Car manufacturers occasionally build uber-rare versions of their current vehicles for gearheads to drool over. Sometimes, they create a car only to accentuate the brand’s exclusivity. In a handful of cases, loyal customers could pay through the nose for a model made exclusively for them.
We’ve created a list of some of the rarest cars ever. The odds of seeing one of these driving down the road is as unlikely as discovering hens’ teeth in a pile of unicorn dung.
Ferrari Testarossa Spider – 1 Made
The Ferrari Testarossa Spider certainly deserves to be on this list, as only one exists. Ferrari built the topless Testarossa for Fiat head honcho Gianni Agnelli. After that, there was never another Testarossa Spider officially made by the factory.
Other Testarossa Spiders exist, but those were either home-built or the owner commissioned a coachbuilder to get the top chopped off. The one-off original is estimated to have a value around the $1.3 million mark.
Isdera Commendatore 112i – 1 Made
A fully functional Isdera Commendatore 112i was unveiled back in 1993. The car was intended for production shortly after that. However, the Isdera Commendatore 112i would never get past the concept stage due to financial issues.
The only Commendatore 112i concept car was eventually sold to a private collector at a loss. After that, it disappeared for decades until it resurfaced at an RM Sotheby’s auction a couple of years ago in 2021.
Lotec Sirius – 1 Made
Back in 1995, Lotec built its first car, the C1000. It was a 1000-horsepower one-off car built for a UAE oil billionaire. In 2001, Lotec followed up that one-off car with another. This time, it was an 850 hp supercar known as the Sirius.
The Sirius had a mid-mounted 6.0-liter Mercedes V12, which sent it from 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and on to a claimed top speed of 249 mph. Apparently, Lotec planned to make more of them, but since no one ordered them, they only built one.
Nissan R390 – 1 Made
The one-off Nissan R390 GT1 was primarily built as a road-legal homologation special so Nissan could enter the 1997 and 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. Nissan built the road-going R390 first and developed the racing version afterward.
The only R390 road car in existence is kept at Nissan’s Zama facility; readers should note that one of the race cars was modified for road use at a later point. Nissan claimed the R390 road car could achieve 220 mph, but it was never proven.
Aston Martin Victor – 1 Made
The one-off Aston Martin Victor got its name after English businessman and car enthusiast Victor Gauntlett, who helped save Aston Martin not once but twice. The Aston Martin Victor is based on the One-77, and its design borrows inspiration from various special Astons.
Under the hood of the Aston Martin Victor, there’s a lightly massaged version of the One-77’s 7.3-liter V12 engine, and it now produces 836 wild horses and 614 lb-ft of torque.
Maybach Exelero – 1 Made
The Maybach name is associated with fancy Mercedes models, but the Exelero is certainly not that. German tire maker Fulda commissioned the Exelero to test and showcase their new Carat Exelero range of tires. The 5,864-pound one-off car has a twin-turbocharged V12 engine that produces 690 horsepower. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and has a top speed of 218 mph.
The Exelero was unveiled in Berlin in 2005; since then, it’s passed through several hands. Rapper Birdman reportedly owned it at one point, and it appeared in music videos, movies, and TV shows. The car is now part of the Friedhelm Loh collection and lives in an automobile museum in Dietzhölztal, Germany.
1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Super Snake – 1 Made
Carroll Shelby updated one 1967 Mustang Fastback to a GT500 with a 427 FE GT40 racing engine under the hood – it became known as the “Super Snake.” The engine produced 650 hp, making the Super Snake capable of ridiculous speeds.
Shelby drove the car at 170 mph during a demonstration of Goodyear’s new Thunderbolt tires. The $5,000 price tag was so steep there was little interest in the Super Snake, so Shelby only built one car. In 2013, it sold at Mecum’s Indianapolis auction for a whopping $1.3 million; in 2019, it sold again for $2.2 million.
1983 Chevrolet Corvette C4 – 1 Made
Technically, there’s no such thing as a 1983 Corvette, as they didn’t sell them that year. However, Chevrolet had spent years working on the new C4 model, which was supposed to arrive in 1982, pushed back to 1983, and finally arrived in 1984.
During those development years, Chevrolet had built 43 C4 Corvette prototypes. The carmaker destroyed all the cars except the number 4 prototype, which was built on June 28, 1982. Yes, the official C4 ‘Vette went on the market in 1984, and the same year, the surviving prototype was discovered hiding in the factory. Rather than destroy it, they clean it up and display it at the National Corvette Museum, making it one of the rarest Corvettes ever.
