five surviving 60 HP models and came to auction from 121 years of single-family ownership.

The provenance of this car was further burnished by its time as an exhibit at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, in the UK, as well as regular entries in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

Originally bought by Alfred Harmsworth, this 60 HP set fastest times at the Nice Speed Week and Castlewellan Hill Climb in 1903.

25. 1963 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider (£14,010,750/$17,875,000)

Few cars are more highly prized by collectors at the top end of the market than the Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider, and this one was the last ever built.

Sold most recently by Mecum at its Kissimmee auction in January 2024, it was finished on 9 February 1963 and supplied to its first owner, Andre Aldeghi, who owned it until 1972.

After a brief time with a second custodian, it moved on to Jerry Fiorito, who looked after it for 25 years.

The car was restored between 1999 and 2001 to its 1963 factory specification and retains its original body, chassis, engine and gearbox.

It also has its tool roll and owner’s manual, as well as Ferrari Classiche certification to underpin its superb condition.