The results are in, and the most expensive vehicle sold on eBay in 2016 was…wait for it…a rare and practically unused 2016 Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster. It had just 931 miles on the odometer. The Aventador sold for a whopping $659,800.
eBay’s list of Top 20 priciest sellers is not, as you might expect, dominated by big-ticket classic cars. Yet, an extremely rare and historically significant 33-feet-long 1939 General Motors Futurliner display vehicle—one of just 12 ever made—was the second most expensive vehicle for the year. The Futurliner, billed as the “largest barn find ever,” sold for $495,000.
Restoring this GM Futurliner, number seven of 12 built, will be an undertaking. But the historic significance of this vehicle is priceless.
The Futurliner was the exception to the dominant trend: buyers willing to pay top-dollar for hard-to-get supercars, especially if highly optioned. The big-ticket cars include a Porsche 911 GT3, not one but four Lamborghinis, and two Ferrari 458s.
Tricked-Out Supercars: Ready to Run
The number-one Lambo is one of 500 SV Roadsters made. Only 186 were destined for America, and of those only two were painted in the light green gloss known as “Verde Scandal.” It looks like it could glow in the dark. This extroverted vehicle has a long list of both factory and aftermarket upgrades.
Very similar is the 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, with just 28 miles on its odometer. The model, with 500 horsepower and 3.1-second zero-to-60 times, starts at $175,900, but this one is as highly optioned as the Lamborghini, and carries a MSRP of $209,735. You pay for options on Porsches—the carbon ceramic brakes alone are $9,210. Again, it’s a rare and hard-to-find car, which explains its position as number three on the list with a $299,980 sale price. Other recent GT3 sales have consistently fetched prices around $260,000 on eBay.
Who wouldn’t pay a premium for a 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS with just 28 miles on its odometer?
And it’s not surprising that someone was willing to pay $209,995 for an Acura NSX SH-AWD Sport Hybrid, since it’s one of the most anticipated and sought-after cars of 2017. It’s Road and Track’s Performance Car of the Year. With its 3.5-liter twin-turbo connected to three electric motors and a nine-speed transmission, this car is not only frighteningly fast (with 573 horsepower), but the hybrid drivetrain makes it what Consumer Reports calls “the friendly supercar.”
Sure, the MSRP is $156,000, but if you need an NSX right now, you could avoid delayed gratification.
A Vision of the Future, From 1939
The number-two ranked 1939 Futurliner, which sold for $495,000, is something quite different. Hardly a supercar, it’s powered by a military-grade GMC straight six, coupled to an automatic transmission. And it’s not exactly brand new—in fact, it’s in need of complete restoration. On the plus side, the light tower is still operational, the frame is in good condition, and all its substructure is said to be “great.”
Only a dozen Futurliners were built for GM’s traveling Parade of Progress, launched in 1940. The streamlined, Art Deco buses—styled by the legendary Harley Earl—were designed to showcase the company’s futuristic technology, with a side that opened up into an educational display.
Seven Futurliners have either been restored, or are in process. It’s hard to get an exact count, because some were restored with parts from others. One was wrecked in 1956, and another one (after service to evangelist Oral Roberts) is now a mere parts shell. Two others are still missing. Seen one?
The Futurliner sold on eBay is number seven, and its display was called “Out of the Muddle,” depicting cityscapes addressing common urban driving problems (with multiple electric motors and moving cars). Instead of being sold off like the others, it was exhibited complete with its original display at GM’s Tech Center in Michigan.
Is this 1939 GM Futurliner the largest barn find of all time?
The vehicle is incomplete, missing engine, transmission and generator—though replacements wouldn’t be hard to find. “It is a huge undertaking to be restored and will cost lots of money,” the vendor wrote. “But it will be the only one that will have its original display.”
A restored Futurliner sold for $4 million at a Barrett Jackson charity auction in 2015, and that price certainly supports undertaking the restoration of number seven. Aside from the missing examples, it’s the last unrestored Futurliner.
Complete List of 20 Top-Dollar Vehicles Sold on eBay in 2016
Lamborghini: Aventador SV Roadster – $659,800
GM Futurliner – $495,000
Porsche: 911 GT3 GT 3 RS – $299,980
Rolls-Royce: Wraith Base Coupe – $289,900
Porsche: 356 1965 356C/1600SC Reutter Cabriolet – $249,995
Lamborghini: LP610-4 Coupe – $249,900
Lamborghini: Gallardo Coupe – $249,800
Winnebago: Tour WKR42QD – $239,900
Ferrari: 458 – $239,800
Newell: 45-foot Quad Slide Luxury Coach – $220,000
Lamborghini: Huracan LP610-4 – $212,000
Ferrari: 430 Scuderia – $210,000
Acura: NSX SH-AWD Sport Hybrid – $209,995
Allegro: 43QGP Bus – $202,800
Mercedes-Benz: G-Class SUV – $199,800
Lancair: IV-P – $190,000
Lamborghini: Diablo Monterey Edition SV – $190,000
Porsche: 356 Super – $185,100
Ferrari: 330 GT 2+2 Series II – $185,000
Ferrari: 458 – $184,000