Most Expensive Car

[Kitdy]

This is just a general question that i have been trying to find the answer to. What is the most expensive car in the world? I have read here and there, an old Bugatti, a Ferrari 250 GTO, the unsold Rolls Royce Silver Ghost that BMW has, I don't care if it sold or not, I want to try and find out the most expensive car, sold, or valued at at one point in time, there ever was / is. The most expensive car now, the most expensive car in all history, the top most expensive cars etc. I haven't had much look in books or the net so I was wondering if anyone here knew.

[Wouter Melissen]

The Silver Ghost is owned by Bentley and is insured for a reported 40 million, either pounds or dollars.

[go.pawel]

The most expensive car sold publically (at an auction) is the 1931 Bugatti Type 41 (Royale) with body by Kellner. It was sold in November 1987 by Christie's for 5,500,000 GBP. In 2001 its owner announced that he'll sell it to anyone willing to pay 10,000,000 USD. AFAIK it hasn't been sold yet. Other remaining Royales are valued at similar level.

[Wouter Melissen]

The most expensive car sold publically (at an auction) is the 1931 Bugatti Type 41 (Royale) with body by Kellner. It was sold in November 1987 by Christie's for 5,500,000 GBP (8,700,000 USD). In 2001 it's owner announced that he'll sell it to anyone willing to pay 10,000,000 USD. AFAIK it hasn't been sold yet. Other remaining Royales are valued at similar level.

I believe VW bought their example for around $18 Million.

[go.pawel]

I believe VW bought their example for around $18 Million.

Quite possible, but it was a private transaction and we don't know anything for sure. The auction record still belongs to the Kellner Coupe.

I see one major problem with what we're trying to do here. The value we are talking about here is actually the market worth of a car, and that is determined by how much someone's willing to pay for it. With common cars there's no problem - there are hundreds or thousands of them, so estimating value is easy. The rarer the car, the more difficult it is to determine the value and the more it fluctuates with time. When talking about cars like the Royales or the silver Silver Ghost, it's imo impossible to tell the value. We can talk about prices they were sold for, but the fact that it sold for 5 or 10 or 50 million means nothing. Because the person who bought it may be the only one in the world willing to pay such a high price for this car, and when he tries to sell it he would get "only" 4 or 5 million, instead of 10. Or maybe there will appear someone for whom the car is extremely important and he has the necessary money to buy it for 5 times the original price.
Looking for the most expensive single car is rather pointless. Instead of that we can simply agree that the Royales, the Silver Ghost, 250 GTO and a few racing Ferraris are all the peak of classic automotive market.

[Wouter Melissen]

Quite possible, but it was a private transaction and we don't know anything for sure. The auction record still belongs to the Kellner Coupe.

Yes, and with the Auto Union withdrawn, it will remain that way for a while.

[jediali]

http://www.forbesautos.com/advice/to...collector.html

[henk4]

http://www.forbesautos.com/advice/to...collector.html

Interesting to see that both Bugattis were sold 20 years ago, therefore it can be assumed that in to-day's US$ their prices would be significantly higher...

[go.pawel]

http://www.forbesautos.com/advice/to...collector.html

This list is out of date. It lacks the 412S sold last year in Monterey for 5.6 million $, this year's Barrett-Jackson Cobra (5.5 mil. $), last year's B-J Futureliner and a few other cars from the last 2 years.

Interesting to see that both Bugattis were sold 20 years ago, therefore it can be assumed that in to-day's US$ their prices would be significantly higher...

If we take the exchange rates from November 1987, the price of Kellner Coupe was 9.8 million USD. After adjusting for inflation, it makes 17.7 million current USD.

[jediali]

This list is out of date. It lacks the 412S sold last year in Monterey for 5.6 million $, this year's Barrett-Jackson Cobra (5.5 mil. $), last year's B-J Futureliner and a few other car from the last 2 years.

sorry, many of the ones highlighted in my mind are here.

[henk4]

If we take the exchange rates from November 1987, the price of Kellner Coupe was 9.8 million USD. After adjusting for inflation, it makes 17.7 million current USD.

Thanks I had hoped that somebody would take the trouble to find the deflator...

[go.pawel]

Yes, and with the Auto Union withdrawn, it will remain that way for a while.

Yea, I wonder what made them change their minds. That part about "pending further exploration into the car's race history" makes me think that there are some unsolved controversies about the identity and/or originality of the car. However, that would be strange.

[J.J.Horst]

The most expensive car sold publically (at an auction) is the 1931 Bugatti Type 41 (Royale) with body by Kellner. It was sold in November 1987 by Christie's for 5,500,000 GBP. In 2001 its owner announced that he'll sell it to anyone willing to pay 10,000,000 USD. AFAIK it hasn't been sold yet. Other remaining Royales are valued at similar level.

The Kellner Royale was for sale in Japan for quite a while, it was sold last year or the year before to a merchant in Switzerland. It will probably be offered again in the near future.

[J.J.Horst]

Yea, I wonder what made them change their minds. That part about "pending further exploration into the car's race history" makes me think that there are some unsolved controversies about the identity and/or originality of the car. However, that would be strange.

There can be only one reason why the AutoUnion was withdrawn: there was not sufficient interest shown before the auction. Christie's can not risk that the bidding would stop at only a couple of millions, it has to reach at least 10 - 15 million, now they are very unsure that they will make that. All story's about that the history of the car has to be investigated further first is bullshit.

[henk4]

There can be only one reason why the AutoUnion was withdrawn: there was not sufficient interest shown before the auction. Christie's can not risk that the bidding would stop at only a couple of millions, it has to reach at least 10 - 15 million, now they are very unsure that they will make that. All story's about that the history of the car has to be investigated further first is bullshit.

you might well be correct there. Will you go to Retromobile?