Short answer
The 1935 Duesenberg SSJ is the most expensive 1930s car sold at auction at $22 million. Two 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900Bs follow at $19.8 million and about $19.0 million, ahead of a Talbot-Lago T150-C SS, an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza, a Mercedes-Benz 540K and a Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante.
- Highest price
- Duesenberg SSJ, $22.0 million
- Marques in the top seven
- Duesenberg, Alfa Romeo, Talbot-Lago, Mercedes-Benz, Bugatti
- Basis
- Auction sales, not private deals
Top 7 Most Expensive Cars of the 1930s Sold at Auction at a Glance
| No. | Car | Sale price | Sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 1935 Duesenberg SSJGooding & Company, 25 August 2018 | $22,000,000 | Gooding & Company, 25 August 2018 |
| 02 | 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo SpiderRM Sotheby’s, 20 August 2016 | $19,800,000 | RM Sotheby’s, 20 August 2016 |
| 03 | 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring BerlinettaArtcurial, 11 February 2019 | $18,997,883 | Artcurial, 11 February 2019 |
| 04 | 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SSGooding & Company, 5 March 2022 | $13,425,000 | Gooding & Company, 5 March 2022 |
| 05 | 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 MonzaGooding & Company, 21 August 2016 | $11,990,000 | Gooding & Company, 21 August 2016 |
| 06 | 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special RoadsterGooding & Company, 19 August 2012 | $11,770,000 | Gooding & Company, 19 August 2012 |
| 07 | 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC AtalanteGooding & Company, 19 August 2022 | $10,345,000 | Gooding & Company, 19 August 2022 |
No entries match your search.
The scale of the difference
Auction sale price (US$ millions, as sold)
First 7 entries shown. Bar lengths compare the magnitude of the reported values.
- 1935 Duesenberg SSJ$22,000,000
- 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider$19,800,000
- 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta$18,997,883
- 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS$13,425,000
- 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza$11,990,000
- 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster$11,770,000
- 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante$10,345,000
Top 7 Most Expensive Cars of the 1930s Sold at Auction: Entry Details
1935 Duesenberg SSJ
Gooding & Company, 25 August 2018The SSJ is the most expensive 1930s car sold at auction in this list. It sold at Gooding & Company in August 2018.
- Model year
- 1935
- Auction house
- Gooding & Company
1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider
RM Sotheby’s, 20 August 2016This long-wheelbase Spider sold through RM Sotheby’s in August 2016. It is the highest-priced Alfa Romeo of the decade in this list.
- Model year
- 1939
- Auction house
- RM Sotheby’s
1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta
Artcurial, 11 February 2019A second 8C 2900B, in Touring Berlinetta form, sold at Artcurial in February 2019. It is a different car from the Lungo Spider.
- Model year
- 1939
- Auction house
- Artcurial
1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS
Gooding & Company, 5 March 2022This Talbot-Lago sold at Gooding & Company in March 2022. Another 1938 T150-C SS reached $7.27 million at RM Sotheby’s in August 2022.
- Model year
- 1937
- Auction house
- Gooding & Company
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza
Gooding & Company, 21 August 2016The 8C 2300 Monza sold at Gooding & Company in August 2016. A separate Monza made $6.71 million in 2010.
- Model year
- 1933
- Auction house
- Gooding & Company
1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
Gooding & Company, 19 August 2012The 540K Special Roadster sold at Gooding & Company in August 2012. Several other 540Ks have sold for between about $6.6 million and $9.9 million.
- Model year
- 1936
- Auction house
- Gooding & Company
1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante
Gooding & Company, 19 August 2022This Atalante sold at Gooding & Company in August 2022. Other Type 57SC Atalantes have sold for $8.7 million and $7.9 million.
- Model year
- 1937
- Auction house
- Gooding & Company
Top 7 Most Expensive Cars of the 1930s Sold at Auction: Analysis
Why the Duesenberg SSJ leads
The 1935 SSJ’s $22 million sale is $2.2 million above the best Alfa Romeo. The two 8C 2900Bs sold within about $0.8 million of each other, which makes Alfa Romeo the strongest marque in the table.
A list of individual sales
Each row is one specific car at one sale, not a model average, so a marque can appear more than once. Prices are as sold and are not adjusted for inflation. For modern and other record sales, see the most expensive cars in the world.
Our verdict
Editorial verdict
The 1935 Duesenberg SSJ is the most expensive 1930s car sold at auction in this list, with Alfa Romeo’s 8C 2900B the strongest rival. The rest of the table shows how highly collectors price pre-war Italian, French and German coachbuilt cars.
FAQ: Top 7 Most Expensive Cars of the 1930s Sold at Auction
What is the most expensive 1930s car sold at auction?
In this list it is the 1935 Duesenberg SSJ, sold for $22 million at Gooding & Company in 2018.
Are the prices adjusted for inflation?
No. They are the prices as originally sold.
Why does Alfa Romeo appear several times?
Each row is a separate car. The two 8C 2900Bs and an 8C 2300 Monza each sold for more than $11 million.
Do private sales count?
No. Only public auction sales are included, so private deals are excluded.
Is the Bugatti Royale here?
No. The 1931 Royale sales listed are lower than the seventh-placed Atalante at $10.3 million.
Sources & methodology
Highest public-auction sale prices for cars built in 1930–1939, taken from a reference list of record auction sales and listed in US dollars as sold. Each row is one car at one sale, and cars are ranked by price. Private sales are excluded, and the list only reflects sales recorded to 2022.
Maintained by Artsiom Dusau, a software engineer and BMW 4 Series owner. Editorial policy
