Alexander Rossi’s Car That Won the 100th Indy 500 Sold for Over $1.1 Million

The car, chassis number 037, is under a signed loan agreement with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and will remain in its custody through December 31, 2018. The buyer has not been identified, and according to Mecum Auctions, its hammer price fell slightly short of official expectations, which projected a $1,175,000 to $1,250,000 winning bid.

Though it comes with its paddle-shifted, six-speed Xtrac transmission, the corresponding 2.2-liter, twin-turbo Honda V6 that powered Rossi's Dallara to victory in the race will not be included. Instead, an optional 99-year engine lease contract can be triggered by the DW12's new owner starting in October of 2020 (when the current engine regulatory era ends), wherein they can drop more than $125,000 to have the race-winning engine rebuilt and fitted to the car, and agree to display it in the aforementioned museum for three months per year, between April and June.

This DW12 was the seventh-highest priced car sold by Mecum over the weekend and the second most expensive race car, beaten out by a Porsche 962 that went for $2.2 million. The overall most expensive vehicle sold was a 1933 Duesenberg Model J, which managed $3.85 million. None came close, however, to the new record holder for the most expensive car ever sold at auction, a Ferrari 250 GTO which went for $48.4 million over the weekend. 

Must be a good time to be an oligarch.