Two classic and exclusively rare automobiles recently set new records for the most expensive American- and British-made cars ever sold at an auction.
On Friday, Aug. 19, anonymous buyers plunked down $13.8 million and $21.8 million for the two cars — the first-ever Shelby Cobra ever made and a rare Jaguar D-Type race car — respectively.
Both vehicles were sold during an RM Sotheby's auction at the five-day vintage car show known as Pebble Beach in Monterey, California.
Most Expensive American Car
Selling for $13.8 million, the 1962 Shelby Cobra CSX 2000 broke the previous record held by a 1968 Ford GT40 race car, which had been sold for $11 million in 2012.
The car is so expensive because it kicked off an iconic line that would become one of the most recognizable and famous American performance cars, and would put American racing on the main stage. It's also extra special because the car had been owned by the creator himself, Carroll Shelby, until he died in 2012.
Shelby, who is considered as one of the most influential makers in the auto industry, began his career as a racer in 1952. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1959.
Although Shelby retired because of health problems, he opened his own car company shortly thereafter, the Shelby-American. The Shelby Cobra sold during the auction was exactly the first-ever racing vehicle that the company had made.
Shelby created the vehicle by putting a powerful Ford V8 engine on the body of a British AC Ace sports car. The product was surprisingly fast and lightweight.
Indeed, the year it was launched, the Shelby Cobra performed at a top speed of 153 mph and reached 60 mph only at 4.2 seconds. And at that time, it was the only Shelby Cobra in existence for five months until the company manufactured new ones.
Most Expensive British Car
The historic Jaguar D-Type race car is prominent for its huge vertical fin. The Jaguar, sold at the auction on Friday for $21.8 million, once won the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race in 1956 and was driven by Ninian Sanderson and Ron Flockhart of the Scottish racing team Ecurie Ecosse.
The Jaguar is now considered as the fourth British-made vehicle to have ever been bought at an auction for more than $10 million. The past record holder was a 1963 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, which was sold for $14.3 million in 2015.
The Jaguar had been manufactured by Jaguar Cars between 1954 and 1957. Although it shared many of its components with the Jaguar C-Type, its structure was still radically different from its predecessor's. It was then succeeded by the Jaguar E-Type.
Photo: David Hurt | Flickr
