RM Sotheby’s records high-grossing car auction with £36.5m London sale

RM Sotheby’s has had the highest-grossing car sale of all time, with bids amounting to just over £36.5 million thanks to a series of sought-after models.

The London sale, which took place at the Peninsula Hotel in partnership with the Royal Automobile Club and London to Brighton Veteran Car Run saw a wide variety of cars and memorabilia sell to a packed crowd. In all, 87.5 per cent of lots offered sold successfully.

Highlights included a 2022 Ferrari Daytona SP3 which went for £8,161,259 when the hammer fell, making it the highest-grossing lot of the night. Designated as a development car by the Italian brand, the SP3 had a star-studded history as a factory press car, having appeared in a wider variety of media reviews alongside an episode of Top Gear.

One of only 150 Aston Martin Valkyrie Coupes also drew a lot of attention and a final bid of £2,761,250, while a 1988 Ferrari F40 – modified to resemble a racing LM version – fetched just over £2.5 million at the end of its auction.

Other standout lots included Lando Norris’ McLaren Formula 1 helmet from the 2026 season which fetched £60,000.

A 1991 Honda NSX once owned and used by Fornula One World Champion Ayrton Senna as his personal car was also a highly sought-after lot and, once the hammer had fallen, went for £871,250.