THE 23 MOST EXPENSIVE CARS SOLD AT AUCTION

Jaguar D-Type that won Le Manns and the first ever Shelby Cobra set new British and American records selling for a combined £27million

A Jaguar that won the endurance race of 1956 sold for $21.78million
Sold at the Monterey RM Sotheby's auction, it's the seventh most expensive car of all time
The first Shelby Cobra sports car also sets a new US record
An anonymous buyer paid $13.75million at the same auction, making it the highest priced American-built car ever

There were certainly some deep pockets a tthe car auction in California at the weekend. That's because two iconic cars set new records as the most expensive British and American motors of all time.

A Jaguar D-Type raced to victory at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1956 sold at auction for a staggering $21.78 million (£16.64 million), blitzing the former record for a UK-built vehicle by almost $7.5 million.

But it wasn't the only car setting new monetary milestones: the first ever Shelby Cobra took the title as Americas steepest priced car as it went for $13.75million at the very same RM Sotheby's sale in Monterey over the weekend.

That's a combined sale price of $35.5million or £26.9million.

Record breakers: This Le Mans winning Jaguar D-Type (main image) sold for $21.8million on Friday, making it the most expensive British car ever. The original Shelby Cobra (inset, blue) also set a record as the highest priced American vehicle to be sold at auction

According to reports, four bidders competed valiantly for 15 minutes as they battled it out for the keys to the 1955 Jaguar on Friday, eventually leading to one collector surpassing the previous British record of $14.3million paid for an Aston Martin DB4 Zagato last year.

Finished in the iconic blue and white livery of the St Andrews Cross, this is one of two Ecurie Ecosse D-Types to taste victory at the 8.5-mile French circuit.

But that's not to say the history if this Midlands-crafted thoroughbred was all rosy.

In the same year it left the Coventry factory, it was crashed twice during practice for the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans in the hands of Jimmy Stewart, brother of the legendary Sir Jackie.

A year later, it took the checkered flag at the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe in the hands of British pairing of Ron Flockhart and Ivor Bueb, beating Sir Stirling Moss' Aston Martin DB3S by a single lap to guarantee the D-Types second of three consecutive wins at Le Mans in the late '50s.

In doing so it outpaced the factory long-nose D-Types entered by Jaguar that year, with this legendary-status stunner managing 2,507 miles at an average speed of 104mph to take the top step of the podium.

RM Sotheby's

Ron Flockhart and Ivor Bueb piloted this D-Type to victory in 1956, defeating Stirling Moss in an Aston Martin DB3S by a single lap

RM Sotheby's

RM Sotheby's said this is the least used and most original race-winning D-Type in existence

RM Sotheby's

The car is fitted with a full windscreen, which became a Le Mans requirement the year this car took the checkered flag

Referred to by its chassis number, XKD 501, the 3.4-litre straight-six motor was good enough for 156.9mph down the legendary Mulsanne Straight - no mean feat over half a century ago.

Following its success, the car went on to compete in very few events, which included one appearance at the famed Mille Miglia rally and a handful of meetings at Goodwood.

In October 1970, after being retired from competition, XKD 501 was sold to Scottish industrialist Sir Michael Nairn who funded a painstaking restoration carried out by Jaguar and D-Type specialists.

RM Sotheby's

The 1955 Jaguar D-Type is now in the record books as the seventh most expensive car of all time

RM Sotheby's

During the race-winning event, the D-Type clocked a top speed of 156.9mph

The D-Type pictured winning the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans after completing 2,507 miles in a day's racing

In 1999, XKD 501 crossed the Atlantic to take pride of place in a fleet belonging to an owner the auction house refers to as 'one of America’s most respected collectors of exceptional sports and racing cars' where it has remained until the sale on Friday.

As RM Sotheby's description states, this is is the cream of the D-Type crop: it's won the most grueling contest in sports car racing, has been fastidiously maintained and serviced by just four caretakers and is unique in that it was barely used on track after its greatest achievement.

On status alone, it's worthy of taking the title as the seventh most expensive car in the world.

THE 23 MOST EXPENSIVE CARS OF ALL TIME

August 14, Ferrari 250 GTO Bonhams Carmel, California, United States US$38,115,000
February 5, Ferrari 335S ArtcurialParis, France US$35,711,359
July 12, Mercedes-Benz W196 Bonhams Goodwood, West Sussex, United Kingdom US$29,600,000
December 10, Ferrari 290 MM RM Sotheby's New York City, New York, United States US$28,050,000
August 17, Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$27,500,000
August 16, Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale RM Auctions Monterrey, California, United States US$26,400,000
August 19, Jaguar D-Type RM Sotheby's Monterrey, California, United States US$21,780,000
November 17, Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe Christie's London, United Kingdom US$9,800,000
August 20, Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider RM Sotheby's Monterey, California, United States US$19,800,000
February 6, Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Artcurial Paris, France US$18,500,000
June 27, Ferrari 375-Plus Spider Competizione Bonhams Goodwood, West Sussex, United Kingdom US$18,400,177
August 20, Ferrari 250 GT California LWB California Spider Competizione Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$18,150,000
August 13, Ferrari 250 LM RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$17,600,000
August 21, Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$16,390,000
March 11, Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Gooding & Company Amelia Island, Florida, United States US$17,160,000
August 17, Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$16,830,000
August 17, Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$16,500,000
August 16, Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$15,180,000
November 21, Ferrari 250 LMRM Auction sNew York City, New York, United States US$14,300,000
December 10, Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato RM Auctions New York City, New York, United States US$14,300,000
June 15, Bugatti Royale Berline de Voyager Kruse International Reno, Nevada, United States US$6,500,000
August 13, McLaren F1 'LM-Specification' RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$13,750,000
August 19, Shelby 260 Cobra RM Sotheby's Monterrey, California, United States US$13,750,000

Shelby Cobra sets a new American-car record

RM Sotheby's

This original Shelby Cobra wasn't always blue. It was also white, red and yellow and one point because it was repainted each time a car magazine featured it in a publication.

But the '50s Jaguar wasn't the only car setting a new record for vehicles produced in its homeland at the weekend.

This original Shelby Cobra also put down a new marker as the most expensive US-built motor, costing the buyer close to $14million (£10.5million).

Eclipsing the previous high - $11million paid for a 1968 Ford GT40 in 2012 - this model, chassis number CSX2000, is one of a kind.

That's because it's not only original in its condition - and it really is, as it's almost untouched from when it was built in 1962 - it's also the first ever Cobra to be assembled by legendary tuner Carroll Shelby, who is now synonymous with the model.

This is also the very first Shelby Cobra American motoring journalists got to sample, and according to RM Sotheby's it was resprayed a different colour each time a magazine tested it, so it didn't appear to be the same car in each publication.

Being the catalyst for an American car phenomenon, it's no surprise CSX2000 is now listed as the 23rd most expensive motor car of all time.

Carroll Shelby, a former Le Mans race winner, was best known for fitting a small V8 engine into the Cobra chassis. His name is now synonymous with the model