These are the 20 most expensive cars ever sold at auction

RM Sotheby's/Darin Schnabel

The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for $48.4 million at an auction.

• Some of the rarest and most exotic cars in the world have come across the auction block in recent years. A handful of those have sold for tens of millions of dollars.
• In August, two of the world's most prestigious auction houses made a combined $275 million in sales at Monterey Car Week in California.
• A 1935 Duesenberg SSJ fetched $22 million last month, becoming the most expensive American car ever sold at an auction.
• The overall record was set that same week when RM Sotheby's sold a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO for $48.4 million.

Vintage car auctions are where the world's wealthy gain access to the exotics of their dreams. Some of these prize vehicles can easily fetch tens of millions of dollars on the auction block.

In August, two of the world's most prestigious auction houses sold a combined $275 million in automotive exotica during Monterey Car Week in California.

Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, presented a particularly impressive fleet of automobiles this year. Over a two-day period, the auction house sold $117 million worth of classics, including a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ once owned by Hollywood legend Gary Cooper that sold for $22 million. It was the most expensive American car ever sold at an auction.

Nearby in Monterey, RM Sotheby's racked up $158 million in sales in its two-day auction period. This total was helped along considerably by a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that fetched $48.4 million; making it the most expensive car ever auctioned.

Regardless of who handles the auction, the cars sold at these events are gorgeous, rare, and expensive. Of the 20 most expensive cars ever sold at auction, European exotics, particularly Ferrari, dominate the top of the list. In fact, 14 of the top 20 carry Ferrari's prancing stallion.

Take a look at the 20 most expensive cars ever sold at auction: