Collectors often get wrapped up in the cars being sold at auctions that they forget that trucks can make a valuable addition to their luxury fleet as well. What we like about trucks that have sold at auctions is that they prove that a buyer is willing to pay top dollar for an expensive truck in real-time, whereas a modern truck produced today for a dealership can sit unsold.
It’s worth mentioning that there have been many trucks produced for dealerships that have prices into the hundreds of thousands, making them some of the most expensive trucks ever made, so we will make sure to include them on our list as well. It’s just important to keep in mind that the desirability and demand for trucks often lie in the vintage options and not the modern models.
That’s why it’s a tale of two types of trucks in today’s article. On one hand, we’ll discuss the vintage trucks that have sold at auction for high prices, while on the other hand, we’ll discuss the modern most expensive luxury trucks that have been produced for dealerships that may still be available to purchase today.
Most Expensive Trucks Sold at Auction
1957 Chevrolet 3100 ‘QuikSilver’ Custom
The first truck on our list is the 1957 Chevrolet 3100 ‘Quiksilver’ Custom that sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for $214,500 in 2016 in the United States. It features a 540 big block Chevy engine with an estimated maximum horsepower of 650. Both the exterior and the interior were refurbished and restored. The interior, including the bench leather seating, console, door panels, and headliner were all handmade using Mercedes leather. It is equipped with custom headers and custom exhaust to give it optimal performance.
The chassis has a Mustang front suspension and a custom CNC grille bar that was designed specifically for this truck. The bed was built by hand and the entire truck got a new paint job in brilliant two-tone Tungsten and Quiksilver Sherwin-Williams paint. At $214,500, it is likely the most expensive Chevrolet truck ever sold at the Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson auction.
1940 Ford Boyd Coddington Pickup
The 1940 Ford Boyd Coddington Pickup truck sold for $374,000 at Barrett-Jackson in 2015. It is called the Boyd Coddington Pickup because it was owned by Boyd Coddington, an American car designer, and restoration expert. Coddington owned this 1940 Ford pickup and featured it on his TLC show American Hot Rod. Coddington passed away in 2008 but this truck lives on.
After careful research, the restoration was continued and finished by Squeeg’s Kustoms in Arizona where they gave the truck a 560 horsepower Roush 427 engine to give it the best of both worlds. It gave the truck a racing feel with fuel economy in mind. Squeeg’s Kustoms kept Coddington’s vision alive by ensuring that the modern parts used on the truck all maintained a vintage feel.
1956 Ford F-100 ‘Snakebit’ Custom
The 1956 Ford F-100 ‘Snakebit’ Custom sold for $450,000 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in 2014. One of the reasons that this Ford F-100 sold for so much (aside from the fact that it was owned and restored by Gene Simmons from KISS) is that it has a 5.4-liter supercharged Shelby engine installed.
Other factors that made this F-100 bring so much money included a custom tonneau cover, custom fabricated headlights and taillights, and a two-tone interior leather seats with classic gauges. The exterior was painted in PPG Enviro Ford GT Tungsten Gray metallic body color, and it had Shelby-inspired wheels.
While it sold for $450,000, the proceeds went to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.
Most Expensive Trucks Produced
2019 to 2021 Goliath 6×6 Chevy Silverado
This 2019 to 2021 Chevrolet Silverado with rear seats starts at $375,000 and only 24 units are built each year. You can purchase the Goliath directly from Hennessey, or at a select General Motors or Chevrolet dealership that has one in stock, or have the truck transferred to another store.
You can add the following upgrades to the 6×6 Goliath:
- 6×6 Conversion with Additional Axle, Wheels, Tires, and Brakes
- All-New Rear Suspension System
- Eight-Inch Lift Kit
- Custom 6×6 Truck Bed
- Hennessey 20-Inch Wheels
- BFG 37-Inch Off-Road Tires
- Hennessey Exterior Badging
- GOLIATH 6×6 Exterior Badging
- Rollbar Upgrade
- LED Lights
- Hennessey Front and Rear Bumpers
- 450 Bhp Engine Upgrade (Cold Air Intake and Stainless Steel Exhaust Upgrade)
- Limited Production 1 of 24
- 3 Year / 36,000 Mile Warranty
Hennessey also makes the comparable Ford Raptor version, calling it the 6×6 Velociraptor. It sells for a comparable $349,000 making it another expensive pickup truck on the market.
