10 Best Cars Heading to Auction for Monterey Car Week 2026

We just returned from the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026, but there’s plenty more to come for car collectors this August. The Monterey Peninsula is set to, once again, transform into the focal point of the global automotive world. The fairway at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will showcase the finest preserved machinery on earth, but the surrounding auction stages will grab the attention of the global collector market.

The 2026 Monterey Car Week auctions promise to be the most remarkable gathering of historic metal on the planet, bringing together pre-war coachbuilt icons, championship-winning endurance prototypes, and ultra-exclusive modern hypercars across the catalogues of RM Sotheby’s, Gooding & Company, and Broad Arrow.

While headline-grabbing eight-figure estimates capture public attention, the true character of the Monterey auctions resides in provenance and storytelling. This year’s catalogue highlights aren’t simply about monetary value, as the three auction houses will feature legendary machines with deeply personal histories. Standouts crossing the block include the only Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe retained personally by Carroll Shelby, Clark Gable’s custom-bodied Duesenberg, and Jerry Seinfeld’s Daytona-winning Porsche 907 Langheck, fresh from an exhaustive decade-long restoration. Of course, we can’t forget Nick Mason’s $35 million ‘Pop Art’ McLaren F1 GTR.

With potential record-shattering bids on the horizon, the 2026 slate offers an unprecedented look into automotive history. Our list below includes everything from secret factory racing projects built to circumvent corporate bans to authentic Dutch highway patrol pursuit vehicles. These cars represent the pinnacle of engineering, rarity, and cultural significance. Here are the best cars heading to the auction block during Monterey Car Week 2026, according to us.

1/17

1. 1968 Porsche 907 Langheck

Pre-auction estimate: USD$4,500,000 – $5,500,000

Chassis 907-005 holds a foundational position in Zuffenhausen history as the very first Porsche to secure an overall victory in a 24-hour race. Carrying a pre-sale estimate of $4,500,000 to $5,500,000 USD at Gooding & Company, the 2.2-litre flat-eight prototype led a 1-2-3 sweep for the factory team at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona with Vic Elford, Jochen Neerpasch, and Rolf Stommelen at the wheel. Sourced directly from Jerry Seinfeld’s personal collection, the car recently emerged from an obsessive 10-year restoration by marque specialist Joe Cavaglieri, returning every component to its exact 1968 Daytona specification. Seinfeld even acquired the original Rolex Daytona watch awarded to Vic Elford for the victory, making this one of the most historically complete Porsche offerings in auction history.

• Engine specs: 2.2-litre Type 771 four-cam air-cooled flat-eight (~270 hp @ 9,000 rpm)
• Key race victories: 1st Overall at 1968 24 Hours of Daytona, 2nd Overall at 1968 1000 Km of Monza
• Provenance: Factory Works Team, Sepp Greger, Henry E. Payne III, Jerry Seinfeld Collection

1/11

2. 1996 McLaren F1 GTR ‘Pop Art F1’

Pre-auction estimate: USD$35,000,000

Chassis 10R was the very first McLaren F1 GTR built to the updated 1996 aerodynamic specification, featuring extended front and rear bodywork to maximise downforce. RM Sotheby’s placed a pre-sale estimate of more than USD$35,000,000 on the vehicle. Retained by the factory as an official development chassis, the car was designed by Gordon Murray, who personally created its striking Blood Red and yellow livery, giving the car its famous “Pop Art” nickname. Motorsport fanatic and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason acquired the car in 1999 and maintained it for a quarter-century. As the premier McLaren heading to auction this year, chassis 10R represents an irreplaceable slice of modern endurance racing lore.

