RM Sotheby’s Achieves Over $1 Billion in Total Sales, Cementing a Record-Setting Year at the Forefront of the Global Collector Car Market | RM Sotheby's

RM Sotheby’s Achieves Over $1 Billion in Total Sales, Cementing a Record-Setting Year at the Forefront of the Global Collector Car Market

RM Sotheby’s achieved its best year to date with over $1 billion USD in total sales in 2025 through 44 live, online, and Sealed auctions, as well as Private Sales, achieving a 92% sell-through rate across its live auctions and attracting bidders from 82 countries.

 

BLENHEIM, Canada, Dec. 23, 2025 – RM Sotheby’s delivered the strongest year in its history in 2025, achieving over $1 billion USD in total sales across 44 live, online, and Sealed auctions, as well as Private Sales, offering 1,024 automotive lots worldwide. The company recorded a 92% sell-through rate across its live auctions, attracted bidders from 82 countries and buyers from 54 countries, and welcomed a new generation of collectors, with 46% of bidders and 47% of buyers participating for the first time. The year saw 75 auction records set across marques and models.

By the Numbers:

  • Total Sales: $1B+
  • Auction Records Broken: 75
  • Cars Sold for More Than $1 Million: 135
  • Automotive Lots Offered Across All Auctions: 1,024
  • Sell-Through Rate (Live Auctions): 92%
  • Bidders: 82 countries
  • Buyers: 54 countries
  • First-Time Bidders: 46%
  • First-Time Buyers: 47%
  • Total Auctions: 44
    • 15 Live Auctions
    • 29 Online + Sealed Auctions

Top 10 Auction Results of 2025:

  1. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen – $53,112,190 USD (Stuttgart)
  2. 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti – $36,073,245 USD (Paris)
  3. 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 ‘Tailor Made’ – $26,000,000 USD (Monterey)
  4. 1994 McLaren F1 – $25,317,500 USD (Abu Dhabi)
  5. Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1 LM – $20,630,000 USD (The Special One)
  6. 2001 Ferrari F2001 ‘The Schumacher Crown Jewel’ – $18,116,206 USD (Monaco)
  7. 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II – $13,205,000 USD (Miami)
  8. 2026 McLaren Formula 1 Team MCL40A – $11,480,000 USD (Abu Dhabi)
  9. 1993 Ferrari F40 LM by Michelotto – $11,005,000 USD (Monterey)
  10. 2006 Pagani Zonda Riviera – $10,130,000 USD (Abu Dhabi)

Top Three Collections Sold:

  • The Collection of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum: $123,603,435 USD
  • The Tailored for Speed Collection: $86,651,919 USD
  • The Triple Crown: $19,927,500 USD

Leadership Commentary:

“2025 marked the strongest year in RM Sotheby’s history,” said Gord Duff, President of RM Sotheby’s. “We kicked off the year in Arizona before heading to ModaMiami with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Collection, setting the tone for a truly global run of success. Record results across our live, online, and Sealed platforms carried through Europe and culminated in a landmark auction in Abu Dhabi, with 75 auction records set along the way. This performance reflects the strength of our global team, the exceptional trust our clients place in us, and our ability to present significant cars at the highest level worldwide. Sotheby’s Motorsport (SOMO) also continued to gain strong traction as an online marketplace for collector cars, while our growing presence in the Middle East signals an exciting future for the business as we look ahead to an exceptional pipeline in 2026.”

“2025 was a year where demand remained strong across the board,” said Shelby Myers, Head of Private Sales, RM Sotheby’s. “Alongside our headline live auctions, both Private Sales and Sealed delivered internal record results, as clients continue to value the ability to transact in multiple ways depending on the car and the moment. For certain truly exceptional automobiles, Sealed offers a fitting and thoughtful way to present and place what are, in many cases, automotive masterpieces. That flexibility is becoming an increasingly important part of how collectors engage with the market, and we see continued growth across all of our platforms moving forward.”

“2025 has been a phenomenal year in the EMEA region,” said Greg Anderson, Managing Director, EMEA, RM Sotheby’s. “This year has seen us offer some of the most valuable and special cars ever offered at auction, with particular highlights being the sale of the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Streamliner and the Ferrari 250 LM offered from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. The Tailored for Speed Collection was another high point, with the Collection not only achieving 100% sell-through, but establishing a world record value for a single-owner collection being sold  during a single sale.”

RM Sotheby’s Highlights:

  • Monterey delivered over $165M in total sales with an 87% sell-through rate and bidders from 46 countries, led by the $26M Ferrari Daytona SP3 “Tailor Made” (the most valuable new car ever sold at auction), with Ferrari taking the top three results and multiple world records, alongside strong performances from modern limited-production supercars and pre-war classics, momentum in German performance cars, premium fresh-to-market examples, and 14 world records set overall.
  • At the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, RM Auto Restoration secured its ninth Best of Show with the historic 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C “Tulipwood” Torpedo, following an exhaustive, multi-year restoration requiring more than 12,000 hours of craftsmanship.
  • A defining modern milestone came during Formula 1 week in Las Vegas, where the first Gordon Murray Special Vehicles S1 LM commission sold for $20.63 million, highlighting demand for once-in-a-generation, manufacturer-led offerings.
  • ModaMiami 2025 returned for its second year as a global automotive and lifestyle destination, welcoming more than 10,000 attendees from 27 countries, anchored by a $74.49 million RM Sotheby’s auction that marked the culmination of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Collection.
  • The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Collection was successfully sold across multiple RM Sotheby’s auctions in Stuttgart, Paris, and Miami, featuring landmark cars including the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Streamliner, Ferrari 250 LM, Ford GT40 Mk II, and Corvette SS Project XP-64, representing one of the most historic collections ever brought to market.
  • The Triple Crown was realized in 2025 with the sale of a historic trio of McLaren competition cars spanning Formula 1, Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500, delivering an unprecedented, factory-backed offering.
  • Abu Dhabi 2025 became the most successful collector car auction ever held in the Middle East, totaling $85.1 million, with bidders from 45 countries, led by the $25.3 million 1994 McLaren F1, alongside standout results for a Pagani Zonda Riviera, McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar, and Gordon Murray Automotive T.50.
  • Tailored for Speed achieved a 100% sell-through and CHF 70 million in gross sales, as all 42 supercars and track cars sold at Zürich’s Dolder Grand Hotel, with the majority exceeding their high estimates, making it the most valuable single-collection auction ever sold in one auction in RM Sotheby’s history.