Gooding Christie’s auction totals over $159 million at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® – its highest-grossing auction to date
$43 Million Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe Comes Out on Top at 2026 Car Week Across All Auction Sales, Becomes Highest-Grossing American Car of All Time
Gooding Christie’s conducts highest-grossing auction to date with over $159 million realized in total sales and the most valuable car ever sold by the auction house, the ex-Carroll Shelby 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, sold for $42.9 million
Pebble Beach, Calif. (August 17, 2026) – Throughout an exceptionally successful week of transacting on the Monterey Peninsula, Gooding Christies, global market leader and official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, led the market with its highest-grossing sale of all time, achieving over $159 million on Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15. The 22nd Pebble Beach Auctions saw a sales total indicating a 24% increase from the previous year, with 158 lots sold and a 94% sell-through rate. 28 lots were sold for over $1 million, and the average price per lot sold was $1,005,681 – a 19% increase from the previous year.
The uncontested standout of car week was the 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, which set a new world record for American cars by a margin of over $20 million, selling for an all-in figure of $42.9 million. The previous record was set by Gooding at Pebble Beach in 2018 with the ex-Gary Cooper 1935 Duesenberg SSJ, which sold for $22 million. The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe also became the most valuable car ever sold by Gooding Christie’s at auction – previously, this was the Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider sold by the firm at Pebble Beach in 2025 for over $25 million.
Additional top-sellers throughout the weekend were a number of highly significant postwar European sports cars with notable period race history, important provenance, and lasting legacies in the world of motorsports. This included the record-setting 1963 Ferrari 250 P, sold for $18,705,000, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, sold for $8,090,000, and the 1968 Porsche 907 Langheck, sold for $3,305,000. World record prices were also commanded by the 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, which achieved $4,240,000, and the 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport ‘Tuboscocca’ Spider, which sold for $4,295,000.
Estates and collections performed spectacularly well at the sale, with 100% of offerings from the Brian Brunkhorst Collection and the Mullin Collection finding new homes. The top seller from the Brian Brunkhorst Collection was the elegant 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Lungo Spider, which sold for $3,305,000, and the 1930 Bugatti Type 43A Roadster led the sales for the Mullin Collection offerings, achieving $1,270,000.
The health of the market was proven across the entire range of offerings from various segments during the two-day sale, including modern selections, as evidenced by the 2020 Bugatti Chiron Sport ‘Edition Noire’, which sold for $3,442,500, the 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione, which achieved $2,535,000, and the 1989 Porsche 911 Classic Turbo Reimagined by Singer, which sold for $1,902,500.
Gooding Christie’s President, David Gooding, said: “Our continued trajectory of significant growth, with a solid increase each year in total sales, is one to be celebrated. This year, we saw not only our strongest auction ever – with our highest grossing sales total since inception – but also the single most valuable car we’ve ever sold on the auction block. The Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe became the most valuable American car of all time by a 95% increase over the previous record, which we so memorably set at this same venue eight years prior.”
David Brynan, Gooding Christie’s Senior Specialist, said: “The results at Pebble Beach demonstrated that the market rewards substance. The quality of our offering, and the sophistication of the collectors who responded to it, speaks to the standards for presenting important, historic cars that we have established as a leader in a saturated market. At this uppermost level of quality and significance, the cars do not need to be over-sold; their histories speak for themselves, and the results they garner confirm their lasting value.”
Top 10 Lots
Lot 39 – 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, sold for $42,905,000
Lot 26 – 1963 Ferrari 250 P, sold for $18,705,000
Lot 135 – 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, sold for $8,090,000
Lot 130 – 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport ‘Tuboscocca’ Spider, sold for $4,295,000
Lot 20 – 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, sold for $4,240,000
Lot 63 – 2020 Bugatti Chiron Sport ‘Edition Noire’, sold for $3,442,500
Lot 44 – 1968 Porsche 907 Langheck, sold for $3,305,000
Lot 151 – 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Lungo Spider, sold for $3,305,000
Lot 52 – 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, sold for $2,975,000
Lot 31 – 1966 Ferrari Dino 206 S Berlinetta, sold for $2,975,000
New World Auction Records:
Lot 39 – 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, sold for $42,905,000 (a world record for all American cars, the Shelby marque, and the most valuable car to ever be auctioned by Gooding Christie’s)
Lot 26 – 1963 Ferrari 250 P, sold for $18,705,000 (a world record for the Ferrari 250 P model)
Lot 130 – 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport ‘Tuboscocca’ Spider, sold for $4,295,000 (a world record for the Ferrari 225 model)
Lot 20 – 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, sold for $4,240,000 (a world record for the Maserati Tipo 61 model)
The collector car world’s top prize, Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, was awarded today to a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Special Speedster originally owned by Clark Gable and shown on this occasion by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio. The 75th celebration also reached a major milestone, surpassing $50 million in total charitable giving. Over 218 cars – including 33 international entries from 14 countries and 185 US entries from 30 states – participated in the competition, held annually on the famed fairways of Pebble Beach Golf Links at Pebble Beach Resorts.
Looking Ahead
Gooding Christie’s will debut its inaugural New York sale as the official auction house of Rétromobile New York, taking place November 19–22, 2026. Gooding Christie’s Rétromobile New York Auctions are set to take place on Friday, November 21 and Saturday, November 22 at the world-famous Javits Center. The auction house continues to welcome consignments for this upcoming sale, subject to availability.
In early 2027, Gooding Christie’s will return to Paris as the official auction house of Rétromobile, the foremost European automotive event, before its annual Amelia Island Auctions in March. For inquiries regarding consignment to any forthcoming Gooding Christie’s auction, please contact the specialist and administrative support team via goodingco.com.
About Gooding Christie’s
Gooding Christie’s is world renowned for its market-leading automotive auctions, private brokerage, and unparalleled service in the international collector car market with over two decades of operation. Gooding Christie’s consistently sets world record prices and redefines market standards through both its live auctions and Geared Online platform with best-of-category cars across numerous verticals. The commitment to presenting the highest quality of consignments while operating with the utmost integrity and transparency has provided the company an unmatched reputation of trust and respect. Offering a wide range of services including private and estate sales, appraisals, collection management, and financing options, Gooding Christie’s is ready to assist you. To browse available offerings, discover upcoming auctions, view conditions of sale, or learn more about consigning your vehicle or registering to bid at a future sale, please visit goodingco.com.
