For more than a century, the sports cars scene has been dominated by few notable brands that consistently make high-performance cars. Brands like Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, BMW, etc., are among the top automakers that have distinguished themselves in the industry. While these cars generally don't come cheap, some of the models in those brand's lineups are so expensive, they can only be purchased by the insanely rich.
While these prices sometimes reflect the brand's status and quality of materials used in producing their cars, at other times, they reflect the level of technology incorporated in the vehicles. And when it comes to sports cars, there's no better reason to bump up their price tags than incredible performance.
Whatever the reason for their insanely exorbitant price tags may be, the following list will look at the most expensive sports cars on sale for every decade, beginning from the 1930s and ending in the 2010s. To give you an idea of what each of these sports cars would be priced brand-new, we'll also be adjusting their prices for inflation.
9 2010s: 2014 Lamborghini Veneno: $4.5 Million
As a follow-up to the $4,000,000 Veneno coupe introduced at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini built nine Veneno roadsters in 2014. Priced at a whopping $4,500,000, the roadster variant shares the same design and rides on the same powertrain as the coupe.
Sitting behind the driver is a 6.5-liter V12 mill sending out 740 hp and 507 lb-ft of torque. Backed by the powerful engine and its aerodynamic efficiency. The car does 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds and flies at a top speed of 221 mph.
8 2000s: Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita: $4.8 Million
Built on the Koenigsegg CC platform, the CCXR Trevita is an eco-friendly variant of the Koenigsegg CCX. Only two units of this spectacular supercar were ever made due to its unique diamond-weave carbon-fiber finish.
The sparkling Trevita is powered by a twin-supercharged 4.8-liter V8 producing a scary 1018 hp and 797 lb-ft of torque. With such power on tap, it is only fitting that the Trevita impresses with a 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of more than 254 mph.
7 1990s: 1992 Jaguar XJ220 - $608,000 ($1,185,522 Today)
The 1992 Jaguar XJ220 was developed (without official support) to compete with the Ferrari F40 and the revolutionary Porsche 959. When it was unveiled in 1988 in the wake of Jaguar's success at Le Mans, the XJ220 concept car became an instant success.
While the concept version featured a 6.2-liter V12, the production version came with a 542 hp 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 delivering 475 lb-ft of torque. Although it couldn't realize the envisioned top speed of 220 mph, it managed a world record top speed of 217.1 mph when the rev limiter was increased.
6 1980s: 1987 Ferrari F40 - $400,000 ($963,264 Today)
The iconic Ferrari F40 was personally approved by Enzo Ferrari and designed to commemorate 40 years of Ferrari's existence. Following the founder's wishes, the F40 was the best Ferrari in all aspects - the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive.
Power was supplied by a twin-turbocharged V8 that displaced 2.9 liters to produce 471 hp and 426 lb-ft of torque. Accelerating from 0-62 mph took 4.1 seconds, and with a maximum speed of 201 mph, the F40 became the car to finally exceed 200 mph.
5 1970s: 1974 Lamborghini Countach - $52,000 ($288,549.37 Today)
Developed as a successor to the Lamborghini Miura, the Countach was unveiled as the LP500 prototype in 1971 at the Geneva Motor Show. When the production version finally debuted in 1974, it stunned the world with its simple but gorgeous design.
The 1974 Countach LP400 rode on a Lamborghini V12, displacing 3.9 liters to churn out 370 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. Having a dry weight of 2348 pounds, the 1974 Countach went from 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds and had a maximum speed of 179 mph.
4 1960s: 1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast - $29,500 ($260,329.89 Today)
The outstanding Ferrari 500 Superfast was presented to the world in March 1964 at the Geneva Motor Show. With only two of these built, the 1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast was targeted at customers who wanted a performance luxury car.
Under the long sloping bonnet, it sported a 5-liter Colombo V12 with an output of 400 hp (an output few cars could boast of back then). An outstanding sports car by all standards, the 1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast had it all - the power, the speed (174 mph), and the looks.
3 1950s: 1956 BMW 503 Cabriolet - $17,000 ($170,979.38 Today)
Designed by Albrecht von Goertz and developed alongside the BMW 507, the BMW 503 Cabriolet was presented in 1955 at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. Under the 503's hood, a 3.2-liter V8 churned out an output of 140 hp and 159 lb-ft of torque.
Paired with a 4-speed manual transmission, it was able to push the 503 Cabriolet from 0-62 mph in 13 seconds and had a top speed of 115 mph. With its elegant design and class-leading technology, the 503 impressed everyone, although only a few could afford the high price tag.
2 1940s: 1948 Jaguar XK120: $5,668.97 ($64,350.33 Today)
In October 1948, at the London Motor Show, Jaguar launched the Jaguar XK120 in roadster form as a successor to the Jaguar SS 100. Although the display car was merely a platform to showcase the new Jaguar XK engine, it aroused so much interest that Jaguar decided to produce it.
The 3.4 liters engine - which was way beyond what was common in production cars by then - had an output of 160 hp. With a top speed of 120 mph, the 1948 XK120 held the record of the fastest production car.
1 1930s: 1936 Jaguar SS 100 - $2,893 ($56,129.79 Today)
The beautifully styled SS100, launched in 1936, was the first sports car made by SS Cars Ltd. and the first car to bear the name "Jaguar.” Powered by a 3.5-liter straight-6 engine producing 125 hp, the 1938 SS100 was able to attain a maximum speed of 101 mph.
In addition to being fast, the SS100 could also accelerate quickly - proof of this being a 0-60 mph time of 10.4 seconds. With its powerful engine and beautiful body, the SS100 was a favorite of sporting drivers back then and a favorite of collectors today.