1963 Corvette Rondine – 1 Made
The 1983 model isn’t the only one-off ‘Vette; there’s also the 1963 Corvette Rondine. It was built by Pininfarina, the renowned Italian coachbuilder who has also designed some of the most gorgeous Italian sports cars ever.
Chevrolet themselves commissioned the Rondine, and the car now showcases a stunning mix of Italian style and American muscle. From 1963 to 2008, the Corvette Rondine was in a museum, but it’s been auctioned off to a private collector.
1968 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Convertible – 1 Made
The Corvettes mentioned above aren’t the only one-off Chevrolets. In 1968, Chevrolet built 7,199 Camaro Z/28 Sport Coupes. Only a single soft-top was made. The 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 convertible is a custom model hand-built by Vince Piggins for Chevrolet general manager Pete Estes. It features many unique components, such as a cross-ram intake manifold, cowl-induction hood, and four-wheel disc brakes, which set it apart from the regular production Z/28s.
True enthusiasts consider the Z/28 to be the ultimate first-gen Camaro. With only one convertible version in existence, it could be the most expensive Camaro ever made. It last sold for $170,000 at an auction in 1991.
TVR Cerbera Speed 12 – 1 Made
TVR revealed its Cerbera Speed 12 to the world in 2000. With a verified 240 mph top speed, the British supercar would’ve dethroned the McLaren F1 as the world’s fastest naturally aspirated car if it went into production.
It had a huge 7.7-liter V12 under the hood, reportedly sending 1,000 crazy horses to the rear wheels. Unfortunately, TVR management came to their senses and realized it would be too brutal for road use, as even experienced drivers struggled to control this beast. The Speed 12 project was abandoned after TVR built only one car.
Lamborghini Miura Jota – 1 Made
The Lamborghini Miura is often considered the world’s first mid-engined supercar, and is among the most beautiful Italian cars ever made – which says a lot. Gandini designed the sleek Miura using pen and paper without any help from a wind tunnel.
The Miura went into production in 1966, and Lamborghini made more powerful versions as time passed. These updates eventually culminated with the race-inspired one-off Miura Jota, a model that’s identified by its enclosed headlamps and a chin spoiler that reduces lift and improves downforce. The 440 horsepower V12 Jota was considered a prototype development project, but it was eventually sold to a private collector, who later crashed the legendary Lambo.
2006 Ferrari P4/5 By Pininfarina – 1 Made
The Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina is so special that Ferrari gave it an official badge. Loyal Ferrari customers with extra deep pockets have been known to order one-off cars from the Italian carmaker. Few, if any, of those cars can match the Ferrari P4/5 owned by James Glickenhaus.
The American entrepreneur asked Maranello’s finest to create a one-off based on the already highly exclusive Enzo. But it didn’t end there. Glickenhaus wanted his one-off styled like the Ferrari P race cars from the 1960s. One year and 4 million dollars later, the car was ready. Was it a good investment? Well, it’s considered priceless today, so we’d say it was.
Bugatti La Voiture Noire – 1 Made
The one-off Bugatti La Voiture Noire was designed to celebrate the brand’s 110th anniversary, and Ferdinand Piëch commissioned it. Sadly, he passed away before he could receive it. La Voiture Noire is based on the Chiron, and its design harkens back to the Type 57 SC Atlantic.
Bugatti’s La Voiture Noire features a handcrafted body made from carbon fiber, a process that spanned two and a half years. The La Voiture Noire is the most exclusive modern Bugatti money can buy, and contrary to popular belief, Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t buy it. A member of the family of the late Ferdinand Piëch owns it.
Rolls-Royce Sweptail – 1 Made
The Sweptail is a one-off luxury car that’s based on the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé. Inspired by the 1920s and 1930s coachbuilding practices, it was handcrafted over four years.
With a price tag of around £10 million, the Sweptail was the world’s most expensive new car when it debuted at the 2017 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. It’s owned by Hong Kong-based Sam Li, son of a billionaire real estate mogul.
Lamborghini Aventador J – 1 Made
The Aventador J was first announced to the world at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. It had the same 690 horsepower V12 engine as the standard Aventador. At first, people believed that the ‘J’ designation came from Appendix J in the FIA rulebook, which describes the technical specifications of race cars. However, that wasn’t the case, as designer Filippo Perini later revealed that the ‘J’ is for Jota, referencing the one-off Lamborghini Miura Jota mentioned previously.
