Top Sales During Monterey Car Week 2025
Monterey Car Week proved to be another exciting collection of the most exclusive auctions and concours in the world. Many new record prices were set and a very strong result from RM Sotheby’s raised $26,000,000 for charity. The ten most expensive cars sold during Monterey Car Week totaled more than $110,000,000. Let’s take a look at them here.
The Ferrari Daytona SP3, a stunning tribute to the legendary 1967 24 Hours of Daytona where Ferrari swept the podium, is the third entry in the exclusive “Icona” series. Unveiled in 2021, its design is a direct homage to the voluptuous lines and aerodynamic forms of 1960s sports prototypes like the 330 P4. Unlike many modern hypercars, the Daytona SP3 shuns hybrid systems in favor of a magnificent, naturally aspirated 6.5L V12 engine, a modernized version of the one found in the 812 Competizione. This engine is Ferrari’s most powerful road-going combustion engine to date, producing 829 horsepower and revving to a stratospheric 9,500 rpm.
This was the most expensive lot sold during Monterey Car Week in 2025 for two reasons. First, all proceeds from the sale benefit The Ferrari Foundation and charity lots do tend to bring very strong bidding. The second reason is that this is the 600th example of the Ferrari Daytona SP3 produced, one more than was originally planned and the first one available to anyone with the funds as the original 599 were all spoken for by Ferrari’s VIP clientele.
As expensive as this was, it’s hard to call it anything other than well-bought as it’s a one of a kind car and the cost goes toward charity.
The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Competizione stands as an exceptionally rare and significant variant of the already legendary 250 GT SWB California Spider. While the standard model was designed as a high-performance grand touring car for the affluent American market, a select few were crafted for serious competition. These “Competizione” models featured a lightweight aluminum body instead of the standard steel, shedding crucial weight for enhanced track performance. They were also equipped with a tuned version of the iconic 3.0L “Colombo” V12 engine, often with a higher compression ratio, delivering a substantial power surge over the road car’s 280 hp. Out of the total 56 SWB California Spiders built, only three received a full lightweight aluminum body, and only two of those were constructed to the full competition specification. This example sold by Gooding Christie’s is one of those two.
This car was well-sold at $25,305,000 with a pre-auction estimate of more than $20,000,000.
Developed by Ferrari’s long-time racing partner, Michelotto Automobili, in response to requests from private teams, the F40 LM was built to compete in the IMSA GT Championship in North America and other international series. With a stripped-down interior, enhanced aerodynamics, and a significantly more powerful twin-turbo V8 engine producing well over 700 horsepower, the LM was a raw, purpose-built race car. Only 19 examples of the F40 LM were ever produced.
The example sold by RM Sotheby’s is the 14th built and was equipped with the GTC-spec engine that produced 760 horsepower. It’s a numbers-matching car, as documented by Ferrari Classiche in 2009. It was well-sold at $11,005,000.
The Ferrari F50 is a mid-engined sports car that was built from 1995 to 1997 to celebrate Ferrari’s 50th anniversary. It was designed to be the closest thing to a Formula 1 car for the road, using a carbon fiber tub and a naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V12 engine derived directly from the V12 used in the 1990 Ferrari 641 F1 car. Unlike its turbocharged predecessor, the F40, the F50 was distinguished by its dramatic, open-top ‘barchetta’ style body and a removable hardtop. Only 349 examples were ever produced, making it a very rare and collectible modern supercar.
This example that was sold by RM Sotheby’s in Monterey is one of only two finished in Giallo Modena for the US market and was originally purchased by Ralph Lauren. Showing less than 5,400 miles and being Ferrari Classiche certified, this was well-sold at $9,245,000.
