This is the world’s most expensive car

£32 million. That's how much you'll need to lay claim to owning the most expensive car... in the world.

Yep, a Ferrari 250 GTO just changed hands for $52 million after being sold by car collector, Paul Pappalardo, who's owned it since 1984. That's a 49 per cent increase on the previous most expensive car in the world - an ex-Stirling Moss Ferrari GTO - which sold for £21.6m last June, and £6000 when new. That's a 533233.33 per cent increase from the original price...

While details of the buyer are a bit murky, they've got themselves a rather tasty car. Chassis #5111 has history galore, having won at the 1963 Tour de France, and it's one of just 33 Series 1 GTOs left in existence. Hardly surprising, because they were homologation cars for Group 3 Grand Touring Car racing, and the going tended to get a bit... crashy in the sixties. They were pretty exclusive, too - Enzo Ferrari himself insisted on vetting every customer.

Under the slightly wonky sheet metal, there's a hand-welded spaceframe chassis, A-arm front suspension setup, live axle rear end, and disc brakes all round. Oh, and a thumping great V12 in the front. The GTO also got a five-speed ‘box designed by Porsche with a metal gate showing the shift pattern - the very same that's still used in Ferraris today.

Which is all very well, but 52 million dollars for one car? Bit pricey?