The Daily Vroom

Good Morning Vroomers,

Another strong performance across the platforms. Over 1,200 cars sold last week, totaling more than $44 million in volume. Top sale? A 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale Aperta that hit $955,000 on Collecting Cars.

But today, I want to rewind the clock.

There’s something about 1980s cars that just hits. Before traction control. Before touchscreens. Before brands started chasing algorithms instead of emotion. The cars were raw, the styling was bold, and everything had a sense of purpose or at least attitude.

So I’ve picked out three very different 80s icons. A GNX that gives muscle cars a bad attitude. A RUF-tuned 930 that’s scruffy, fast, and unfiltered. And an E30 M3 Evo II that reminds you why BMW earned the Ultimate Driving Machine tagline.

Let’s dive in..

Does Celebrity Provenance Actually Move the Needle? Let’s Talk About That Gucci SL

If you’ve been in the collector car world long enough, you’ve seen the headline: Ex [Insert Famous Person] Car for Sale. Sometimes it spikes the price. Sometimes it fizzles. Most of the time, it just adds drama to the listing.

So when a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL formerly owned by Vasco Gucci (yes, that Gucci) popped up on Bring a Trailer and pulled $255,000, I had to dig in. Not just because of the result but because this was a textbook case of does it matter who owned it?

Let’s start with the basics. This was a very good Pagoda. It was incredibly well presented by a fantastic seller. Factory color 387 blue, 4-speed manual, Euro spec, low mileage, and refurbished without being over-restored. It had all the right elements. TURAH paint, Cognac interior, mechanical refresh, documentation, and yes… a Gucci duffel bag in the trunk. If it didn’t have the name attached, it still would’ve done well.

So, did the Gucci factor juice the sale? Maybe. But let’s be honest. This wasn’t a handbag auction. It was a proper Mercedes with a museum-grade vibe that just happened to be ex-Gucci. The crowd noticed. The Petersen Museum even showed interest. But if this had been owned by an anonymous Italian businessman instead of a fashion heir, I still think it clears 240K. The quality carried it.

That’s the thing with celebrity cars. It’s case by case. On Cars & Bids, ex-Doug listings get an engagement bump. BaT have had Jerry Seinfeld’s cars many times. Some flew. Others stalled. George Foreman’s no reserve collection on Hagerty sold well, but they took the guesswork out with clean presentation and no reserve. SOMO tried the Ed Bolian route. Didn’t quite hit.

There’s no formula. Just context.

A celebrity name might bring more eyes to the listing. It might even land you a bidder or two who came for the name and stayed for the spec. But if the car’s not already strong, provenance won’t save it. At best, it’s the cherry on top. Not the sundae.

What this Gucci SL shows is that when the car’s already excellent, the added storytelling can help push it into why not money. That final push. But it won’t rewrite the ceiling. You’re not suddenly jumping from 180K to 300K because someone famous sat in it once.

So if you’re holding out hope that a famous former owner will unlock hidden value in your listing, don’t. Lead with quality. Make the ownership story a bonus, not the pitch.

And if you ever come across a great car once owned by someone with name recognition, use it to hook the crowd. But make sure what you’re really selling is the car itself.

1980’s Auctions To Keep An Eye On

This is Buick’s middle finger to subtlety. GNX #183. Just 2,900 miles. All original. All business.

It’s up on SBX and already pulling six figures with ten days left. No surprise. The GNX isn’t hype. It’s proof.

Built by Buick, finished by ASC and McLaren, and designed to embarrass sports cars twice the price. It hit 60 in 4.7 seconds. In 1987. Without a spoiler or a peep of chrome.

This one - never modified. Never messed with. Original window sticker, full service history, clean Carfax. The kind of car that collectors chase and never sell.

The miles are low. The paper trail is clean. The face is still terrifying.

If this were on BaT, it’d already be flirting with $175K. But it’s on SBX, which might just make it the buy of the summer. They’ve been swinging for the fences, and this one connects.

No flash. No fluff. Just a black-on-black time capsule with a 3.8L punch to the jaw. And people get it. The comments are already calling $200K plus.

Here’s the thing about RUF builds, the line between legend and loose definition is razor thin. This 1981 Porsche 930, converted to BTR specs by RUF in 1989, is right on that line. And depending on how you see it, it’s either an affordable shot at a fire-breathing icon or a mismatched tribute with a few question marks.

Current bid is $70K. Two days to go. And while some commenters are getting worked up over missing paperwork, non-matching tags, and whether it’s a real BTR or just RUF parts slapped on a 930… I’m here to say this:

Forget the badge. Focus on the drive.

This car’s got the right ingredients. RUF 3.4L turbo flat-six. RUF intercooler. RUF exhaust. RUF seats. RUF gauges. Speedline wheels. And a proper 1980s punch to the chest when the boost hits. The seller says it makes 374 horsepower and even without a dyno sheet, I believe it. This isn’t a poser. It’s fast. It’s raw. It’s got miles and scars and stories. It’s a driver, not a museum piece.

But it’s not perfect. The front fenders are chipped. The paint’s got stress cracks. There’s smoke on startup and a top-end rebuild likely in the cards. The Blaupunkt stereo doesn’t work. And no, it’s not running the RUF 5-speed, just the standard 930 4-speed.

So is it a half-million-dollar RUF? No. And the seller’s not pretending it is.

What you’re looking at is the sweet spot between a standard 930 and a full-fat factory RUF. The Porsche VIN confirms it’s not a born-in-Pfaffenhausen car. But it was sent there. It was modified. And the work was done when it mattered, 1989, in-period, when RUF was king and this build still carried weight.

If you want bragging rights, keep scrolling. But if you want to drive something outrageous and analog that turns heads for all the right reasons, this might be the play.

At $70K it’s still cheap for the parts, the sound, and the look. And if the reserve’s realistic, this could be a very fun, very sideways kind of value buy.

Just don’t call it fake. Call it fast.

This Isn’t Just an E30 M3. It’s the One You Brag About

Misano Red. Number 151 of 500. Imported from Japan this year with just 47K miles and that delicious Uberkaro cloth still in place. This is an Evo II. The real deal homologation special. And it’s already at $126K with four days left.

Let’s get this straight. The Evolution II isn’t just a limited run. It’s the sharper, louder, lighter version of a car that was already a scalpel. Higher compression. Revised camshaft and ECU. Thinner glass. Factory brake ducts. This is the E30 M3 BMW meant to homologate, not just badge up for the showroom.

This one’s wearing the right paint. Has the right wheels. Still rides on Bilsteins and runs that rev happy S14 that spits out 217 horsepower with analog rage. You get the onboard computer. The sunroof. The cassette deck. And yes, the steering wheel might be off center, the ABS light flickers, and the seats look like they’ve seen a retrim. but honestly, that’s just old BMW charm.

The seller says the hood and spoiler were repainted. Some in the comments think there’s more to it. Paintwork chatter aside, this still feels like a clean driver spec Evo II with plenty of collector upside.

And the crowd knows it. There’s a whole side thread about Tupac, Biggie, and whether they could even fit in this thing. But behind the memes, the market is moving. These cars have gone from cult hero to confirmed blue chip.