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Rare Ferrari Sets New Record For Most Expensive Car Ever Auctioned

While the demand for classic cars has dipped a bit so far this year, the clamor among collectors for vehicles with a pedigree has not. And for a car like this Ferrari, built by Enzo Ferrari to take on the world on the track, record prices were born to be broken.

Ahead of today’s auction in Paris, auctioneer Artcurial had estimated the 1957 Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti might fetch between $30 million and $35 million. That would have left it just shy of the previous record of $38.1 million, set two years ago by another race-bred Ferrari.

What made this car special was that specific mix of ingredients which tend to pull the big money out of hiding. Unlike most race cars of the ‘50s, this one has mostly original parts. Enzo Ferrari himself oversaw its construction, and the body by Scaglietti has proven timeless. It also had a successful racing career—running in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Mille Miglia, with several famous drivers including Stirling Moss—before being carefully preserved over several decades.

The bidding at Artcurial started at 20 million euros; by the time the auctioneers had wrung the fight to its conclusion, the price had settled at 32.1 million euros. Including Artcurial’s fees, the final sale hit 35.7 million euros, or $39.8 million, proving again it’s hard to bet against a Ferrari in any kind of race.