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This 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa sports racer was sold at auction in the US for R117.4-million, making it the most expensive car in history.

A record for the most expensive car sold publicly was set last weekend, and, once again, it was a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. With the hammer falling at $14.9 million plus the buyer's premium, the final sale price was $16.4 million (R117.4-million).

The names of the buyer and seller were not immediately available.

It's a fitting price for a historic car: this is the prototype of the Testa Rossas, meaning it was the first in the series.

It was also a Scuderia Ferrari team car that raced at Le Mans. On top of that, it's especially appealing to American buyers, because it has been restored and outfitted in 1958 Le Mans NART (North American Racing Team) livery.

The car's restoration itself has won multiple awards. The work, done by Dennison International, places the car in the rarest of elite race cars, and it has the documentation to prove it.

A who's who of drivers have also piloted this Ferrari, including Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, and Count Wolfgang Von Trips, who took third place with this racer at the Venezuelan Grand Prix in 1957, which helped secure the manufacturer's title for Ferrari that year.

The 12-cylinder car competed at nearly all of racing's legendary events, including Sebring, Le Mans, Targa Florio and the Nürburgring.

The Testa Rossa race cars helped establish the image and allure of Ferrari the world over. The words translate into "red head," and are in reference to the car's familiar cylinder-head colour.

The previous world record for a car sold at auction was for a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa which fetched €9 million euro (R93-million) in May 2009 in an auction at Ferrari's Maranello home in Italy. - Drive Times