The Daily Vroom

Good Morning Vroomers,

What a week. 1,200+ vehicles sold across the major platforms, racking up more than $51million in total sales, with an average price of $50k, this was the second week in a row we’ve seen $50m+ in total sales. Top 10 sales this week were all but one (Collecting Cars) on BaT who had four $1m+ sales.

Here you can see a snapshot of the top 10 most sold models last week with their average price.

Giulietta Values - Online vs The Lawn

I don’t usually cover Pebble Beach auction results, but this one is too good to skip. A 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Alleggerita crossed the Gooding block over the weekend with a $225K to $275K estimate. It sold for $145,600. Earlier this year at Amelia, a 1956 Alleggerita with an even higher estimate went for $168K. Two major venues, two similar outcomes.

Now look at Bring a Trailer. A 1958 Giulietta Sprint Veloce Confortevole, the more deluxe sibling, is live right now. It last sold in late 2023 and since then the new owner has poured another $50K into it. Current bidding sits at $82K with five days still to run.

This is what makes the Alfa story fascinating. Alleggeritas are rare and pedigreed, but they live in that awkward middle ground. Not million dollar halo cars, not entry level drivers. In front of the gavel, that middle ground can get squeezed. Buyers hesitate.

Online, the market feels different. Cars like the Confortevole find energy, liquidity and transparency. Fresh mechanical work, a clearer paper trail, the ability to follow every bid in real time. That carries weight.

Live auctions like Pebble and Amelia are unbeatable for spectacle, gathering enthusiasts, and celebrating the culture.

But when it comes to actual price discovery, the pulse of the market is happening online. And these Giuliettas show it better than most.

Special Auctions To Keep An Eye On

Long-time readers know I’m a sucker for wagons. So when one of the wildest E63 S Wagons resurfaced on Cars & Bids, I had to flag it. This isn’t just any AMG grocery-getter. It’s finished in Gulf Blue from the factory, a true one-of-one spec that instantly set the auction world chattering.

We’ve seen this car before. It last sold here in 2021 for $125k when it was barely a year old. Now with about 8,200 miles, it’s back on the block and already attracting big numbers and even bigger debate. Some think it’s crazy to pay a premium for paint. Others know exactly why this wagon has gone a little viral: rarity, presence, and the fact it’s basically a 600-horsepower supercar with roof rails.

Beyond the color, this example is stacked. Carbon ceramic brakes, AMG carbon fiber exterior trim, acoustic comfort, every driver-assist trick in the book, even the matching AMG roof box. It’s not just an enthusiast’s unicorn, it’s a family hauler that would shame supercars at the lights.

That’s the magic of wagons, and why I always say these are the coolest cars money can buy. Practical, fast, and under the radar - except when they’re not, like here.

If the Gulf Blue wagon was a unicorn, this is the beast that haunted Ferraris and Lamborghinis in the late 80s. The AMG Hammer. This example, freshly unearthed and now on The MB Market, comes with a wild backstory and an even wilder spec sheet.

Originally a humble 300E, it was transformed in-period by AMG Germany into one of about 54 Hammers built worldwide. Imported to the US by Barry Taylor for Seward Prosser Mellon in 1991, it carries Mellon family history and AMG West provenance. Fast-forward decades, and it was pulled from a Bay Area collection in 2020 with just 29k miles. Since then, the current owner, a seasoned Mercedes tech, has been painstakingly reviving it with fuel system and ignition overhauls, suspension work, new tires, and more.

The hardware is legendary. A 6.0L quad-cam M117 V8 pushing nearly 400 horsepower, re-valved W126 transmission, reinforced rear subframe, Sebring AMG exhaust, and the full AMG aero kit over Black Pearl Metallic paint. Inside, it has something even rarer: suede-trimmed Recaros not just up front, but in the back too. As the seller put it, sitting there is like being hugged by a suede bear.

It is not perfect. The DOHC M117 is a monster but this one has an o-ring failure between its multi-piece heads, meaning a head gasket service is on the horizon. That hasn’t slowed the bidding though. It sits at $420,060 with a week left.

This is why Hammers matter. They were never mass-produced, never tidy, always over the top. They were the hot rods of Affalterbach, built to embarrass Italian exotics in magazine tests and terrify autobahn commuters. With Mellon provenance, ultra-low mileage, and those rear Recaros, this one has the stuff collectors dream about, flaws and all.