Although live auctions account for a small percentage of classic car transactions every year, they tend to include the very top cars and therefore garner the most attention. 

A combination of glamour, glitz and the lure of exotic models all being sold at once often makes these irresistible events for the super rich and collectors of the most desirable vehicles on the planet.

And 2024 has seen plenty of high value sales well into seven and eight figures. 

The US once again dominated proceedings with seven of the ten most expensive cars sold there.

Unfortunately, none of the highest-value transactions took place at UK sales. 

Classic car expert and editor of the Hagerty Price Guide UK John Mayhead counts down the biggest value classic car sales of the previous 12 months for This is Money.

10. 1969 Ford GT40 Lightweight - $7.9M (£6.1M)

One of just ten factory Ford GT40 lightweights produced went under the hammer in August. The car is an original chassis and body with a rebuilt original Gurney Weslake engine as is about as good as it gets for American GT racers.

Bidders agreed, and the hammer fell at a point making this the third-most expensive GT40 ever sold at auction. 

Built in 1969, it was one of the last GT40s completed by Ford Advanced Vehicles before the programme was cancelled and although the car lacked its own top-flight race history, it was of the same spec as the famous Gulf Oil cars.

9. 1979 Ferrari 312 T4 F1 - €7.7M (£6.6M)

List the most expensive F1 cars every sold at live auction, and it's a 'who's who' of the greatest drivers ever: the top ten includes Fangio, Schumacher, Hamilton, Mansell, Senna and… Scheckter. 

Yes, this car, driven by one-time South African F1 champion Jody Scheckter is currently the fourth most valuable F1 car ever sold at auction.

Although Scheckter is undoubtedly a top driver and this car was used in all three of his race victories in his championship-winning year, it's another connection that may well have pushed this value skywards: this was Enzo Ferrari's last F1 Drivers' World Championship-winning car. 

It's also arguably one of the greatest designs in F1 history, Ferrari's first full ground-effect car and has been owned by Scheckter since new.

8. 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'Alloy' Gullwing - $9.4M (£7.2M)

Just 29 examples of the famous Mercedes 300SL Gullwing were built with lightweight alloy bodies, and this was the only one originally finished in black over red leather. 

Even so, the price paid for this example, in need of total restoration, was extraordinary.

The $9.4million winning bid was well over Hagerty's top price guide of $8.2million for a concours condition car, let alone an example as dilapidated as this one.

So, why did it sell so well? 

It was the star lot in an amazing auction of 'junkyard' cars owned by Rudi Klein, who collected rare and exceptional cars over decades. 

This one was bought from Luigi Chinetti, legendary Ferrari importer, racing driver and team principal and offers the new owner the chance to create possibly the best 300SL on the planet.

7. 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione - €10.2M (£8.7M)

The 250 GT SWB epitomises Enzo Ferrari's dream of creating a beautiful GT car that you can drive to the track, race to success, and drive home. 

All 250 GT SWB are special, but this one has a huge amount of successful race history, retains all-important matching numbers and is reported to have been recently restored to concours-level standard. 

Today, it will guarantee you entry to pretty much any concours, tour or top-flight event, worldwide. 

Hagerty values have been on the slide for the past year-or-so, but this sold for a mid-estimate price, just over €10million.

6. 2014 Pagani Zonda LM Roadster - $11.1M (£8.8M)

This 2014 Pagani Zonda LM was created as a unique build for a client who wanted a car inspired by the Le Mans sport prototypes.

It didn't meet the pre-sale expectation of $13.5million but still placed sixth in the overall order of highest value motors to go under the block in the last 12 months.

It is the only car in the list built in the past 45 years and set a new record for the most expensive Pagani sold at public live auction.

5. 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60hp Roi des Belges - $12.1M (£9.6M)

'One careful family owner' is often seen on adverts, but 121 years of continuous family ownership is extraordinary. 

This car is just one of five 60hp Mercedes known to survive and has an amazing history that includes hillclimb success, years as an exhibit at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu and regular use throughout its life. 

Ownership also allows entry into one of the most exclusive events on the motoring calendar, the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, a test that the car has completed many times. 

It sold in March for 20 per cent over its pre-sale estimate.

4. 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider - $13M (£10M)

As we near the top of the list, so the histories of the cars become even more special. 

This 410 Sport Spider was a one-off design by Sergio Scaglietti for Ferrari, and the car was driven to victory by Carroll Shelby. 

The car has been exhibited at the most famous concours in the world, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and it was owned by one of the top Ferrari collectors in the world.

3. 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider - $14M (£10.8M)

This car didn't just attend Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, it won its class and was also awarded top prize overall at Villa d'Este, the top European concours. 

The Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 is one of a tiny number of blue-chip 1930s cars that will always remain collectable, and the streamlined body by Touring is arguably one of the most beautiful fitted to any pre-war Alfa Romeo. 

The car didn't quite meet its pre-sale $16million to $20million estimate but still sold for a value good enough to place third on the list of most expensive of 2024.

2. 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider - $17.1M (£13.2M)

Hagerty calls the very first, or very last examples of a model 'bookend cars' and they usually come with a price premium. 

This 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider certainly did – it was the first of its model produced, and was the car displayed by Ferrari on its stand at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show. 

It ticked all the other boxes that collectors want, too: covered headlamps, factory hard top and competition spec engine. Plus, it had never before been offered publicly for sale. 

The August sale price of $17,055,000 is a huge amount of money, but it was still under low estimate and at the time of the auction is only the seventh-most expensive California Spider ever sold.

1. 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider - $17.9M (£14M)

Mecum's Kissimmee 2024 sale didn't just top the list of most expensive cars, but also once again secured the title of the world's biggest collector car auction. 

The 130-day mega sale offered over 4,000 cars and sales totalled a reported £275million. 

This California Spider wasn't even the most valuable car on offer, but a 1964 Ferrari GTB/LM Competizione was a no-sale despite a $23million bid, and a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider went as high as $23.5milion but again didn't meet the required reserve price. There were rumours of a post-auction deal, but as the price wasn't confirmed or achieved during the live event, it didn't top our list.

But this 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider did change hands at the sale. 

Like the number two entry above, it wears the most beautiful bodywork of all California Spiders with the desirable covered headlamps, and is another book-end car, reportedly the very last California Spider made. 

Buyers weren't put off by the 20-year-old restoration and the change to its interior colour from original black to tan. 

Its $17.875million sale price was the global public live auction record for 2024.

And the 1957 Jaguar XKSS that got away in 2024...

None of the top ten public live auction sales were recorded in the UK in 2024, but one very special car was offered with a pre-sale estimate that put it in contention. 

The Jaguar XKSS is one of the rarest British sports cars, effectively a D-Type racing car built for road use. 

Just 16 were built, based on unsold D-Type chassis, and one was owned by Steve McQueen, cementing the model into its position at the very top of collectors' dream sheets. 

This one reportedly is one of just two that retained its own D-Type chassis number and had what was described as 'impeccable provenance.' 

Potential buyers didn't respond though – the XKSS may not have quite the following it once did, and this example didn't have any famous owners to draw attention to it. 

The top bid was £8million, not enough to sell the car on the day.

BEST OF MOTORING