The Daily Vroom

Good Morning Vroomers,

Yesterday was a reminder of how fast everything can stop. When AWS went down, half the internet went dark, from streaming platforms to e-commerce checkout pages, to restaurants ordering systems. It was a global glitch that exposed a simple truth: too many businesses still rely on a single point of failure.

We’ve seen it before. Companies that built their entire customer pipeline on social media ads watched their reach disappear overnight when algorithms changed or costs skyrocketed. Others depend on one marketplace, one vendor, or one platform to survive. It works right up until it doesn’t. Even in the auction world, some platforms have leaned too heavily on social channels to bring in buyers and sellers instead of owning their own audience.

Which brings us to what actually happened yesterday. Bring a Trailer had to extend several live auctions during the outage saying:

While Hagerty Marketplace delayed every auction ending by one full day saying:

Both platforms handled it well, but the takeaway is bigger than a one-day outage. When the digital engine stalls, the ones with backup systems keep rolling.

I also wonder if the issue started earlier. Over the weekend, a number of sellers on BaT emailed me that bidders weren’t receiving their usual push notifications or emails when auctions were ending, meaning some buyers may have missed their chance to bid. Not ideal for anyone, especially the sellers who saw their cars close lower than expected.

As always, if you notice irregularities like this on any platform, reach out to them directly, but also drop me a note. We can often spot a pattern before it becomes widespread.

Proof That You Can’t Market Past the Market

Last week in our Hemmings survey, we spotlighted one car they were really pushing this Tor Red 1971 Plymouth ’Cuda Convertible with a 340 and a four-speed. It’s numbers-matching, freshly rotisserie-restored, and one of just 30 built. Everything looked right on paper. But the story quickly shifted to the price.

They launched the auction at $130k, which instantly raised eyebrows. The comments weren’t questioning the car; they were asking why start there? And sure enough, not one bid came in. The car didn’t move an inch.

Now it’s back up for sale at $288,750! Regardless of what I think of that price, every seller and platform can ask what they want and maybe someone will pay it. ( I really hope they can shift it) But it’s fair to assume that in this case the seller must be in deep after the restoration and is trying to recoup what they put in, which I totally get. However, that’s where platforms need to step in and be strong.

I get emails all the time from sellers saying, “This platform won’t list my car for more than X, what should I do?” My answer’s always the same: negotiate, and if it doesn’t feel right, walk away. Don’t be pressured into listing at a number that makes you uncomfortable. But also trust that platforms see what cars are actually selling for. They know where the market sits. Their job is to help you find the sellable zone, not to just say yes to every price request.

The other issue that I see too much comes when platforms bend that rule. Some list cars they know won’t sell just to drive traffic. And you see sellers doing the same, knowing full well they are not going to be selling that car. They use their real shop names as “free advertising.” I get it why platforms and sellers might do this. It might bring short-term attention, but long-term it’s not a good look. It teaches buyers to scroll past instead of leaning in.

In this case, the ’Cuda isn’t the problem. It’s a fantastic car. But the price and the strategy around it turned what could’ve been a highlight into a cautionary tale.

High End Auctions Ending Today

There are wild cars, and then there’s this. The Brabus 900 XLP Adventure 6x6 takes the already outrageous G63 and turns it into something closer to a luxury tank than an SUV. One of just 21 built, finished in Obsidian Black with Tiffany Blue details, it’s the definition of over-engineered indulgence.

Under the glass-paneled PowerView hood sits a 900-horsepower twin-turbo V8, sending power to all six wheels through portal axles. The interior is Tiffany Blue leather, carbon fiber, and Alcantara everywhere you look. Every surface feels more bespoke than the last, from the embroidered headrests to the Brabus plaques and quilted floor mats.

It’s hard to think of another vehicle that blends brute force and absurd craftsmanship quite like this. The G63 6x6 was already a symbol of excess. Brabus just made it art.

The 300SL Roadster doesn’t need an introduction, but this one earns a spotlight. Restored, documented, and sold by one of the most trusted names in the SL world, it’s a car that represents confidence more than hype. With matching numbers throughout, a rare cast-iron block paired with four-wheel disc brakes, and its original Karl Baisch luggage still intact, this example checks every collector box without feeling over-restored.

Offered by Scott Grundfor, whose name carries weight in the Mercedes community, this Roadster stands for the best kind of credibility. It’s finished in white over black, understated yet timeless, showing the kind of honest patina that tells you it’s been driven and loved. The presentation is museum-level but still approachable.

What makes it special isn’t just the spec or the provenance, but the trust behind it. When a Grundfor car comes up for sale, people know it’s the real thing.

Some cars chase numbers. This one rewrote the rulebook. The AMG ONE is Mercedes’ ultimate engineering statement, a road-legal Formula 1 car, equal parts science experiment and masterpiece. Only 275 exist, and this one, showing just 98 kilometers, is essentially delivery-mile new.

It isn’t just inspired by F1; it is F1. The 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 is derived directly from Lewis Hamilton’s championship-winning W06 engine, backed by four electric motors for a total of 1,063 horsepower. The redline sits at an insane 11,000 rpm. The car can hit 125 mph in seven seconds and currently holds the Nürburgring production lap record.

Inside, it’s stripped to purpose: carbon tub, Alcantara bucket seats, and a steering wheel that looks like it came off the grid in Monaco. This isn’t a collectible built for speculation; it’s a rolling example of what happens when Mercedes engineers are told no limits.

For anyone who ever dreamed of driving Formula 1 on public roads, the AMG ONE is the closest reality will ever get.