When it comes to major auctions, it’s pretty common to find various Ferrari models at the top of the list. This year, the auctions taking place during Monterey Car Week were wild as usual. Mecum auctions turned out some amazing vehicles with the top 10 cars pulling in nearly $20 million, but that’s nowhere near the kind of numbers we saw at the Gooding & Company auction. In fact, Gooding’s number for the top five cars was more than double that of Mecum’s top 10 – pretty wild right?

Gooding had a lot of cars listed, and 160 of those lots actually sold. Some of the lower-priced cars include models like a 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900 C Coupe for $412,500, a 1988 Porsche 959 Comfort for $1,320,000, a 1954 Austin-Healey 100/4 BN1 Le Mans for $143,000, a 1928 Morris Oxford for just $49,400, and there was even a 1968 Iso Grifo 7 Litri that sold for $682,000. Okay, so some of those numbers might night be “low” for some of us, but in the grand scheme of things, none of them are much when you consider the most expensive car sold at Gooding this year commanded just of $18 million. More about that later, but I’ll give you a hint: It’s a Ferrari. Shocker, right?

Well, with that said, let’s take a good look at Gooding’s top five from this year at Monterey and talk a little about them. There’s just something about these high-dollar collectibles that really gets the blood flowing, isn’t there?

Keep reading to learn about the top five sellers from Gooding & Company

No. 5 – 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta

Note: Image copyright Gooding & Company.

The car you see here has changed hands 12 times, with Nuccio Bertone being the second owner it ever had. Between 1950 and 1956, participated in a number of races, including Mille Miglia in 1950 and Trofeo Supercortemaggiore in 1952 – the latter of which saw the car taking 1st in class. In the same year, it took 1st overall at II Trofeo Sardo. With this kind of history, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this car has also been featured in a number of books and magazines. The car is powered by a 2.3-liter, SOHC, V-12 that delivered 160 horsepower to the rear wheels. The body was originally crafted by Touring but was later updated by Zagato. The engine was recently rebuilt and as part of the sale, the car is accompanied by the original differential and the original transmission, among other original parts. Originally expected to sell for as much as $8 million, this classic racer commanded $5,445,000 by the time the hammer dropped.

No. 4 - 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster

Note: Image copyright Gooding & Company.

The Bugatti Type 55 Roadster – it’s got racing heritage written all over it. Be that as it may, this specific model has a very limited racing history. In fact, this model – chassis No. 55213 – was only raced in one event. That event was the 1932 Mille Miglia, and the car was driven by Achille Varzi. The car didn’t finish that race thanks to a puncture in its fuel tank, but that’s okay because there’s a lot more to this model that makes it truly special. The car was completed in April of 1932 and was fitted with Jean Bugatti Roadster coachwork. This means it was second example ever built and the first to be completed in 1932. It is also the only Type 55 to compete in the Mille Miglia. Under the hood, you’ll find a 2.3-liter straight-eight that featured a roots-type supercharger. All 130 horsepower was sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. This fine example of Bugatti heritage sold for $10.4 million, just $400,000 more than the lower estimate of $10 million to $14 million.

Note: Image copyright Gooding & Company.0}

Like the other cars on this list, this beauty has a strong racing heritage. But, unlike the Bugatti Type 55 above, this little racer saw quite a bit of action between 1934 and 1948. It too 3rd overall in the Circuito di San Remo in 1947, 2nd overall and 1st in class at the Sassi-Superga Hillclimb in 1947, and it even took 1st in class at Catania-Etna Hillclimb in 1948. It was restored to excellent condition once in 1985 and has been kept in excellent condition ever since. Prior to the auction, the current owner spent time with it by participating in European and U.S. tours, all while keeping it in the pristine condition you see here. The car was originally expected to sell for at least $12 million, but fell just short, commanding $11.9 million when the hammer dropped.

Read the full review here.

No. 2 – 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione

Note: Image copyright Gooding & Company.

This gorgeous Ferrari goes by the serial No. 1759GT and is the sixth example of its kind that was ever built. It was also among the first competition cars completed for 1960 and was originally built specifically for competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Equipped with a Tipo 168 3.0-liter V-12 engine the car had 280 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque on tap. The car underwent a full restoration back in 2005 and has seen be delicately kept, only being selectively displayed at various Concours events and campaigned in vintage races. The car was fitted with a 250-series spare engine to preserve the original engine, which was reinstalled by GTO Engineering prior to it going under the hammer. Original estimates placed this Ferrari in the $15 million to $18 million price bracket, but it fell short and sold for just $13.5 million.

Note: Image copyright Gooding & Company.0}

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a Ferrari carried the highest value at the Gooding auction in Monterey this year. This model is pretty special, and it should be considering how much it actually sold for. Before I get into its selling price, however, let’s talk a little about it. This fine example carries Serial No. 1603 GT and has a matching Tipo 168 engine. Like the 250 GT SWB that took second place in the auction, this baby has 280 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque.

It has a decent racing history, but none of the records presented with the lot show any first place wins. It was sent to 2010 by Bob Smith Coachworks for a selective cosmetic restoration. It was sold along with a tool roll, original owner’s handbooks, correct bumpers, period-correct rollbar, various documentation, the Ferrari Classiche Red Book, and a full history report compiled by Marcel Massini. Originally estimated to sell for as much as $20 million, this fine example exchanged owners for $18.15 million.