2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6 Brabus B63S 700
The Mercedes 6×6 Brabus is next level where expensive pickup trucks are concerned and easily sells for $1,000,000. This one from 2014 is no exception. It sold for $1,210,000 at Barrett-Jackson in 2014.
The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6X6 Brabus B63S 700 has an upgraded 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine to make it go from zero to 60 in seven seconds. It tops out at 100 mph simply because of the massive 37” offroad tires; not because the upgraded engine can’t handle it.
Most of the Mercedes 6×6 Brabus models are selling for $1,000,000 or more, mainly because of their unique design, luxury performance upgrades, and the limited number of units produced. The price tag doesn't quite match some of the vintage Mercedes that top the list of the most expensive Mercedes, but $1 Million is nothing to laugh at.
Rezvani Hercules 6×6 – Military Design
The Rezvani Hercules 6×6 has a military design for civilians looking for next level luxury pickup trucks. The base price of the Rezvani Hercules 6×6 is $265,000 and that’s without adding any upgrades or additional features.
It’s truly a military-grade vehicle designed for civilians. It has ballistic armor including bulletproof glass, underside explosive protection, and Kevlar-wrapped parts. If you’re being followed, it has a built-in smokescreen that you can activate to lose trackers. Worried about a nuclear explosion? Don’t. The Hercules has electromagnetic pulses that are radiated after a nuclear explosion making the electronic devices inoperable.
If someone is trying to enter your vehicle, there are magnetic deadbolts and electrified door handles to provide absolute maximum security against a forceful threat.
Another great feature that comes standard on the Hercules is the military-grade run-flat tires that allow you to drive the Hercules on a flat tire to a safe location without worrying about the tire coming off from the wheel.
If you need to communicate with someone outside of your vehicle, you can use the truck’s strobe light, intercom system, or sirens.
If you don’t need a military-grade vehicle but still like the design and look of the Hercules, you’re in luck. You can purchase the standard features Hercules 6×6 for just $195,000. You still get all of the performance features as the military-grade option. It comes with a standard V6 engine that you can upgrade to a supercharged V8.
Lamborghini LM 002
When you think of Lamborghini, you probably don’t picture a heavy duty truck; however, Lamborghini entered the truck world in 1982 and created the LM 002 which was supposed to be a military vehicle. Ultimately, the LM 002 evolved into a civilian vehicle and featured a massive V12 engine and all-wheel drive. It could climb a 120% gradient and could reach 100 miles per hour in just 7 seconds.
The Lamborghini LM 002 is a rare find, as there were roughly only 328 produced in the 1988 year alone. The most recent sale of a 1988 Lamborghini LM 002 was in Italy on June 15, 2021, where it sold for $427,757.
Conclusion
Those in the market for a luxury pickup will expect certain features like a full size truck with four wheel drive, leather upholstery, heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, towing capacity, super duty power, and more! Of course, the more bells and whistles, the more this will be reflected in truck prices.
The most expensive vintage trucks sold at auctions feature complete restorations, interior and exterior upgrades, and unique customizations that make them one-of-a-kind. Oftentimes, much of the value of the truck comes from who owned it rather than what the truck has to offer.
Trucks with celebrity owners like famous restoration experts and racecar drivers are almost always worth more than vintage trucks that don’t have special connections to well-known personalities. You’ll likely find vintage trucks rather than modern trucks that have unique owners. This adds value to the vintage trucks making them more expensive.
If you were buying one of the trucks on our list, which one would you choose? Do you prefer the vintage trucks that have a story to tell, or do you prefer vehicles with that new car feel and like the unique modern trucks seen at the auto show with unprecedented luxury features?