VINTAGE: 10 Great Collector-Car Sales

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.

The 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage was famously used as a camera car during the filming of Steve McQueen's film "Le Mans." (Photo: RM Auctions) 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.

The 1908 Simplex 50 Speedcar Roadster is an authentic antique sports car and the oldest Simplex known to survive. (Photo: Mecum Auctions) 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

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/vintage-10-great-collector-car-sales/

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