Though it was a legend on the track long before it became one at the bank, the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO eventually became the most expensive automobile sold at auction. The 2019 Bugatti La Voiture Noire, however, saw dollar signs right off the line, breaking the record for the highest-priced new car ever released. Each has its technical merits: In its heyday, the GTO was a lean racing machine, while the La Voiture Noire’s beast of an engine is its million-dollar selling point. Both are the stuff of a collector’s dream.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Courtesy of Sotheby's |
2019 Bugatti La Voiture Noire |
|---|---|
| HOW MANY WERE MADE?
36 |
HOW MANY WERE MADE? 1 |
| SOLD FOR
$48.4 million |
SOLD FOR
$18.9 million |
| DESIGNER
Giotto Bizzarrini |
DESIGNER
Etienne Salomé |
| YOU MIGHT KNOW HIM FOR…
He designed the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, also known |
YOU MIGHT KNOW HIM FOR…
His new venture, Salomé Yachts, which brings |
| HORSEPOWER
296 |
HORSEPOWER 1,479 |
|
ENGINE 3.0-liter V-12 Tipo |
ENGINE Quad-turbo, 8.0-liter W-16
|
|
MAX SPEED (MPH) 174 |
MAX SPEED (MPH) 260 |
|
WEIGHT (IN LBS.) 1,940 |
WEIGHT (IN LBS.) About 4,300 |
|
INSPIRED BY The automaker’s desire to win races.
Courtesy of Sotheby's |
INSPIRED BY The Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic from the 1930s.
Bugatti |
|
WHO OWNS IT? Microsoft’s former chief software architect Greg Whitten |
WHO OWNS IT? Not certain, but rumor has it that former Volkswagen |
|
MADE OF Aluminum |
MADE OF Carbon fiber |
|
0 TO 60 MPH (IN SECONDS) 5.4 |
0 TO 60 MPH (IN SECONDS) 2.5 |
|
TRUNK CAPACITY It can hold a spare tire, but that’s about it.
Ferrari |
TRUNK CAPACITY You’ll struggle to squeeze in a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag.
Louis Vuitton |
|
WHAT’S IN A NAME? GTO stands for “Gran Turismo Omologato,” |
WHAT’S IN A NAME? Its better-in-French moniker translates |