• Engine specs: 6.0-litre BMW Motorsport S70/2 V-12 (~600 hp)
• Key pedigree: First 1996-specification long-tail GTR development chassis built
• Provenance: McLaren Factory Collection, Nick Mason Collection (1999–2024)

1/7

3. 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe

Pre-auction estimate: USD$25,000,000

Designed by Peter Brock to challenge Ferrari’s dominance in the World Sportscar Championship, only six Cobra Daytona Coupes were ever constructed. Gooding & Company assigned chassis CSX2300 a pre-sale estimate in excess of USD$25,000,000, reflecting its unmatched significance as the only example retained personally by Carroll Shelby. The car competed at the 1965 12 Hours of Sebring under the Shelby American banner with Bob Johnson and Tom Yeager at the wheel, finishing third in class. Preserved in its iconic blue number 12 racing livery, a successful sale will make it the most expensive American automobile ever sold at public auction.

• Engine specs: 289 cubic-inch (4.7-litre) Ford V-8 (~390 hp)
• Key race victories: 3rd in Class at 1965 12 Hours of Sebring
• Provenance: Shelby American Works Team, personally retained by Carroll Shelby

1/8

4. 1935 Duesenberg Model JN Convertible Coupe

Pre-auction estimate: USD$5,750,000 – $8,000,000

Commissioned at the height of his Hollywood stardom, chassis J-560 was delivered new to screen legend Clark Gable. Built on Duesenberg’s updated JN platform, it’s one of just four convertible coupes clothed by coachbuilder Rollston. Gable personally collaborated with designers at Bohman & Schwartz to add custom styling touches, including elongated hood vents, rear-wheel skirts, and a unique rear-deck layout. Gable famously drove the supercharged classic across California with his wife, Carole Lombard, and its appearance in Monterey represents a rare convergence of Hollywood royalty and American coachbuilding excellence.

• Engine specs: 420 cubic-inch (6.9-litre) Supercharged Lycoming Straight-8 (265 hp)
• Coachwork and design: Rollston Convertible Coupe with custom Bohman & Schwartz coachwork
• Provenance: Ordered new by Clark Gable, The Sam and Emily Mann Collection

1/9

5. 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

Pre-auction estimate: USD$12,000,000 – $15,000,000

Chassis 0186/R is the 14th of just 19 DB4 GT Zagatos produced, and the only example originally shipped to Australia. RM Sotheby’s carries a pre-sale estimate of USD$12,000,000 to $15,000,000 for the vehicle. Driven by three-time Australian Grand Prix winner Doug Whiteford, the lightweight 3.7-litre inline-six racer claimed victory at the 1962 South Pacific GT Championship, famously clocking 145 mph down the flying straight at Longford. Unlike many period competition cars, chassis 0186/R escaped serious accident damage, allowing its original Zagato aluminium bodywork to survive intact. After a meticulous restoration, the car won its class and the Vitesse Elegance Trophy at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

• Engine specs: 3.7-litre aluminium twin-spark inline-six (314 hp)
• Key race victories: 1st Overall at 1962 South Pacific GT Championship (Longford, Australia)
• Provenance: Sole Australian delivery, Doug Whiteford, Pebble Beach Class Winner

1/9

6. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

Pre-auction estimate: USD$11,000,000 – $13,000,000

Fearing Shelby’s dominance on the racetrack, Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov launched a secret program to build 125 ultra-lightweight Corvettes. General Motors executives discovered the project and shut it down after only five cars were assembled. RM Sotheby’s offers chassis 003 with a pre-sale estimate of USD$11,000,000 to $13,000,000, and it’s the first of three coupes constructed, featuring a paper-thin fibreglass body, an aluminium spaceframe, and a 377-cubic-inch V-8 producing over 550 horsepower. Weighing 1,000 pounds less than a standard production Corvette, chassis 003 remains the ultimate unicorn of American muscle cars.

• Engine specs: 377 cubic-inch aluminium V-8 with Weber carburettors (550+ hp)
• Production rarity: Chassis 003, 1 of 5 total Grand Sports built (1 of 3 coupes)
• Provenance: Zora Arkus-Duntov’s secret GM development project

1/8

7. 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa “Rijkspolitie”

Pre-auction estimate: USD$125,000 – $150,000

For over three decades, the Dutch National Police patrolled the country’s high-speed motorways exclusively in open-top Porsches. Broad Arrow Auctions brings this 1989 Carrera Targa to market with a pre-sale estimate of USD$125,000 to $150,000. It served five years on active duty in the Netherlands, racking up nearly 100,000 miles on patrol. The car remains fully equipped with its period police gear, including a Targa bar-mounted blue light, rear Hella hazard lamps, dual Bosch horns, a Teletron radio unit, and a custom rear plywood storage shelf designed to carry helmets, boots, and roadside flares.

