Ferrari 250 GTO sells for $52 million in latest world record

In February 2012, a 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO became the most expensive car ever sold, fetching a staggering $32 million. Then, just a few months later, a 1962 GTO, built for the legendary Sir Stirling Moss, eclipsed that record selling for $35 million. But in the world of Ferraris, GTOs, and incredibly affluent, unidentified buyers, a $35 million GTO is now a relative steal. That's because a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO has just sold for $52 million according to Bloomberg, snatching the record as the latest "most expensive car ever sold."

How long will this record last?

It's only been a handful of months since we brought you the sale of the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spider, becoming the second most expensive car ever to sell at auction, amassing $27.5 million — slotting below Fangio's $29.6 million Mercedes W196 Grand Prix winning car. What, therefore, makes the 250 GTO worth so much more than a legendary Formula One car and a machine as rare as one of William Shakespeare's signatures?