Give me a brake! These cars sold for how much?

Sure, shelling out $40,000 or $50,000 for a top-of-the-line sports utility vehicle is a big investment for most of us, but for a select few auto collectors and enthusiasts, seemingly no price is too high to become the owner of some of the most rare and coveted automobiles ever made. That’s why we have compiled a list of the top 10 most expensive cars ever sold, as ranked by selling price at auction. At prices like these, the wind won’t just whip through your hair; the prices will take your breath away. From “least” expensive (oh, the irony!) to most, we present to you…

10) The 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa – Sold for $12,187,280 in May 2009 in Italy. Considered one of the most competitive racing cars ever constructed, the Ferrari no. 0714TR won 10 races in North and South America between 1958 and 1961. Only 22 of these models were ever made, and this car’s race history began with a debut in the Buenos Aires 1000km in 1958. The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa boasts a 300-bhp, 2,953-cc single overhead cam degrees V-12 engine, six Weber 38 DCN carburetors and a four-speed manual gearbox.

9) The 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta 'Competizione' – Sold for $12,745,707 in May 2013 in Italy. The 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta 'Competizione' has been driven in the World Sports Car Championship by three world champions: Mike Hawthorn, Alberto Ascari, and Giuseppe “Nino” Farina. Interestingly, this car was one of only three 375 MM cars entered at the 1953 24-hour Le Mans race, in which the car was disqualified while running in second place because brake fluid had been added during a pit stop on the 12th lap. This violated a strange rule that prohibited the addition of any fluids before the 28th lap. However, this car did record the fastest road stage average speed ever, and during a world championship race no less!

8) The 1964 Ferrari 250 LM – Sold for $14,300,000 in November 2013 in New York. Described by RM Auctions as “one of the finest original examples of Ferrari’s first mid-engined car,” the Ferrari 250 LM (for “Le Mans”) was derived from the 250P and 275P mid-engined factory race cars that won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1963 and 1964. Only 32 of these 320 hp V-12 cars were built, and one proved the worth of its model designation by winning the 1965 Le Mans Classic for the North American Racing Team (NART).

7) The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider – Sold for $15,180,000 in August 2014 in California. The Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider features an eye-catching covered-headlight treatment, which was applied to only 37 of the 56 models ever constructed. This car is also unique because it is just one of a limited number of SWB California Spiders that came factory-equipped with an optional hardtop.

6) The 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus Spider Competizione – Sold for $16,380,895 in June 2014 in the U.K. One of the features of the “works” 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus Spider was its 4.9-liter V12 engine. In the French racing community, this car was known as “Le Monstre” and by the British as “The Fearsome Four-Nine.” The Ferrari Spider Competizione is probably best known as the winner of the final and fastest Carrera Panamericana in Mexico.

5) (Another) 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa – Sold for $16,390,000 in August 2013 in California. This specific car is the very first Testa Rossa – the original prototype and rolling test bed for the 250 TR line, now widely known as one of the most successful sports racing cars ever. This car debuted at the 1957 Nürburgring 1000. With only 34 of these cars ever built by Ferrari, several later models of this car went on to win the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1958, 1960, and 1961. Interesting side note: Testa Rossa means “red head” in Italian.

4) The 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale – Sold for $26,400,000 in August 2014 in California. Painted a two-tone gray, the 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale was created specifically for factory development and FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) homologation. This car also has extra venting in the nose section with another set of diagonal vents located just behind the rear wheels. The Speciale runs a lightweight, 3.3-liter V12 that, with assistance from six Weber carburetors, can produce up to 320 hp.

3) The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 S NART Spider – Sold for $27,700,000 in August 2013 in California. Considered one of the most beautiful Ferraris ever made, this car is one of only 10 ever built. When this was sold in 2013, proceeds from the sale went to benefit various charities. This NART Spider was sold full restored, and is considered one of the fastest cars to hit the auction block with a 300-bhp 3,286-cc quad cam V-12 engine.

2) The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Silver Arrow – Sold for $29,600,000 in July 2013 in the U.K. This specific car is the only post-war Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow owned privately. The Silver Arrow was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, who many consider the most respected driver of all-time. This car has been called “technological gem.” Constructed specifically to win a world title, this car boasts a lightweight space frame (73 lbs.), desmodromic valve actuation, inboard brakes, independent suspension and an almost futuristic aerodynamics package.

And finally, the most expensive car ever sold at auction (to date), is the…

1) The 1962-63 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta – Sold for $38,115,000 in August 2014 in California. It’s easy to tell from this top 10 list that the majority of the cars listed have been Ferraris. Although the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Silver Arrow sent the title for “most expensive” to Mercedes for a brief period of time, the sale of the GTO earlier this year returned the auction record to Ferrari 26 years to the very date of the death of “Il Commendatore” (Enzo Ferrari). The Ferrari 250 GTO was produced in limited quantities from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. In fact, GTO stands for “Gran Turismo Omologato,” Italian for “Grand Touring Homologated.” Other famous owners of GTOs include designer Ralph Lauren, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, S. Rob Walton (Walmart Chairman), Jon Shirley (former Microsoft president), and Christopher Cox (former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission).

Via GizMag