We’ve selected the vehicles most likely to set new records at auction during Monterey Car Week in 2023. View both the inside and outside of our 11 recommended options.
Top-tier automobile collectors from all over the world converge on the Pebble Beach resort on the Monterey Peninsula in northern California every summer for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, held on the resort’s golf course. They come here to show off their irreplaceable classic cars, talk shop, gawk, and give each other the cold shoulder. The dates for this year’s celebrations are August 16-20.
Businesses that cater to wealthy individuals with a passion for automobiles are naturally drawn to areas with a high concentration of these individuals. Obviously, rusty old vehicles won’t cut it. According to Hagerty’s team of expert evaluators, 19 of the 30 most expensive cars ever sold at auction have changed hands at some point during Monterey Car Week.
The auctions listed this year provide scant evidence that this trend will be broken in 2023. The opposite, in fact. During the ultra-luxury bacchanal on the peninsula, there will be valuable iron worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 million up for grabs. We sifted through listings from the world’s largest and most prestigious auction houses to compile this stockpile of high-end automobiles.
1960 Porsche RS60
Porsche’s twin-cam Spyder race cars reached their zenith with the RS60. These 718 models, whose name has since been diluted to refer to the modern Boxster/Cayman twins, were descended from the company’s groundbreaking 550.
One of only seventeen made, this exceptional survivor has a rich racing and ownership history that suggests it is among the best of its kind.
1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Tourer by Corsica
The Bugatti Type 57SC is a highly sought-after collectible because it is a masterpiece of automotive design.
This particular example is indicative of what continues to draw top collectors to Bugattis due to its one-of-two convertible Corsica body, its factory supercharged upgrade, its clear lineage, and its recent $700,000, 6000-hour restoration.
1956 Porsche 550A Prototype ‘Le Mans’ Werks Coupe
This 550’s rarity and uniqueness are the cherry on top of the German chocolate cake. This one was built by the factory specifically for the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, and it combined a more aerodynamic fastback body with sophisticated engineering, including Porsche’s first tube-frame chassis, to win its class and finish fifth overall.
This Porsche has an impressive pedigree, having been raced by such legends as John Edgar, Jack McAfee, and Ken Miles.
1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Coupe Series III by Pinin Farina
The 410 was one of Ferrari—and Pininfarina’s—loveliest postwar grand tourers, exemplary of the exquisite and mutually reinforcing engineering and design collaboration between the Italian brands.
The Series III cars, of which only 12 were built, are considered the ultimate examples with a 400-hp Lampredi V-12, covered headlights, and refined bodywork. This fully documented, concours-winning example is not just impeccable, it is delightfully not red.
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