After a brief pause over the Christmas period, major classic car auctions are back – and, after poring through the catalogues, we can reveal that the 2026 slate of January auctions promises one of the most memorable in recent memory. From the potentially record-breaking Ferrari 250 GTO below to a Hummer H1 owned by rapper Tupac Shakur here are ten picks that span Italian exotica, American muscle, modern hypercar prototypes and more.
Mecum Kissimmee, 6-18 January, 2026
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
It doesn’t seem like four months have passed since we reported that Mecum would be offering chassis 3729GT – widely known as Bianco Speciale – for sale.
Just as the sobriquet suggests, chassis 3729GT is set apart from the other 35 examples built as the only example finished in white paintwork from the factory. This, combined with its early competition history and period ownership by British racing driver John Coombs, makes it one of the most mythical 250 GTOs on the planet. Another draw for well-heeled collectors is that this unrestored racer remains remarkably original, having undergone only a sympathetic cosmetic refresh.
The last GTO to be sold at public auction was chassis 3765LM, which brought in $51.7m. That particular example ranks as the third-most expensive car to ever be auctioned to date. Private GTO sales have ocurred behind closed doors since then, with ‘rumoured’ prices said to be in excess of $70m. Should Bianco Speciale get close to that stratospheric figure it will be second only to the $143m achieved by the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé in 2022.
1965 Ford GT40 MkI
It’s appropriate that one of the most legendary US cars of all time – the Ford GT40 – is a headliner at one of the country’s biggest auctions – and we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see this particular example surpass its high $6m estimate.
Chassis P/1018 is one of only two GT40s known to have been driven by the great Carroll Shelby who, with the help of renowned racer Ken Miles, helped create the Blue Oval’s world-beating Le Mans legend.
Delivered new to Shelby American in 1965, P/1018 served as a show and demonstration vehicle and was photographed with Carroll Shelby behind the wheel. It was then driven by Bob Bondurant for the filming of Grand Prix and also cameoed in the NBC spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
In more recent years, the car has found success in historic motorsport, taking numerous victories at the Le Mans Classic and Goodwood Revival and also brought home silverware at the 2022 Heveningham Concours.
P/1018 has been subjected to several sympathetic refreshes over its lifetime and was refinished in its original Maroon in 2024. It retains its original chassis and is accompanied by original documentation.
1971 Plymouth HEMI Cuda Convertible
Known as the White Elephant, this 1971 Plymouth HEMI ’Cuda Convertible is among the most coveted examples of classic American muscle and is expected to fetch between $2.75m and $3.25m. That’s partly down to its rarity; this car was the first of only 12 drop tops built in the model’s final production year and was one of just five with the TorqueFlite automatic transmission.
The White Elephant was originally sold in the US midwest and remained in obscurity before resurfacing in 2003. It was then restored to factory specifications by Restorations by Julius in California. It remains remarkably original, showing just 30,999 miles, aside from the addition of black HEMI billboard side graphics that were applied in a more recent restoration.
While the first five years of the car’s life remain a mystery, it has verified documentation from 1977, when it passed to its second owner. American muscle-car expert Dave Wise examined the car in both 2017 and 2023, producing an updated report that accompanies the sale. It’s expected to fetch between $2.75m and $3.25m.
RM Sotheby’s Arizona, 23 January, 2026
2012 Ferrari LaFerrari Prototype P2
A handful of LaFerrari prototypes and development mules have come to market in recent years, and this is the latest. The most recent comparable example – the 2011 Prototype M4 – realised $1.2m with RM Sotheby’s at Monterey in 2025. Mecum, meanwhile, sold a collection of three such cars in 2022, the most lucrative of which achieved $1.5m.
Aside from the eye-catching camouflage wrap applied to its Rosso Corsa paintwork, this P2 development car looks identical to the production model. A peek at the auction photographs reveal that even its Pelle Rosso-finished interior appears finished to production standards – aside from a different steering wheel and the electrical equipment mounted in the passenger footwell.
What truly sets this chassis apart from the customer cars, however, is its powertrain. The 6.2-litre V12 is fitted without the HY-KERS hybrid system, meaning it likely develops around 790bhp rather than the 950bhp of the hybrid-assisted production cars, although Ferrari has not officially stated the output.
A pre-sale estimate is available from RM Sotheby’s upon request.
1980 Porsche 924 GTP
Porsche’s record at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is unparalleled, and this 1980 Porsche 924 GTP represents a unique chapter in that illustrious history as one of the few front-engined cars the German marque has fielded at La Sarthe. Developed by Norbert Singer to compete in the Grand Touring Prototype class at Le Mans in 1980, the 924 GTP was effectively a silhouette racer featuring a lightened body with boxed arches, a fully stripped-out cabin and an Audi-based 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the bonnet.
This particular car, chassis 924003, was one of three 924 GTPs Porsche took to Le Mans and represented the marque’s US contingent with NASCAR driver Al Holbert and Daytona specialist Peter Gregg assigned to driving duties. A road accident meant Gregg was unable to compete, so Le Mans legend Derek Bell was drafted in as his replacement. The wet race played to the car’s strengths, allowing Holbert and Bell to run as high as sixth before bringing the car home in 13th place.
924003’s Le Mans exploits were followed by campaigns in the US IMSA and Trans-Am series, before being used in club racing.In 1987 it passed to noted Porsche collector David Morse, whose Morspeed race-preparation shop returned the car to its original Le Mans specification in 1990.
