However, the Jaguar wasn’t the only pricey vehicle to roll across the block at Friday’s auction, with the first Shelby Cobra prototype from 1962, the CSX 2000, selling for over $13 million.
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Check out the first Shelby Cobra before it went to auction where it sold for NZ$18.8 million in Monterey, California, in the US.
A historical Jaguar that achieved victory over the well known Le Mans race in the 1950s exceeded the $20 million figure at auction Friday night, setting a record for the most ever spent for a British vehicle, as per auctioneers.
The 1955 Jaguar D-Type that triumphed at the 1956 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans sold for $21.8 million at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance held by auction house RM Sotheby’s on Friday. Also surprising is that the Jaguar is only the fourth British auto to reach an auction price of over $10 million.
Not only was the Cobra owned by Carroll Shelby, but it’s never been restored.
Although Shelby retired because of health problems, he opened his own auto company shortly thereafter, the Shelby-American.
In the 1950s, Carroll Shelby had a successful career as a race auto driver, but a heart ailment put an end to that. He was able to build a auto in 1962, the Cobra, that could beat General Motors (GENERAL MOTORS)’ Chevrolet Corvette on race tracks.
Shelby created the vehicle by putting a powerful Ford V8 engine on the body of a British AC Ace sports auto. The resulting auto, lightweight and shockingly fast, caused an immediate sensation.
The 1955 Jaguar D-type XKD501 was sold to a buyer for an incredible $21.78 million, making it the most ever paid for a British vehicle.
A historic Jaguar that won the famed Le Mans race in the 1950s exceeded the US$20 million (NZ$27m) mark at auction, setting a record for the most ever paid for a British vehicle, according to auctioneers.
A further sale highlight and record breaker was the 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spider, chassis no. 0510 M, driven by the big three of American racing in period: Phil Hill, Carroll Shelby and Jim Hall.
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‘Tonight’s records for any British auto, any American vehicle, and for a Ferrari 750 Monza demonstrate that collectors remain prepared to part with significant sums to secure the rarest, fresh-to-the-market automobiles, ‘ says Ian Kelleher, Managing Director, RM Sotheby’s West Coast Division.
