RM Sotheby’s two-day Paris sale has set a new benchmark on the continent, becoming the highest-grossing collector car auction in European history – with sales topping €69,073,275. Held at Les Salles du Carrousel on 4-5 February during the Retromobile week, the auction saw an 89% sell-through rate, with a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM leading the results at €34,880,000.
One of just 32 examples built, the 250 LM was originally entered by Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART) and secured overall victory at the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours with Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt at the wheel. It remains one of only six Ferraris to have competed at Le Mans three times during the Enzo Ferrari era. Its final sale price exceeded the €25 million pre-sale estimate, making it the fourth most valuable Ferrari and the sixth most expensive car ever sold at public auction.
The result follows RM Sotheby’s sale of the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen in Stuttgart on 1 February for €51,155,000. Combined, the two sales have generated €120,228,275 over a five-day period. Both were offered by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, with proceeds going to help care for the museum’s remaining collection.
Other significant results in RM’s Paris sale included a 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari finished in Giallo over Nero, which sold for €3,548,750. Equipped with centre-lock forged wheels from the track-only FXX-K, the car was among the most distinctive LaFerraris to be offered publicly. A track-only 2022 Pagani Huayra R, appearing at auction for the first time, achieved €3,042,500.
Despite the impressive headline figures, several cars struggled to sell on the night. The glorious 1970 Ferrari 515 M that we previewed here failed to meet its reserve, as did the Group C Jaguar XJR-10. The 1974 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Six-Door’ Pullman Landaulet did however do the numbers with an above-estimate €1,355,000 figure.
Augustin Sabatié-Garat, RM Sotheby’s Director of Sales for EMEA, commented: ‘This sale marks a significant moment for the European collector car market. Achieving the highest total for a European auction underlines the current strength of demand, while the 250 LM result confirms the continuing appeal of historic Ferrari competition cars.’
The remaining cars from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s collection will be auctioned at RM Sotheby’s Miami sale on 27 February, held as part of the ModaMiami event.
View the full results for RM’s sale here
Top 10 sales from RM Sotheby’s Paris 2025 auction
| 1964 Ferrari 250 LM | €34,880,000.00 |
| 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari | €3,548,750.00 |
| 2022 Pagani Huayra R | €3,042,500.00 |
| 2011 Koenigsegg Agera | €1,917,500.00 |
| 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Spider | €1,833,125.00 |
| 1974 Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Six-Door’ Pullman Landaulet | €1,355,000.00 |
| 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon | €1,265,000.00 |
| 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopio’ | €820,625.00 |
| 2010 Ferrari 599 GTO | €815,000.00 |
| 1964 Aston Martin DB5 | €736,250.00 |