Owned by the consignor since 2012, chassis 924003 is said to be the sole 924 GTP in private hands. RM Sotheby’s expects a winning bid of $300,000-$400,000.
Bonhams, The Scottsdale Auction, 23 January, 2026
1996 Hummer H1 ex-Tupac Shakur
And now for something completely different…
While the Hummer H1 is worlds away from the machines listed above, it remains a unique vehicle that’s becoming increasingly coveted by collectors, underlined by its appearance in Hagerty’s 2023 US Bull Market list. Outside of an ex-Arnold Schwarzenegger car, the H1 seen here is likely one of the most desirable examples in existence, thanks to being formerly owned by legendary US rapper Tupac Shakur. Significantly, this is also the last car Shakur ordered before he was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.
Few details aside from the Tupac connection have been revealed at the time of writing but it will be fascinating to see how the provenance impacts the car’s hammer price. A pre-sale estimate is yet to be provided.
RM Sotheby’s, Paris, 28 January, 2026
1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder
With a pre-sale estimate of €12-€14m, this California Spyder should prove to be one of the most expensive cars sold this January.
Offered from 30 years of single ownership, chassis 1915 GT was the third of 56 short-wheelbase California Spyders built and is one of 39 examples with enclosed headlights. It is said to have had just four owners over the course of its lifetime.
Delivered new to Paris, France, and originally finished in Bianco over Nero upholstery, 1915 GT passed through a small number of French owners before being acquired in February 1996 by its fourth and consigning owner, marque collector Guido Bartolomeo.
After securing the car, Bartomoleo subjected the car to a two-year nut-and-bolt restoration that saw the bodywork refinished in its current Nero shade. More recently, 1915 GT was treated to an interior retrim in Rosso leather.
First certified by Ferrari Classiche in 2008, 1915 GT is presented for sale with matching numbers and accompanied by a spare purpose-built 3.8-litre V12 engine and its original Borrani 16-inch wire wheels.
1997 Ferrari F310B
Ex-Michael Schumacher Ferrari Formula 1 cars have set auction records in recent years, so a strong result is anticipated from one of the seven-time World Champion’s early Scuderia challengers.
With that in mind, the €5.5m-€7.5m estimate seems restrained for one of the Red Baron’s machines, but that’s partly down to the fact Schumacher only piloted this car in qualifying in Belgium, as well as its modest achievements in period competition.
It was then driven by Schumacher’s teammate, Eddie Irvine, in Italy and Austria before serving as a space car at the races in the Luxembourg, Japanese and European Grands Prix. The Italian Grand Prix was the highlight of this car’s competition career, where it finished eighth, and in 1999 it passed into private ownership.
Since then, chassis 179 was driven in numerous Ferrari Corse Clienti events before being acquired by the Audrain Automobile Museum in Newport, US, in 2014. In more recent years, the car was piloted by Formula 3 driver Robbie Kerr at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed to commemorate Schumacher’s 50th birthday.
Offered with its Ferrari Classiche Red Book and a selection of spare parts, including BBS wheels, a race harness, handheld blowers, and jacks, RM Sotheby’s advises a factory recommission should the next owner wish to return this iconic machine to the track.
Gooding Christie’s Rétromobile Paris Auction, 29 January, 2026
1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Teardrop Coupé
With Joseph Figoni’s stunning Art Deco coachwork and advanced, competition-bred engineering conceived by Anthony Lago, the T150-C-SS Teardrop Coupé is rightly regarded as one of the pre-eminent automobiles of the pre-war era.
Chassis 90112 is one of between just 10 to 12 examples that combines Figoni’s achingly beautiful bodywork with the motorsport-derived Compétition Super Sport chassis renowned for its short wheelbase, stiffened frame and sharpened suspension.
Built to the same specifications as the Modèle New York that appeared at the 1937 NEw York International Auto Show, chassis 90112 was showcased in various major European concours during the pre-war period, winning the grand prize for aerodynamic coupés in the 1939 Concours d’Elegance de l’Auto.
The outbreak of the Second World War saw the car hidden away before resurfacing in the 1946 Brussels Concours d’Elegance. It then passed through a series of owners before being acquired by a US collector in 2005, who subjected 90112 to a concours-level restoration.
Since being restored, it has found continued success on the international concours circuit, winning awards at Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and Meadow Brook. Now held in a private Swiss collection and unseen publicly for over a decade, it is projected to fetch between €6.5m and €7.5m.
Artcurial, Automobile Legends, 27 January, 2026
1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupé
This year may mark the close of Artcurial’s long-standing role as Rétromobile’s official auction partner, but the French auctioneer has still brought some very special cars to its traditional January sale slot. Among the most remarkable is this 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupé.
One of only 30 Gullwing Coupés delivered to France, this car has covered just 34,000 km and is offered in fully original and unrestored condition. Its incredible authenticity is complemented by a rare factory specification, including the high-performance NSL six-cylinder engine, Rudge centre-lock wheels and sports suspension. The specification effectively makes it mechanically identical to the aluminium-bodied competition cars despite its steel panels.
First owned by French multi-Olympic medalist and Coca-Cola importer Claude Foussier, the car was acquired in 1961 by Jean Piger, who kept it in storage for more than half a century before parting with it in 2014. Despite eleven years of inactivity and exposure to the elements, Artcurial reports that only minimal intervention was needed to return it to running order, and it remains in excellent mechanical and structural condition.
The Gullwing is accompanied for sale by all of its original accessories, including tool roll, luggage and registration plates. Artcurial forecasts a winning bid between €2m and €5m.
