What Is the Most Expensive Car in the World? 2 Cars That Were Sold at Shocking Prices

Trust us when we say that you don’t have to be a car enthusiast to have asked at least once in your life: What is the most expensive car in the world?

Maybe the question crossed your mind as you walked past the line of car dealership companies downtown, one summer day. Or maybe you wondered as you were looking for a new car, or your first car, to buy for yourself. Whatever your motivations are to ask this question, the point is you are not alone. Most of us have asked that!

There’s something thrilling about looking up cars and their costs online. It starts a little game of what-if— what could I buy if I have an infinite budget?

So. Short answer: Go get a Ferrari! Or a Bugatti if you prefer the French manufacturer over the Italian. These two brands have been among the most popular luxury car brands in 2021 and for good reason. Get yourself one of these and chances are, you might be swiping your card for the most expensive car you can ever find. But if you want a deeper explanation, hold on tight because there’s a lot to unpack here.

What is the most expensive car in the world?

There are numerous ways to figure out the answer to a seemingly simple question regarding the most expensive car in the world. “We just look at the one with the highest, jaw-dropping cost, right?” Nope. It’s more than the price tag.

The most expensive car in the world, in all the sense of that word, can only be sold in auctions or exclusive private sales and unless you’re as rich as Jeff Bezos, this car is out of reach. And even if you have the finances to support such mind-blowing expenses, you will still have to hope that the current owner is open for talks of a sale. It is that prestigious, a real limited edition.

Let’s break down the answer into two. By the end of this article, we will have the most expensive car of 2021 and the most expensive car of all time.

The most expensive car of 2021

You can say car manufacturers release new cars almost as frequently as Apple, or any other company that specializes in consumer electronics. New models come out so often that it is hard to keep track of them all but here’s the thing, all eyes will always be on the most expensive to be released each year.

Take this 2021, for example. The most expensive car of 2021 is easily the Bugatti La Voiture Noire which was one of the stars of the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. The one-off luxury car costed the mystery buyer a whopping $19,000,000 after taxes and was reported to have been delivered sometime in June this year.

The Bugatti titan has L16 cylinders, four turbochargers, 1,500 hp, and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. La Voiture Noire was built to celebrate Bugatti’s 110-year anniversary, as well as to pay homage to the second of the four Type 57SCs—the original “la Voiture Noire,” which literally translates to “the black car”— which was driven by Jean Bugatti himself as well as some of his grand prix driver buddies.

Car collectors can only hope the current owner is ready to part with this beautiful creation soon.

The most expensive car of all time

The most expensive car of all time is much rarer than the Bugatti La Voiture Noire and thus, is much harder to obtain.

In a private sale in 2018, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO acquired the title of most expensive car ever sold, collecting $70,000,000. Once owned by German racing driver Christian Glaesel, US car parts mogul David MacNeil now has the honor to be the man who has purchased the car with its illustrious motorsport history.

The Ferrari won the 1964 Tour de France and finished fourth in the 1963 Le Mans 24-Hour. It’s also never been crashed, which is why it’s so valuable according to experts. Maintaining a Ferrari in excellent shape is one of the best ways to increase its worth, but winning the Tour de France in one is even better.

This is not the first time the Ferrari model bagged the title, actually. An earlier model, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was sold at $48,400,000 in earlier years.

You may be asking, what makes these old cars worth so much? Well, some of the most expensive Ferraris ever sold are valuable because they’re one of a kind. Like the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, these prancing horses were built to be rare with only 39 examples by the legendary Italian marque between 1962 and 1964.

It is only right for a vintage such as the Ferrari to own the crown of the most expensive car of all time.

The Most Expensive Car in the World: Summary