Expensive, rare, legendary: These classic cars are real rarities

Classic cars with storys

When it comes to automotive icons, many rightly think of ferrari. Because the Italian car manufacturer has shaped entire generations with its unmistakable design paired with outstanding engineering. Starting with well-heeled buyers to professional racing drivers who have won a number of titles in Ferraris to investors who can call a rare model their own. But even rarities from Mercedes or Bugatti are an addition worth millions of dollars to any classic car collection.

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic: The art deco work of art

The Bugatti brand came from a Milanese family of artists. This origin story is also reflected in the legendary Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic in the Art Deco style. Even back then, at the beginning of the 1930s, the model was stunningly beautiful. The bonnet alone is something special and stretches far forward with a total length of just 3.70 meters. An outstanding design feature is an erect comb that runs vertically from the hinge of the long, separable bonnet to the rear end. The Type 57 SC was also a technical masterpiece and was equipped with a powerful 3.3-liter in-line eight-cylinder engine. The abbreviation “SC” stands for “Supercharged,” which refers to a compressor that optimizes engine performance.

that Guggenheim Museum Bilbao In 2022, showed one of only three remaining original vehicles owned by the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. Fashion designer Ralph Lauren owns the fourth Atlantic built, the third one was bought by Jacques Holzschuh in 1936. However, in 1955, the Atlantic was almost completely destroyed in an accident. Although it was extensively restored using many original parts, some components had to be remanufactured.

Jean Bugatti initially drove the legendary second-built Type 57 SC Atlantic himself. Only he alone and selected friends of the house, mostly racing drivers, were allowed to get behind the wheel of the coupé. Bugatti used the “La Voiture Noire 1” for brochure photos and as an exhibition piece at international trade fairs such as in Lyon and Nice. However, the coupé was lost in the Second World War and has been considered lost since 1938. His disappearance is one of the great secrets of automotive history. Experts estimate the value of the Atlantic at more than 100 million euros — if it ever reappears.

By the way, Bugatti presented a new interpretation of the legendary 57 SC Atlantic from the 1930s at the Geneva Motor Show in early 2019. To mark the 110th anniversary, the French relaunched the “La Voiture Noire” model. But who purchased the unique item for around 16 million euros remains a mystery.

Ferrari 250 GTO: The beautiful super sports car

The Ferrari 250 GTO is also particularly legendary and expensive. Enzo Ferrari used the abbreviation GTO to describe his GT model for the period from 1962. The “250" refers to the engine volume of 250 cubic centimeters per cylinder of his 3.0-liter V12 engine. This high-performance machine brought the sports car to top speeds of around 174 miles per hour (280 km/h). As a result, the Ferrari 250 GTO was successful in various racing competitions, including the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Tour de France Automobiles. He also won the sports car world championship in 1962, 1963 and 1964. The Italian's “curvy”, elegant design is also legendary: it was created by Giotto Bizzarrini and Sergio Scaglietti with aerodynamic input from the racing car designer Mauro Forghieri designed and reflected the racing spirit of Ferrari in that era.

Only 39 units were built, making the 250 GTO a rare and sought after collector's item. At an auction in March 2002, a car owned by former Microsoft chief developer Gregory Whitten brought 48.4 million dollars. This enormous sum was even exceeded in November 2023: At a Sotheby's auction, a Ferrari 250 GTO for 51.7 million dollars the owner.

This is the second-highest amount ever paid for a car at auction, according to auction house Sotheby's. In addition, no Ferrari has been auctioned off at a higher price so far. Another copy of the 250 GTO went away in 2018 for 70 million US dollars, but this was a private sale.

Mercedes-Benz Uhlenhaut Coupé 300 SLR: The most expensive classic car

The Mercedes-Benz Uhlenhaut Coupé 300 SLR was a closed version of the racing car and was used for road travel. It was actually intended for racing, but was never used because Daimler-Benz withdrew from motorsport in 1955 after the end of the season. Instead, the 300 SLR Coupé served as a company car for the head of the testing department, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. The Uhlenhaut Coupé is a particularly rare vehicle, actually designed as a Formula 1 racing car, of which only two units were produced — one with a blue interior and one with a red interior. They remained in the care of Mercedes for years and were widely regarded as the most valuable cars in the world. In 2022, an anonymous buyer bought at a private auction in Stuttgart, carried out by Sotheby's, but a Uhlenhaut Coupé for a whopping 135 million euros. This makes the classic car the most expensive car ever auctioned off.

Investing in classic cars

Rarity, beauty, racing history and prominent previous ownership are three factors that can increase the price of a classic car. For most investors, classic cars in the absolute luxury category will of course not be affordable. In addition, particularly rare models are almost never on the market anyway, but are in private collections. Nevertheless, there are opportunities to participate in the return opportunities offered by classic cars and thus add some “sparkle and dynamism” to your own portfolio. For example, with digital shares of automotive icons curated by experts, such as Ferrari Dino 208 GT4 or Porsche 911 2.7 Carrera. Because, in particular, selected Porsche and Ferrari have increased enormously in value over the past decades. In addition, the Classic Cars investment form has almost no correlation with the financial markets, which can balance the portfolio, especially in times of economic uncertainty.