Ahhhhh, cars. Most men suffer from an unnatural attraction to these pinnacled, wheeled testament to mankind’s ingenuity. Doesn’t matter if you’re barreling around town in a beater Jeep Cherokee or cruising smoothly in some $500,000 designer masterpiece, us guys love our vehicle as long as it’ll get us from point A to point B and home again.
Practicality and durability may be prime qualities of a great car, but hey, who doesn’t want to pull up to a gathering at the local country club in an obscenely priced Mercedes-Benz? Today on the cutting board? Three of the most expensive automobiles ever manufactured.
6. The 1947 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster: $9 Million
That’s right, our little look at these affluent automobiles starts at the price point of $9 million… With the 1947 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster. What makes this thing so ludicrous expensive? If the 5.4 liter engine (which was designed by Ferdinand Porsche before he went off on his own to produce his own cars), silver paint finish, aristocratic aura or streamlined shape don’t do it for you, maybe you’ll be impressed by the fact that the car has always been a cherished favorite of the rich and famous. It’s effortless steering and handling has always been appreciated by the upper crust, and everyone from Bernie Ecclestone to Adolf Hitler have had one parked in their garage at some point.
5. The 1931 Bugatti Royale Type 41 Kellner Coupe: $9.8 Million
This is THE car of royalty, and no that’s not just some clever little tagline to sell this little monster. Ettore Bugatti himself is rumored to have created a version of this vehicle that was so outlandishly luxurious that you’d have to be some exotic, blue-blooded prince from a faraway land to possibly afford it. This car is also a sort of unique on this list in that it wasn’t made to tear up any race tracks. As mentioned before, its sole intention was to be owned and flaunted by only the wealthiest of our human species. This is more believable when you realize that this car is from the pre-WWII era, and for many years it held the honored distinction of being THE most luxurious car ever sold. The car hardly is a slouch when you look under the hood however, packing 12,763 cc of power and making it one of the most burley road cars you could ever hope to drive.
4. The 1931 Duesenberg Model J: $10.3 Million
Another pre-war beauty, born from the ruinous despair of the Great Depression. It’s a sad thought when you imagine someone being able to afford this gem at such a time when destitution and desperation were tag-team ravaging such a large percentile of the American public… But alas, this car’s beauty survived the depression and still holds up to this day. The Model J was designed by the Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc. Located in Des Moines, Iowa, the DA & MC managed to craft a car that so effortlessly exudes all-American quality and innovation. This thing was made to be the fastest, largest, most stylish and expensive American car ever and met each of those expectations.
Think these things are expensive? Check out our part 2 in the DaLuca Straps blog to find out what the three most expensive cars of all time are…