In an auction packed with A-listers (of the automotive variety), auctioneer Max Girardo hammered the 1956 Mille Miglia entrant for 25.5m dollars – the resulting 28.05m dollar premium-inclusive figure unseating the record 18.5m dollars paid for the Alain Delon California Spider at Artcurial’s memorable auction in February of this year.

More record results

Other notable results saw the first public sale of an Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato in many years garner $14.3m – a record for a British car sold at auction – while Janis Joplin’s psychedelic Porsche 356 set a new World Record for the model, at an estimate-obliterating 1.76m dollars. Imagine if it had been her Mercedes…

Elsewhere, the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa child’s car was snapped up for 89,000 dollars (a rather frantic-looking chap with a large white beard may or may not have been spotted in the saleroom when the hammer came down), while the Lamborghini Miura SV sold for 2.42m dollars.

Photos: Tim Scott / Patrick Ernzen for RM Sotheby’s