Skip to main content

5 of the Most Expensive Cars Headed to Monterey Car Week 2018

It feels like just yesterday we were stumbling around Monterey, California, unable to process the number and range of classic cars in town for Monterey Car Week. Alas, it has a year, and that means its time for another round of automotive excess.

To say it’s been a good year for the collector car market is an understatement. As evidence of surging values across most vehicle segments, eight-figure car sales are now becoming common at high-profile auctions. Traditional investors have become collectors and wealthy enthusiasts are shrugging off hundreds of thousands of dollars in year-over-year price hikes.

This weekend, August 24-25, a number of exceedingly expensive vehicles are scheduled for auction at the various events. Five vehicles, in particular, are expected to fetch incredible figures. Here’s what you should look out for at Monterey Car Week 2018.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

$45,000,000-$60,000,000

Classic Ferraris always seem to top auction charts these days, but few ever reach the estimated value of this Ferrari 250 GTO. The third GTO build is known for its victory in the 1962 Italian GT Championship, driven by Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi. The next two years saw this car win the Targa Florio with a new Series II GTO body by Scaglietti. RM Sotheby’s offers a conservative estimate of $45 million, but this model could fetch as much as $60 million if the right people are bidding.

1963 Aston Martin DP215

$18,000,000-$22,000,000

Trailing the GTO’s estimated value considerably, but still thinning the pool of uber-rich collectors, is this 1963 Aston Martin DP215. The same year it was produced, the DP215 raced at Le Mans and clocked 198.6 mph down the Mulsanne straight. To this day, no other front-engined car has set a faster speed. Based in part on the recent $13.4 million sale price of the slower and more common Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato MP209, RM Sotheby’s estimates this DP215 will fetch at least $18,000,000 on the auction block.

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C

$12,000,000-$14,000,000

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C - Pebble Beach 2018

What did we say about pricey old Ferraris? This 1966 Ferrari is one of the rare competition-spec 275 GTB models and was has a solid racing history. In 1966, Pedro Rodriguez raced the car at Nassau. In ’67,’69, and ’70, Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team competed in the Daytona 24 Hours endurance race. Previous owners include Harley Cluxton, Dr. Ron Finger, Albert Obrist, and Bernie Ecclestone. A similar model sold last year for $14.5 million.

1966 Ford GT40 MkII

$9,000,000-$12,000,000

Here’s one for us ‘Muricans. This 1966 Ford GT40 raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (driven by Ronnie Bucknum and Dick Hutcherson) and tucked behind the Shelby American-entered Mk IIs to cross the finish line in third place. The 1966 win for Ford was a punishing blow to Ferrari and the first win by an American car company. In 2003, this car won a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance People’s Choice award. RM Sotheby’s estimates a sale price of somewhere between $9 and $12 million.

1935 Duesenberg SSJ

$10,000,000-plus

1935 Duesenberg SSJ
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It may seem odd that the oldest car in this write-up could sell for the lowest price, but such is the nature of the collector car market. And still, an estimate of $10 million for this 1935 Duesenberg SSJ is nothing to sneeze at. This particular model was owned by Gary Cooper and was a twin to Clark Gable’s SSJ; both cars had La Grande Speedster coachwork and J-563 engines. Contributing factors to its value are its rarity, design, and prominent owner history, including D. Cameron Peck, Briggs Cunningham, and Miles Collier.

Article originally published August 2, 2018. Last updated August 23, 2018, to include further details about Monterey Car Week.

Editors' Recommendations

Miles Branman
Miles Branman developed a passion for cars early on thanks to a neighbor’s collection of rare and exotic vehicles. What…
Buyer beware: The least reliable cars you can buy in 2024
Know the car reliability ratings of these bad buys
Front end angle of 2021 Ford F-150 parked on a dirt trail in front of a red barn and trees.

According to statistics, car sales grew by about 75.3 million globally in 2023, up from the estimated 67.3 million units sold in 2022. Evidently, buying a car is a big purchase, like buying a home, that many people want to achieve during their lifetime. 

Unfortunately, much like houses, cars have become increasingly more expensive in recent years. This is why people want to ensure they are buying a reliable car that isn't going to break down on them a few months to years down the line. The bottom line is drivers want reliability now more than ever. 

Read more
How many teams are there in Formula 1 in 2024?
!0 teams and 20 drivers compete for the World Championship,
Aston Martin Formula 1 race car driving directly toward the camera.

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix winner's stage Nate Swanner / DTMG

In the current FIA Formula 1 season, ten teams each field two drivers to vie for the highest Grand Prix World Championship points among all competitors. The 2024 F1 schedule has 24 Grand Prix racing events, including six that include a shorter F1 Sprint race.
Why F1 teams matter in the sport

Read more
What engines do Formula 1 cars use?
F1 engines will be carbon neutral starting in 2026
Lewis Hamilton (44) driving for Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team during The Australian Formula One Grand Prix Race on April 02, 2023, at The Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Albert Park, Australia.

F1 race cars routinely exceed 200 miles per hour during Grand Prix races, which begs the question, "What engines do Formula 1 cars use?" If you expect to hear that F1 race cars use exotic V16 or V12 engines, you may be surprised to learn that they don't even run with V8s. All F1 race cars have a power unit comprising a 1.6-liter V6 hybrid internal combustion engine (ICE) with two on-board electrical energy recovery units. Like almost everything in Formula 1, the engines teams can use in their race cars are strictly defined by the FIA F1 Rules and Regulations.
Why Formula 1 car engines matter

Formula 1 is considered the pinnacle of elite motorsports, which puts the organization in a powerful position to influence other competitive automotive groups. Also, in 2019, F1 committed to being carbon-net-zero by 2030. F1 race cars currently have hybrid gas and electric power units, but starting in 2026, all F1 cars will run on biofuel, a renewable energy source with significantly lower carbon emissions than petroleum-based fuels.
What engines do Formula 1 cars use today?

Read more