• Engine specs: 3.2-litre air-cooled flat-six (217 hp)
• Special equipment: Targa bar siren, rear Hella hazard lights, Teletron radio, squad equipment shelf
• Provenance: Dutch National Police (Korps Rijkspolitie active service 1989–1994)

1/7

8. 1970 Pontiac One Concept

Pre-auction estimate: USD$200,000 – $250,000

Conceived as a futuristic vision of the Firebird, the Pontiac One was sketched by Harry Bentley Bradley, the former GM stylist famous for designing Mattel’s original Hot Wheels line. GM technical designer Dave Crook brought the concept to life over four years, giving the car a pointed nose, half a dozen functional hood scoops, enclosed rear wheel skirts, and a slammed stance. The finished build so impressed GM Vice President of Styling Bill Mitchell that he nearly adopted it as an official factory display car. It remains a fascinating piece of 1970s custom automotive design.

• Engine specs: 350 cubic-inch Pontiac V-8 with automatic transmission
• Design significance: Sketched by Hot Wheels lead designer Harry Bentley Bradley
• Provenance: Unique custom display concept evaluated by GM VP Bill Mitchell

1/8

9. 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS ‘Testa Fissa’

Pre-auction estimate: USD$1,000,000 – $1,500,000

Designed by Vittorio Jano, this 6C 1500 Super Sport is one of only four semi-works competition cars supplied to the British distributor F.W. Stiles with the rare fixed-cylinder-head engine configuration. Gooding & Company placed a pre-sale estimate of USD$1,000,000 to $1,500,000 on the vehicle. Driven by factory test driver Giulio Ramponi, this exact car took overall victory at the 1929 Brooklands Double Twelve race in England. Featuring lightweight Zagato spider bodywork, the car comes from the estate of respected collector Brian Brunkhorst and boasts an unbroken provenance stretching back nearly a century.

• Engine specs: 1.5-litre supercharged inline-six with rare “Testa Fissa” fixed cylinder head
• Key race victories: 1st Overall at 1929 Brooklands Double Twelve
• Provenance: F.W. Stiles semi-works team, Giulio Ramponi, Brian Brunkhorst Estate

1/9

10. 1963 Ferrari 250 P

Pre-auction estimate: USD$15,000,000 – $20,000,000

Chassis 0810 represents a monumental turning point in Scuderia Ferrari’s history, and Gooding & Company expects the vehicle to command one of the highest prices at the event, with a pre-sale estimate of USD$15,000,000 to $20,000,000. It survives as the factory’s very first mid-engine V-12 prototype, laying the mechanical blueprint for every Ferrari endurance racer that followed, including the 250 LM and 330 P4. Campaigned directly by the works team during the 1963 World Sportscar Championship, it finished second overall at the 12 Hours of Sebring and took third overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With its pioneering engineering and overall podium finishes at the world’s toughest races, it stands among the most significant Ferrari competition cars ever brought to market.

• Engine specs: 3.0-litre Type 168/62 V-12 (310 hp)
• Key race results: 2nd Overall at 12 Hours of Sebring, 3rd Overall at 24 Hours of Le Mans
• Significance: First mid-engine V-12 prototype built by Scuderia Ferrari (Chassis 0810)

Monterey Car Week 2026 FAQs

Related reads

• Jerry Seinfeld’s Daytona-Winning 1968 Porsche 907 Langheck Could Fetch $5.5 Million
• Nick Mason’s $35 Million ‘Pop Art’ McLaren F1 GTR Up For Grabs
• 10 Best Cars at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026