August Auctions: Records for McLaren F1 GTR and Shelby Cobra Daytona

Despite August being traditionally a quiet month for auctions, Monterey Car Week saw record-breaking results. A 1996 McLaren F1 GTR sold for $34.655 million at RM Sotheby's, becoming the most valuable British car ever sold at auction. The car, one of two Short-Tail factory prototypes and the first of nine built to 1996 specification, was previously owned by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. Another highlight was a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, which fetched $42.905 million at Gooding Christie's, setting a new record for an American car, surpassing the previous $22 million high. The Peter Brock-designed racer was one of only six built to challenge Ferrari's 250 GTO and helped Shelby American secure the 1965 FIA GT Championship. Clark Gable's 1935 Duesenberg Model JN Convertible Coupe sold for $9.08 million at RM Sotheby's; Gable had customized it with designer W. Everett Miller. In pop culture memorabilia, Estelle Getty's handbag from The Golden Girls, originally purchased at a thrift store, sold for $192,000 at Julien's Auctions, nearly 13 times its high estimate. A 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card with a Piedmont advertising back sold for $5.856 million at Heritage Auctions; it is one of only three known examples, with one owned by Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick and the third's whereabouts unknown. An original 1942 Casablanca six-sheet poster also sold at Heritage for $187,500, a rare survival from an era when posters were often discarded.