Monterey Car Week 2026 Just Set a New Auction Record
Monterey Car Week is known for unique automobiles, its legendary racing history and some of the most valuable collector cars in the world.
But this year, the event raised the bar to an unprecedented level.
Monterey auction events broke an incredible $762 million total sales record and become one of the most important events in the history of collector cars.
From historic Shelby race car to Ferrari’s first EV and world-class McLaren, some truly unique automobiles have changed owners.
$762 Million in One Car Week
Five major auction houses have taken part in this year’s Monterey auctions:
- RM Sotheby’s
- Gooding Christie’s
- Mecum
- Broad Arrow
- Bonhams
Together they generated approximately $762 million in sales.
That’s a dramatic improvement from $433 million in 2025 and has even beaten the previous Monterey auction record set in 2022.
More than 1,100 cars have been offered, with 859 of them being sold to new owners.
But perhaps the most impressive number of all?
142 cars have sold for more than $1 million.
Monterey wasn’t just hosting a few extraordinary sales.
It has become one of the biggest showcases of collector car demand in the industry.
The $42.9 Million Shelby
The largest sale of the week was one of the cars we discussed at Anthony’s Auto Craft.
A 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, chassis CSX2300 has been sold for an incredible $42.905 million.
The sale made it the most expensive American automobile ever sold at auction.
Only six original Daytona Coupes have been built, and CSX2300 has a fantastic racing history as well as a connection to Carroll Shelby.
It was one of the defining sales of Monterey Car Week 2026.
Ferrari Luce – $40 Million
But there’s something else right behind the Shelby.
Ferrari’s first-ever fully electric vehicle, the Ferrari Luce “Chassis 0,” has been sold for $40 million at a charity auction.
Unlike the Shelby that is one of the greatest pieces of American racing history, the Luce is something else:
The future of Ferrari.
The one-off Tailor Made vehicle has become the most expensive new vehicle ever sold at auction.
In the same week, the collectors have spent over $82 million on two cars representing opposite sides of automotive history.
One built to race Ferrari more than sixty years ago.
The other representing Ferrari’s electric future.
McLaren F1 – $34.7 Million
Another huge sale came from one of the most revered supercars.
A 1996 McLaren F1 has been sold for approximately $34.7 million.
McLaren F1 has become one of the most coveted modern collector cars.
Its naturally-aspirated V12 engine, famous 3-seat configuration and very limited production numbers turned what used to be the ultimate 1990s supercar into one of today’s most valuable automobiles.
Corvette Grand Sport – $18.7 Million
The American automotive history has had yet another major moment.
A 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport has been sold for approximately $18.7 million.
Only five original Grand Sports have been built, making them the rarest and most important Corvettes ever made.
The sale set a new auction record for a Corvette.
Interestingly, both the record-breaking Corvette Grand Sport and $42.9 million Shelby Daytona Coupe share one thing: connection to legendary automotive designer Peter Brock.
Why Are Collectors Paying So Much?
The incredible numbers generated by Monterey auctions show something very interesting about today’s collector car market.
The most desirable automobiles aren’t necessarily valuable simply because they’re old.
Collectors are increasingly fighting over cars that have a combination of several factors:
- Rarity
- Provenance
- Racing history
- Engineering significance
- Cultural importance
- Exceptional condition
When all of those are in one automobile, the result can be exceptional.
The Shelby Daytona Coupe is one such example.
The McLaren F1 is another.
And even the brand-new Ferrari Luce shows how rarity and historical significance can create massive demand even without decades of history behind a car.
More Than An Auction
Monterey Car Week isn’t just a place where expensive cars are being bought and sold.
Once a year, the Monterey Peninsula becomes one of the centers of the automotive world.
Historic race cars return to the track.
Manufacturers unveil new vehicles.
Collectors showcase automobiles rarely seen by the public.
And some of the most important cars ever made hit the auction block.
This year’s record-breaking sales simply confirmed Monterey’s importance to global automotive culture.
Automotive History, Right Here in California
At Anthony’s Auto Craft, one of the best things about Monterey Car Week is that all of this happens right here in Northern California.
The automobiles can come from Maranello, Stuttgart, Detroit, Woking and any other place around the world, but for one week, they all meet on the California coast.
From a Shelby that was designed to beat Ferrari in the 1960s to Ferrari’s first ever electric car, Monterey Car Week 2026 has brought the past, present and future of the automobile together.
And after $762 million in auction sales, this year’s Monterey Car Week won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Monterey Car Week 2026 by the Numbers
$762 million in total auction sales
859 vehicles sold
142 vehicles sold for more than $1 million
$42.905 million Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
$40 million Ferrari Luce
$34.7 million McLaren F1
$18.7 million Corvette Grand Sport
One week.
Hundreds of incredible automobiles.
And a new chapter in Monterey Car Week history.
