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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: 10 Great Collector-Car Sales
The year was marked by stunning multi-million-dollar auction results for rare and historic cars, as well as a rising tide of old-car values across the spectrum.
The 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing that sold for a record $2 million at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction was an incredible piece, an original car that had traveled just over 4,000 miles. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
Collector-car sales during 2012 were all about huge numbers and roaring values, as the six auctions of Monterey reached a record of more than $260 million, Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction topped $92 million and multi-million sales for rare and historic cars became a matter of course.
The year also showed the strength of a resurging passion for vehicles from the past, with growing sales results for collector cars at every level, from Ford to Ferrari.
Here are 10 of the most intriguing collector-car sales of 2012 (totals include bidder fees):
1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster – The top seller of the year, hitting $11.77 million at Gooding and Company’s Pebble Beach auction in August. A record for a Mercedes-Benz sold at auction, the magnificent Von Krieger Special carries with it a fascinating documented history of ownership by a German baroness.
1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage – With its evocative heritage including service as a camera car during the filming of Steve McQueen’s Le Mans,, the GT40 was sold at RM Auction’s Monterey sale for a whopping $11 million, the highest price on record for an American car sold at auction.
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing – One of the highlights of the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction was the $2 million sale of this classic in pristine original condition with only 4,000 miles on its odometer. By far a record price for a steel-body (rather than alloy) Gullwing, but nobody doubted that it was worth it.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Competizione Spyder – In a year that saw soaring values for competition Ferraris, this rare beauty sold for $11.275 million at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction. This was the second-highest sale for the Monterey events, of which rare Ferraris comprised six of the top 10 sales.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – Just to put Ferrari values in perspective, this all-original racecar that was built for Stirling Moss sold in a private sale this year for a mind-numbing $35 million, which is the highest price on record ever paid for an automobile.
1972 Porsche 917/10 Spyder – Mecum Auctions broke into the top Monterey sales with the historic racecar that sold for a record $5.83 million.
1965 Shelby GT350 – This one pushed all the buttons for a "barn-find" vintage car, selling in original as-found condition at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction for a stunning $385,000.
1908 Simplex 50 Speedcar Roadster – A real piece of ancient racing history, this terrific antique sold at Mecum in Monterey for $1.9 million.
The Milhous Collection – The sweeping lifetime accumulation of the Milhouse brothers of collector cars, automobilia and other stuff, including a restored full-size merry-go-round, was auctioned off by RM in Boca Raton, Fla., for a total of $38.3 million.
1964 Ford Fairlane – A highly charged Barrett-Jackson moment came during the Scottsdale auction with the flag-waving, standing-ovation charity sale of auction president Steve Davis’ custom Fairlane for $1 million, all proceeds benefitting the Armed Forced Foundation. The bright-red car had already sold at the previous Las Vegas auction for $700,000 to benefit the foundation, only to be donated back for sale again by the buyer, Barrett-Jackson regular Ron Pratte of Chandler, Arizona.
Check out the photo gallery at Great Collector Cars.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
The year also showed the strength of a resurging passion for vehicles from the past, with growing sales results for collector cars at every level, from Ford to Ferrari.
Here are 10 of the most intriguing collector-car sales of 2012 (totals include bidder fees):
1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster – The top seller of the year, hitting $11.77 million at Gooding and Company’s Pebble Beach auction in August. A record for a Mercedes-Benz sold at auction, the magnificent Von Krieger Special carries with it a fascinating documented history of ownership by a German baroness.
1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage – With its evocative heritage including service as a camera car during the filming of Steve McQueen’s Le Mans,, the GT40 was sold at RM Auction’s Monterey sale for a whopping $11 million, the highest price on record for an American car sold at auction.
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing – One of the highlights of the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction was the $2 million sale of this classic in pristine original condition with only 4,000 miles on its odometer. By far a record price for a steel-body (rather than alloy) Gullwing, but nobody doubted that it was worth it.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Competizione Spyder – In a year that saw soaring values for competition Ferraris, this rare beauty sold for $11.275 million at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction. This was the second-highest sale for the Monterey events, of which rare Ferraris comprised six of the top 10 sales.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – Just to put Ferrari values in perspective, this all-original racecar that was built for Stirling Moss sold in a private sale this year for a mind-numbing $35 million, which is the highest price on record ever paid for an automobile.
1972 Porsche 917/10 Spyder – Mecum Auctions broke into the top Monterey sales with the historic racecar that sold for a record $5.83 million.
1965 Shelby GT350 – This one pushed all the buttons for a "barn-find" vintage car, selling in original as-found condition at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction for a stunning $385,000.
1908 Simplex 50 Speedcar Roadster – A real piece of ancient racing history, this terrific antique sold at Mecum in Monterey for $1.9 million.
The Milhous Collection – The sweeping lifetime accumulation of the Milhouse brothers of collector cars, automobilia and other stuff, including a restored full-size merry-go-round, was auctioned off by RM in Boca Raton, Fla., for a total of $38.3 million.
1964 Ford Fairlane – A highly charged Barrett-Jackson moment came during the Scottsdale auction with the flag-waving, standing-ovation charity sale of auction president Steve Davis’ custom Fairlane for $1 million, all proceeds benefitting the Armed Forced Foundation. The bright-red car had already sold at the previous Las Vegas auction for $700,000 to benefit the foundation, only to be donated back for sale again by the buyer, Barrett-Jackson regular Ron Pratte of Chandler, Arizona.
Check out the photo gallery at Great Collector Cars.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
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