- A 2014 Lamborghini Veneno fetched about $8.4 million at a Bonhams auction in Switzerland in September.
- The car was seized from Equatorial Guinea’s vice president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, by Swiss officials in 2016, the BBC reported.
- The supercar is one of 26 vehicles from Obiang’s collection that were auctioned by the state of Geneva and Bonhams.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A 2014 Lamborghini Veneno Roadster fetched about $8.4 million at an auction in Switzerland in September, making it the world’s most expensive Lamborghini ever auctioned, according to the auction house.
The car was part of a collection of 26 supercars auctioned off by Bonham and the state of Geneva. The cars had been seized from the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the oil-rich country’s dictator, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.
Obiang Mangue was charged in 2017 with money laundering and embezzling over $100 million. The case was closed in February, The Associated Press reported. The Lamborghini was seized by Swiss authorities in 2016, according to the BBC.
The 26 supercars fetched almost $27 million in total at the auction. A portion of the sales - about $23.5 million - will be donated to a charity in Equatorial Guinea, Bonhams said.
Check out what is now the world's most expensive auctioned Lamborghini, which has a troubled history:
The roadster version of the Veneno was €3.3 million when it was unveiled in 2014.
Source: Top Gear
The Veneno was based on the Lamborghini Aventador and was created to celebrate the automaker's 50th anniversary.
Source: Top Gear
All nine examples of the Veneno Roadster sold out immediately.
Source: Lamborghini
"This Lamborghini concept car represents state-of-the-art design inspired by aeronautics, capable of giving you the indescribable feeling of flying on the road," the automaker said.
Source: Lamborghini
This car was sold for about $8.4 million, making it the most expensive Lamborghini ever auctioned, the auction house said.
Source: Bonhams
A 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV had held the record, fetching about €2.4 million in a Paris auction in 2017, according to Penta.
Source: Penta
This is the seventh of the nine Lamborghini Veneno Roadsters made.
Source: Bonhams
The car had logged 325 kilometers, or about 200 miles, upon its auction.
Source: Bonhams
It's in "as new" condition, with only "a slight scratch on the right rear wheel."
Source: Bonhams
The car has a V12 engine, giving it a top speed of about 220 mph.
Source: Bonhams
It has a 0-to-60 time of 2.8 seconds.
Source: Bonhams
Bonhams said that the tires on the auctioned vehicles were replaced in 2015 but that the battery needs to be changed.
Source: Bonhams
The car has a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, with a body designed to improve airflow and increase downforce, therefore increasing its speed.
Source: Bonhams
"Lamborghini's aim with the Veneno was to create a close approximation to a sports-racing prototype that would nevertheless be road legal, which entailed making a big departure from the styling of previous Lamborghini models," Bonhams said.
Source: Bonhams
Like other Lamborghini supercars, the Veneno Roadster has scissor doors that open vertically.
Source: Bonhams
The car comes with the "owner's handbook, car cover, all books and tools, and Equatorial Guinea registration papers and technical inspection," Bonhams said.
Source: Bonhams
Bonhams called owning the car a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
Source: Bonhams