RM Sotheby’s London auction on 31 October achieved £36,550,950, making it the highest-grossing collector car auction ever held in the UK. The result surpassed the previous record, set at Bonhams’ Goodwood Festival of Speed sale in 2013.

The auction also established three world records, including new highs for the Aston Martin Valkyrie, Honda NSX and Land Rover Series II.

The 2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie Coupé sold for £2,761,250, making it the most expensive example of the model sold at auction. The result surpassed the previous record of $3,070,625 (£2,289,105), set at RM Sotheby’s Dubai sale on 8 March 2024. One of 150 coupé examples built, the car had covered just 186 miles from new and remained in single ownership.

A 1991 Honda NSX supplied by Honda for Ayrton Senna’s personal use in Portugal achieved £871,250, while a 1959 Land Rover Series II ‘Art Car’ designed by streetwear specialist Sean Wotherspoon sold for £132,250, more than double its pre-sale estimate. Both results established new auction records for their respective models.

The highest price of the evening, however, was paid for a 2022 Ferrari Daytona SP3, which achieved £8,161,250. Originally used by Ferrari as a development car before being retained as a press vehicle, it featured in several media reviews, including an episode of BBC’s Top Gear.

The third-highest price went to a 1988 Ferrari F40, which sold for £2,592,500. An early-production example, it retains its matching-numbers twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and five-speed gearbox. Previously modified to resemble an F40 LM, it could be returned to its original road-car specification.

Held at The Peninsula London in partnership with the Royal Automobile Club and the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the auction achieved an 87.5 per cent sell-through rate. All ten of the highest-selling cars fetched more than £1 million.

Other notable results included a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy, which achieved £2,041,250, and a 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale Aperta, which sold for £1,861,250.