The 1961 Ferrari 250GT Spyder sold in 2008 at an incredible $10.9 million, which makes it one of the most expensive cars ever. Only 36 units were built, so while it does not make the car very rare, its price does. The Spyder was considered to be one of the best-looking cars ever built, and looks similar to James Bond’s Jaguar.
American Muscle
Among the American cars that were considered ‘advanced’ in design in their time, two concept cars come to mind: the 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 and the 1938 Phantom Corsair.
The F-88 (picture below) was built by General Motor’s Oldsmobile Division and was a radical departure from the trend at the time. It sat low, had pigskin upholstery, large front grill, the rear deck was unusual, and it has a 250-hp V8 ‘Rocket’ engine. Only one was built, although three other versions followed, but these were different from the original.
Meantime, the Corsair (picture below) was anti-trending in that it was a completely closed car; even the front wheels were covered. The nose was lowered, the headlights were small and its body was made of beaten aluminum. Entry was electrically controlled via panels above the windows. But it also boasted of features now standard in contemporary designs: a console to tell the driver a door is open, or the radio or lights were on, and an altimeter. However, the design made it look like a gigantic bug on casters.
Sadly, the creator Rust Heinz died in a car crash after the car made its promotional debut, so only one was ever built, but the concept was truly futuristic for the 1930s.
The 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe, which sold at a whopping $9.7 million in 1987 in a Christie’s Albert Hall auction. (It may be worth double that today.) The car boasts of a 12.7-liter aircraft engine. Only six were built, which makes it truly rare.
The 1948 Tucker
Built by Preston Thomas Tucker, 51 examples were built, of which 47 survive now. The car is called the 'Tucker 48' (for its model year). It was called the 'Tucker Torpedo' as it was being designed and promoted.
Though only 51 examples were ever produced, the work of Preston Tucker has firmly cemented itsself in history and a legacy that resounds with automotive enthusiasts from all corners of the world. After the close of the Second World War, Tucker began working on a new breed of automobiles that would become an engineering marvel and a masterpiece of design.
Now, a very weird lookin' pal, but indeed very rare with only about 25 ever made. The 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog.
The first test drive of the Bulldog came in late 1979 and was a great success. The Bulldog achieved a verified top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h), but the theoretical top speed is estimated at 237 mph (381 km/h). The car was officially launched on 27 March 1980. After the development programme was over, Aston Martin sold the only Bulldog to the highest bidder for about £130.000.
The Mercedes CLK-GTR
This badass beast only had 24 other siblings.
The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a sports car and race car that was built by Mercedes-AMG, performance and motorsports arm of Mercedes-Benz. Intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, the CLK GTR was designed primarily as a race car, therefor there weren't many of these made.
Lamborghini Mercy!
The Lamborghini Miura
Only 764 were made. The engine and transmission were connected in a way that they shared the same fluid, and made for a costly repair due to the unreliable transmission.
The Lamborghini Miura was a asports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1972. The car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars. At launch, it was the fastest production road car available.
Lancia Stratos HF1
Around 490 of these were build.
The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity. It was a very successful rally car, winning the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976.