The car presented at the Geneva show was the only Aventador J roadster ever made, and it later sold for $2.8 million.
Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale “Tre Posti” – 2 Made
The Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale, affectionately known as the Tre Posti, was the Prancing Horse’s first mid-engined car built specifically for road use. As its name suggests, it’s a three-seater with a central driving position with two passenger seats, just like the McLaren F1.
The Tre Posti was powered by a Colombo 60° V12 engine from the Ferrari 365 P2. It produced 375 horsepower and had an estimated top speed of 152 mph. Only two Tre Postis were built; one came up for sale in 2014 for $22.5 million, but the reserve wasn’t met.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé – 2 Made
Mercedes only built two 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes. The stunning sports car was named after Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the creator, chief engineer, and automotive genius behind the vehicle.
Uhlenhaut fitted a Formula 1-inspired 3.0-liter inline-eight under the hood of the 300 SLR Coupé, resulting in a car that produced 306 horsepower and 233 lb-ft of torque. In 2022, it became the most expensive car ever sold at auction, going under the hammer for $142.9 Million at RM Sotheby’s.
Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita – 2 Made
Swedish hypercar manufacturer Koenigsegg is known for breaking boundaries and the laws of physics. The Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita is at a whole other level, even by Koenigsegg’s standards. It may look like just another CCX, but there’s more going on here than what meets the eye.
The Trevita’s bodywork features Koenigsegg Proprietary Diamond Weave, a new and unique method to manufacture carbon fiber where they coat the fibers with a diamond finish. Then there’s the engine – a twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V8 that produces 1,065 hp and 797 lb-ft of torque. The name Trevita is an abbreviation in Swedish and translates into “three whites” – because they were supposed to build three cars. Unfortunately, the complexity of the carbon fiber meant Koenigsegg only built two CCXR Trevita models, and they had a $4.8 million price tag in 2010.
1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ZL1 – 2 Made
Chevrolet only made two examples of the C3 1969 Corvette Stingray ZL1, and the value is estimated to be around $3 million each. The ZL1 was powered by the L88 427 big-block engine that officially produced 430 horsepower.
There were plans to build more cars that year, but only two emerged from the factory. Both cars, one yellow and one white, are well-documented. The reason behind its rarity is that the ZL1 package effectively doubled the C3 ‘Vette’s price tag.
1970 Dodge Coronet R/T 426 Hemi Convertible – 2 Made
The 1970 Coronet R/T saw 2,319 examples built, and of those, there were 296 convertibles. Of those convertibles, only two were powered by the legendary 426 Hemi engine.
Both 1970 Coronet R/T 426 Hemi convertibles V8 had a TorqueFlite automatic transmission. They were also equipped with a heavy-duty suspension. The interior featured six-way adjustable vinyl bucket seats. While not as expensive as other cars on this list, the 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T 426 Hemi convertibles are still valued at around $400,000.
1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake – 2 Made
In 1966, Carroll Shelby built two very special Cobras, one for himself and one for his friend, Bill Cosby. Using the CSX 3015 S/C as his car’s base, it was essentially a barely road-legal race car fitted with twin Paxton superchargers.
Cosby’s car was based on a street version, but it was still too much to handle for the comedian, so he gave it back to Shelby. It was later sold, and the owner lost control and drove it off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean. Only Shelby’s own Super Snake still exists, and it was sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction in 2007 for $5 million.
1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special – 2 Made
The 1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special was a hand-built fiberglass grand touring sports coupé that featured a Plexiglas canopy with gull-wing windows. Pontiac chose the Bonneville name as it had a whiff of high performance about it, hinting at the speed trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
They only built two Bonneville Specials and painted one Emerald Green and the other Metallic Bronze. Under the hood, there was a 268-cubic-inch straight-eight engine that produced 230 horsepower. Both cars were unveiled simultaneously at the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf in New York and the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1954. One of the cars sold for $3.3 million at the Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction in 2015.
Gaylord Gladiator – 2 Exist
In the 1950s, brothers James and Edward Gaylord wanted to create their own legacy. Their father invented the bobby pin, so the Gaylord brothers had plenty of money to start a new business. They decided to build the most luxurious car the world had ever seen – the Gaylord Gladiator.
As innovative and luxurious as their creation was, it was never meant to be. Between 1955 and 1957, four Gladiators were made, including prototypes. It’s believed that only two examples built by Zeppelin survived. One is displayed at the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and the other is privately owned in the States.
