In ascending order of price. The machine, walled into the wall at home, Bugatti Baron Rothschild and other champions of car auctions.
Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, 1937, $ 8, 252 million
The top pre-war German automotive industry, the flagship model of Mercedes-Benz, developed by an outstanding engineer Hans Gustav Rohr and are available only on special order. Total was produced 26 cars, their customers are such different people as Hitler, Goebbels and Goering ministers and Hollywood moviemaker Jack Warner. Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, equipped with a 5, a 4-liter eight-cylinder engine with turbocharger, was the fastest production car of its time - he developed a speed of 180 km / h. Until 2007, the car was owned by the boss "Formula 1" Bernie and it was put up for sale in a number of other cars belonging to him. The name of the new owner is not disclosed.
Auction RM Auctions, in October 2007
Bugatti Type 41 Royale Kellner Coupe 1931, $ 9, 7 million
One of the six most luxurious cars Bugatti Series Royale, released in 1930. The vehicle length of 6, 4 m and a weight of 3, 1 ton aircraft is equipped with a giant 12, 7-liter eight-cylinder engine capacity of 300 liters. from. This giant was able to develop a very solid for its time, the speed of 160 km / h. At the time, a buyer for it and was not found, and during the Second World War the family car Bugatti immured in the wall of a private house, not to be found and confiscated by the Nazis. In 1950, it bought the famous American racer Briggs Cunningham - for the equivalent of $ 3,000. Until 1986, the car was in his own car museum. After the museum closes for financial reasons Cunningham put the car on auction Christie's, where it was sold for $ 9, 8 million. The buyer, a Swedish "King estate" Hans Thulin, literally bankrupt three years after purchase. In 1990, he sold the car, reportedly for $ 15, 7 million, the Japanese conglomerate Meitec Corporation, who owned it over the next decade. It is known that in 2001 the car for £ 10 million put up for private auction auction Bonhams & Brooks, but who is now owned by Kellner Coupe, is unknown.
Auction Christie's, November 1987
The Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder, 1961, $ 10, 89 million
The same RM Auctions, the same place - Maranello, the top lot of trades, of course, Ferrari, but this time the 250 GT California Spyder. In all there were about 50 such vehicles with a short wheelbase (SWB) and the same - a long wheelbase (LWB). Vehicles with long wheelbase equipped with derated, "civil" engine capacity of 250 liters. s., while specimens with a short base set racing engine capacity of 277 liters. s., which is allowed to reach speeds up to 240 km / h. Put up for sale in May 2008, the Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder once belonged to American actor James Coburn, star of "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape." Almost $ 11 million of it has not regretted the British radio and TV presenter Chris Evans.
Auction: RM Auctions, in May 2008
The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 1957, $ 12 million
One of the legendary racing car the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa - in 1957-1958 was released only 22 of these cars equipped with three-liter V12 engine capacity of 300 liters. from. and capable of speeds up to 270 km / h. This machine was the top lot at auction auction RM Auctions, held in May 2009 in the small Italian town of Maranello - sacred for any Ferrari fan of the place where the headquarters of the Italian company. Trading results even surpassed the expectations of the organizers of the auction: Testa Rossa was sold for $ 12, 2 million, a record sum at the time in the history of the automobile trading auction RM Auctions. The names of the seller and the buyer of the car were not disclosed. We only know that the copies sold has participated in various international competitions and many times finished first.
Auction: RM Auctions, in May 2009
Ferrari 250 GTO 1963-year, $ 17, 7 million
One of the 36 sports cars the Ferrari 250 GTO, released in 1962-1963. Rear-wheel drive vehicle is equipped with a three-liter V12 engine capacity of 290 liters. from. and is capable of speeds of 280 km / h. This copy was purchased in May 2010, the Canadian auction RM Auctions famous British radio and TV presenter Chris Evans, the owner of an impressive collection of rare cars of this Italian company - it has, for example, there are six whites and two blacks Ferrari. It is said that this is not the way the Ferrari 250 GTO, and in 2008 another car in this series was sold to an anonymous buyer for $ 28 million. But since it was a private sale, the deal was never officially confirmed.
Auction: RM Auctions, in May 2010
Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic 1936, $ 38 million
The legendary French company Bugatti, the standard of luxury in the global automotive industry 20-30-ies, was created by Italian Ettore Bugatti - so the right to consider cars the brand "their" dispute between two countries. Cars Bugatti Type 57SC with an engine of 210 liters. s., maximum speed of 200 km / h, avant-garde design by Ettore's son, Jean Bugatti, were manufactured in the workshops of the French company Bugatti in the 30s of the last century. There were made three cars series Type 57SC Atlantic, in the original configuration before our time survived two of them. Sky blue Bugatti pictured was produced in 1936 by order of the Third Baron Rothschild, Victor. The penultimate owner, a well-known collector car, Peter Williamson, acquired the car in 1971 for $ 59 000. In May 2010, at the Gooding and Company auction it was sold for $ 38 million - is the largest in the history of the amount paid for the car. The buyer, an American businessman and collector Peter Mullin French car, put it on public display at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. The second preserved Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, black, is in the collection of the famous American fashion designer and a fanatical collector cars Bugatti Ralph Lauren.
Auction: Gooding and Company, May 2010