It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) America’s Vatican of speed.
As such, when this iconic site decides to auction off parts of its museum collection, the cars transcend the status of collector’s items and become akin to sacred relics.
The IMS Museum, undergoing a refurbishment, is narrowing its focus to vehicles directly tied to the Indy 500. Consequently, a selection of extraordinary machines is headed to auction.
A total of 11 cars will be up for grabs across three RM Sotheby’s auctions, starting in February next year in Stuttgart. This lineup represents a remarkable variety of racing history, beginning with the oldest entry—a 1907 Itala 120 HP.
This car has been part of the museum’s collection for nearly six decades and is believed to be one of only three surviving examples. It’s expected to sell for between $2 million and $3 million.
If early 20th-century Brass Era board-track racers don’t pique your interest, perhaps the fastest car in the world from 1965 will.
The Spirit of America Sonic 1 carried Land Speed Record legend Craig Breedlove to a then-unprecedented 600.601 mph in November of that year.
As a testament to the boundless ambition of the 1960s, it’s both a historic artifact and a symbol of the space race era.
The collection also includes other rare gems, such as a supercharged 1930 Bugatti Type 35, two pre–World War I Mercedes (one boasting a 17.3-liter racing engine), and a Ford GT40 campaigned at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans by Holman-Moody.
Among the highlights is the striking 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS XP-64. This magnesium-bodied, tube-frame endurance racer was designed by Zora Arkus-Duntov to rival the Jaguar D-Type. Though it only raced once, its engineering and design legacy shine brightly.
Stealing the spotlight from a Benetton F1 car driven by Michael Schumacher during his 1991 rookie season takes something truly exceptional. Remarkably, two vehicles in this collection do just that.
First is a legendary Ferrari: the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM that clinched victory at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, piloted by Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt.
With an estimated value of at least $30 million, this car is akin to owning a race-winning Rembrandt.
However, there’s an even greater treasure in the auction—an automotive masterpiece comparable to a Da Vinci.
It’s the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R streamliner, one of the fabled Silver Arrows driven by racing icons like Sir Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio.
The estimated price for this marvel is expected to exceed twice that of the Ferrari, cementing its status as an unparalleled artifact in automotive history.
While top-dollar valuations dominate the spotlight at auctions, sometimes the most rewarding finds are quirky yet affordable vehicles.
In this case, however, every penny earned from the sale of these rare cars will be reinvested into maintaining a museum that remains open to the public—a facility at the heart of an iconic racetrack.
Formula 1, even in the United States, has long been considered the sport of kings, complete with premium ticket prices. In contrast, Indy racing embraces a broader audience.
Though these 11 cars represent the rarest of the rare, their auction promises to benefit the heartland’s revered temple of motorsport.