The Bugatti Divo, unveiled in 2018, is a limited-production, track-focused hypercar. Named after French racing driver Albert Divo, who won the Targa Florio race for Bugatti twice in the 1920s, the Divo was designed with a specific focus on agility, handling, and cornering performance, rather than just outright top speed. Based on the Bugatti Chiron, the Divo boasts a completely new body and extensive aerodynamic enhancements, including a massive fixed rear wing, a highly sculpted front splitter, and a diffuser. These changes significantly increase downforce and lateral acceleration, resulting in an 8-second improvement over the Chiron on the Nardò handling circuit. Powered by the same 8.0L quad-turbocharged W16 engine producing 1,479 horsepower, the Divo’s top speed is electronically limited to 236 mph to accommodate its track-oriented tires and aerodynamics. Production was limited to just 40 units, all of which were pre-sold to existing Chiron owners.
This was one of the supercars offered by Bonhams with no reserve and sold for a strong price of $8,557,500. Considering its rarity and low mileage, this was well-sold by Bonhams.
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, already a formidable road car, was transformed into a race-winning legend in its “Competizione” specification. Developed by Ferrari’s Assistenza Clienti racing department, these purpose-built race cars were lighter, more powerful, and featured significant aerodynamic and mechanical enhancements over the standard Daytona. Produced in three distinct series from 1971 to 1973, with a total of just 15 official examples built, the Daytona Competizione was entrusted to privateer teams who piloted the cars to remarkable success, most notably dominating the GT class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with class wins in 1972, 1973, and 1974. Its impressive endurance and raw performance cemented its legacy as one of the most successful and enduring front-engined GT race cars in history.
The example sold by Gooding Christie’s entered Le Mans twice and won its class at Daytona in 1979. It sold for $8,145,000, within the pre-auction estimate of $8,000,000 – $10,000,000.
Designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, the Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider is one of the most desirable classic Ferraris of all time, its name is a nod to its targeted market of wealthy American clients in California who sought a car combining the performance of Ferrari’s racing berlinettas with the pleasure of open-air motoring. With a powerful 3.0L V12 engine and a shorter wheelbase that enhanced handling and agility, the SWB version, of which only 56 were built, is the most highly coveted and iconic of the California Spiders, immortalized in pop culture and revered by collectors worldwide.
The example sold by Gooding Christie’s in Monterey is Ferrari Classiche certified and a matching-numbers example. It sold for $7,550,000, well-bought considering the pre-auction estimate of $8,000,000 – $10,000,000.
This was the original prototype of the Cal Spider, making it a hugely significant piece of Ferrari’s history. It won First in Class at Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and Rosso 70 Maranello and is Ferrari Classiche certified complete with its Red Book. It sold a bit under the estimate of $7,500,000 – $9,000,000, seemingly well-bought at $7,265,000.
Unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, the Aperta, which is Italian for “open,” was built with a removable carbon fiber hardtop and a removable soft top. To compensate for the loss of the fixed roof, Ferrari engineers made key aerodynamic and structural changes to ensure the car retained the same performance, torsional rigidity, and beam stiffness as its coupe sibling. With its hybrid powertrain producing a staggering 963 horsepower from a V12 engine and a KERS system derived from Formula 1, the LaFerrari Aperta was a technological showcase.
Just 210 examples of the LaFerrari Aperta were built with all sold to Ferrari’s best clients before they were even completed. Unlike most other cars offered for sale during Monterey Car Week, the 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta features an extended warranty and maintenance program that runs through August 31, 2027. It sold for a very strong $6,715,000.
The Mercedes-Benz 500K Special Roadster is a masterpiece of pre-war automotive design and engineering, built between 1934 and 1936. The “K” in its name stands for “Kompressor,” a supercharger that boosts the power of its massive 5.0L straight-eight engine from 100 to 160 horsepower. With its sweeping fenders, graceful lines, and rakishly styled body by the Sindelfingen works, the Special Roadster was the most expensive and exclusive model in the 500K lineup, designed for high-speed cruising on the newly constructed Autobahn. Fewer than 30 of these two-seater roadsters were ever built, making it one of the most desirable and valuable classic cars in the world.
The 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster is one of just seven short-tail, low-door examples built and even won Best of Show at the 1982 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It sold for an impressive $5,340,000.