A 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO has fetched £52 million ‘upon sale’, making it the most expensive car to be sold on record.

The buyer was the American businessman David MacNeil (a famed collector of Ferraris), who is CEO of car weather protection accessories company WeatherTech.

UK Ferrari restoration specialist DK Engineering (www.dkeng.co.uk) restored the car in the 1990s. Mr MacNeil reportedly bought the car from German racing driver Christian Glaesel, who had owned it for 15 years.

The car has a racing history, having competed in the 1963 ‘24 Hours of Le Mans’, the Angolan Grand Prix and others, making its ‘uncrashed’ status somewhat remarkable.

More recent outings included the Goodwood Revival, while owned by Nicolaus Springer between 1997 and 2000.