Auctions

Launched in 1974 as a replacement for the dated Beetle, the Volkswagen Golf became a big hit and quickly transformed into a legendary nameplate that has soldiered on over eight generations.

Although the first-gen Golf was developed as a humble daily driver, Volkswagen also launched a beefed-up GTI model. In addition, the boxy hatchback was converted to race spec as early as 1975. The first Golf race car ever built just showed up for auction at RM Sotheby’s, which will attempt to sell it during an event in Essen, Germany, on June 24.

Cars have been divided into affordable and expensive ever since the early days of the automobile. As Ford began to streamline production for the Model T, which made it affordable to the average Joe, automakers like Rolls-Royce were producing luxurious and expensive cars.

Companies like Bugatti, Duesenberg, and Cadillac soon joined this endeavor to produce the best car in the world, which would also be the most expensive car in the world. As years went by, many of them also became very valuable. Rare cars become collectibles, and collectible status comes with a high price tag. Which are the rarest and most expensive cars on the market right now? Find out in the article below.

After more than 40 years of being out of the spotlight, the Stratos has returned. It’s not made by Lancia anymore, but by Manufattura Automobili Torino (MAT). Called the MAT Stratos Coupe, the first-production version of the super-desirable sports car is now up for auction at Bonhams, and, as you can imagine, this particular Stratos Coupe is going to fetch a steep price.

The renowned auction house estimates that the first-production Stratos Coupe will fetch somewhere in the vicinity of $1 million. It’s about as unique a sports car as you can buy these days, and while the estimated price is way out of our budget, it’s not hard to imagine someone paying that much money to own the first-produced MAT Stratos Coupe.

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 is living up to the hype after the first-production model carrying VIN 001 sold for a staggering $3 million at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hendrick Companies founder and CEO Rick Hendrick placed the winning bid, adding what could be one of the most desirable Corvettes in history to his extraordinary collection of American performance cars.

The first-production Corvette Stingray C8 also becomes one of the most expensive Corvette models ever sold at auction, trailing only a handful of classic ‘Vettes, including a 1967 Corvette L88 Coupe that still holds court as the most expensive Corvette ever sold in an auction setting. It fetched $3.85 million back in 2014, coincidentally, at the same Barrett-Jackson auction that the first-production Corvette C8 was sold.

The Dodge Viper came in a time when Chrysler was associated with people carriers and compact front-wheel drive cars. It was first shown in concept guise back in January 1989 after just one year under development and the first customers got their Vipers in the early months of 1992. The rest, as they say, is history.

Also history - of the living ilk - is this particular red-painted Dodge Viper, for two reasons: it’s the very first to leave the assembly line and it had one owner throughout its entire life. That owner is Lee Iacocca, who sadly passed away on July the 2nd, 2019.

One of the most iconic Lamborghinis ever built, the Countach was introduced in 1974 as a replacement for the equally iconic Miura and survived into production for an impressive 16 years, until 1990.

30 years later and the Countach remains a highly sought-after collectible, commanding millions of dollars in certain specifications. If you like the late models with wider skirts and the more powerful V-12, you can score one in pristine condition at Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro sale in the U.K. on February 22.

We’re not here to tell you that a lot of gearheads got the car virus thanks to the movie Bullitt. We won’t even tell you how great of an actor Steve McQueen was. We’re here to tell you that the original Bullitt Mustang sold for a fortune.

The car’s history itself is quite impressive, but the fact that in was able to fetch record-setting money at auction says a lot about what Bullitt, Steve McQueen, and an iconic car can mean to some people.

Aston Martin’s DB5 is the epitome of British elegance and class and with multiple appearances in the James Bond franchise, has been heralded over the years as one of the world’s most famous cars. While maybe not all passersby will be able to tell you what it is when looking at the DB5, mostly everyone knows that shape. The fact that there was also an open-top version may not, however, be common knowledge but, with or without a roof, the DB5 is a show-stopper any day of the week.

Powered by 4.0-liter version of Tadek Marek’s DOHC inline-six, the DB5 was an evolutionary step than a revolutionary one when compared to the DB4 it replaced. In fact, the styling was nigh on identical to that of a Series 5 DB4 and it was the increase in the engine’s capacity that stood out as key differentiator between the two models. But a deal to supply Sean Connery’s Bond with a Silver Birch DB5 in the movie ’Goldfinger’ changed everything for David Brown’s company.

The model became a success with over 1,000 units sold in just two years and movie stars fawned over the gorgeous lines penned by Touring. Actors Peter Sellers and Beryl Reid were just some who owned DB5s in the ’60s and even Princess Margaret rolled in one for a while. Indeed, you probably needed the funds usually linked to an heir of the crown given that the DB5 Convertible cost as much as a house at the time but can you really put a price on driving a car Bond pedalled on-screen?

It’s a very rare occasion when something as special as this 1995 Ferrari F50 Berlinetta Prototipo shows up with a for sale sign that’s open to the public. The F50 Berlinetta, in general, is special in its own right as Ferrari produced less than 350 examples over the course of its life, but this is, arguably, the most special of all. Keep reading to find out why.

Believe it or not, this is actually a Ford F-Series pickup truck. Although it is far from the conventional trucks that we’re used to seeing now, this wacky design was quite common back in the day. There aren’t many examples of this old-school truck available online today, but one example has somehow arrived on the Barrett-Jackson website.

However, this particular model is highly customized and comes packed with a modern Mustang V-8 Voodoo engine under the hood. And, the best part – it is mated to a manual transmission! Is this the best package or what?

Maserati’s 200S, 300S, and 450S proved the once-great Maserati factory could still play with the big boys on any turf in the World Sports Car Championship but it was the unassuming, yet painfully gorgeous, A6GCS from 1953 that announced Maserati’s mid-50s sports car onslaught.

Part of the A6 family of models that dates back to the ’40s, the A6GCS was powered by a 170 horsepower engine at first. Only 52 were ever built and this particular example finished third overall in the 1954 Mille Miglia.

An old friend of the public automotive auction scene is back for another go. The Sunbeam Alpine was an interesting yet underrated British sports car that once raced disguised as a Ferrari. It wasn’t some gimmick, just the result of the relationship between famed U.S. Ferrari importer, racer, and team owner Luigi Chinetti and the owner of this particular Sunbeam Harrington Alpine Coupe.

With a 1.6-liter engine developing just 104 horsepower, the Sunbeam Alpine was surely not the car you’d pick if you wanted to go for overall honors in the 12 Hours of Sebring but, due to its low dry weight of just 2,228 pounds and an aerodynamic body, it was tough nut to crack in the lower GT ranks. This example was first run by the factory-backed Rootes team before going through a never-to-be-repeated makeover that saw it repainted in Ferrari Red. This is what we call a sheep in wolf’s clothing and you can pick it up during January’s RM/Sotheby’s Arizona sale!

We’ve always wanted, at least once, to own a piece of history. The car shared by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby throughout the 1966 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a Ford GT40 Mk. II, is such an example. The identical-looking ’continuation’ Ford GT40 Mk. II seen in the recently released ’Ford v. Ferrari’ movie is another.

The good news is you can own the latter and brag that you’ll sit where Christian Bale did during filming. He’s no Ken Miles but he surely played the part convincingly well and all you have to do to get this baby blue 7.0-liter monster is be the highest bidder on lot #R554 during Mecum Auctions’ Kissimmee auction in January. Simple, right?