The Retro Rides team has picked out some of our favourite cars sold on RR Auctions during the winter months of 2026, highlighting what made these cars special to us.
Spring is now upon us, so what better time to look back on a hugely successful winter of exciting cars sold on RR Auctions and across the world at other auction houses?
It was a winter that saw record sales of some modern hypercars and historic racing vehicles across the world, particularly during Monterey Car Week in California.
As we detailed in our Monterey auction recap, the headline act was the ex-Carroll Shelby 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, selling for a record breaking US$42,905,000 at the Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach Auction – the highest fee ever achieved for an American car.
Almost as momentous was the 1995 McLaren F1 GTR Prototype, hailing from the collection of Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. That incredible machine reached an astounding US$34,655,000 hammer price.
Alongside the boom in some modern hypercars and some very notable historic racing cars, there was also a clear cooling of the market for cars from the 1950s and ’60s. This segment was down against book value and was distinctly outperformed by cars from the 1980s to early 2000s.
On RR Auctions, the clear attention was on driver’s cars. The consignment team focuses on bringing in cars that our bidders want to own and drive.
That means there is always an eclectic mix on the website, from modern supercars and Grand Tourers through to ’60s Americana, ’70s Aussie muscle, and ’80s hot-hatches. The mix also extends to modern V8 and V10 supercars, the occasional vintage or pre-war car, and the odd racing car thrown into the mix too.
Here are our team’s picks from the array of cars that were successfully sold on RR Auctions during winter 2026.
Best ‘Bucket List’ Car: 1998 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 22B
For many collectors, the Subaru 22B is the holy grail of JDM cars – the rare Japanese vehicle they most want to add to their collection.
One of only 424 examples ever produced, this car reached a hammer price of $290,000.00 on RR Auctions in June.
There was tough competition from other JDM heroes like the Mazda RX-7 Bathurst R, but the Subaru 22B is a true icon and worthy winner of best bucket list car sold on RR Auctions over the winter.
Check out the full listing for this 1998 Subaru Impreza WRX STI 22B by clicking here.
Best Daily Driver: 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
This one sparked debate among the team, noticeably dependent on the age of the team member in question. What some of the older members of the Retro Rides team consider suitable as a ‘daily driver’ is quite frankly frightening.
This Dark Horse hit a tidy $100,000 hammer price and was absolutely immaculate throughout.
A Mustang remains one of the few remaining ways to buy a current factory-backed, rear-wheel drive V8 performance coupe, and with the tasteful upgrades including some good-looking 20-inch Herrod HP3 bronze wheels, we think this one looks like the perfect car to step into every single day.
Check out the full listing for this 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse by clicking here.
Best Grand Tourer: 2012 Ferrari F12berlinetta
Finished in the classic combo of Rosso Corsa over a tan interior, this Ferrari F12berlinetta was a beautifully maintained example of Ferrari’s acclaimed V12 grand tourer.
The 6.3-litre V12 in this car produces an immense 544kW (740hp) at a sonorous 8250rpm. What better way to cross a continent?
This example reached an impressive $390,000 hammer price, and with full Ferrari International digital service history, we think it was a superb buy for its lucky new owner.
Check out the full listing for this 2012 Ferrari F12berlinetta by clicking here.
Best Sports Car: 2014 Aston Martin Vantage S
Another contentious one between the team – where is the line drawn between sports car and GT?
This Vantage S sold for a $95,000 hammer price, and for most of us in the team it falls firmly inside the sports car camp, with its V8 engine versus the ‘bigger’ V12 models in the Aston Martin stable.
With only two owners from new it looked a superb buy, and following Michael Stahl’s video review of this car, we can confirm what a wonderful thing it is.
Check out the full listing for this 2014 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S by clicking here.
Best Hot Hatch: 1990 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9
Absolutely no arguments here. We saw a few nice hot hatches over the winter months, but this tidy 1.9-litre Peugeot 205 GTi hit all the right notes.
An Australian-delivered example with detailed history, even finished in the correct Cherry Red paintwork, we felt this car was a fantastic buy at $22,000 plus buyer’s premium.
Who doesn’t want a 205 GTi in their collection?
Check out the full listing for this 1990 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 by clicking here.
The One You’d Have Bought: 2008 BMW M5 (E60)
It’s easy to say which GT car is the best-buy or which $300k icon we’d add to our collection… from behind a keyboard. But which car would our team actually have taken the plunge on, and taken home themselves?
This 2008 E60 M5 sold for a very fair $45,000 on RR Auctions during August, and looked worth every cent.
We think it would deliver equally well as a daily driver, family car, weekend cruiser, and with it now edging slowly but surely into ‘modern classic’ territory, we think it would be very welcome at a cars and coffee run too.
Check out the full listing for this 2008 BMW M5 by clicking here.
Best Cars & Coffee Car: 1973 Ford Escort Mk1
One of the most fun categories to debate, it is interesting what different petrol heads look for in a car that is perfect to wheel out of the shed on a Saturday morning and take to meet some mates at a local coffee stop.
There is an honourable mention here for the Street Machine-built ‘VUFORU’ Holden Commodore, which would undoubtedly turn many heads at any car meet, plus further praise for the cherished and immaculate 1923 Fiat 501, sold back in June.
However, it would be hard to beat the show stopping Ford Escort Mk1, another Street Machine cover car, that was purchased by 2024 Supercars Champion Will Brown.
Powered by a turbocharged Nissan FJ20 engine tuned to deliver 260hp at the rear wheels, this unbelievably unique build is one that understandably earned high-profile attention.
Check out the full listing for this 1973 Ford Escort Mk1 by clicking here.
With spring now here, we have plenty more GT cars, modern supercars, air-cooled Porsches, classic American muscle, and race cars heading your way. With new cars arriving on the website every day, head to RR Auctions to register your interest now.
