The Daily Vroom

Good morning, Vroomers!

Over the past few days, I’ve been lucky enough to receive some incredibly kind emails from many of you saying how much you’ve been enjoying the content. It genuinely means a lot—thank you for taking the time to reach out.

The goal of The Daily Vroom has always been to inform, educate, and spark a few thoughts while giving you a quick, engaging read every morning. Whether it’s keeping up with trends, diving into a fascinating sale, or just getting a sense of where the online auction market is heading, we aim to make every issue worth your time.

If you’re enjoying it, I’d love for you to share The Daily Vroom with a fellow car enthusiast. The more, the merrier—and the bigger the community, the better the conversations we can have around the cars we love.

Thanks for being part of the ride,
Sam

YESTERDAY’S TOP 5 SALES

Yesterday saw over $8 million worth of sales across online platforms—not a bad day at all! The top 5 was a mixed bag of platforms again, with SOMO and Hagerty (yes, you read that right!) both making their mark alongside BaT.

One sale worth a quick chat is the 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. It sold for $880k, making it the cheapest online sale ever for this model. Interestingly, it was a RNM at $750k, but through BaT’s “Make an Offer” system, a deal was struck at $880k—possibly the highest sale yet using this feature. Seems like the buyer got a great deal, but there’s a side of sales like this that many overlook: the post-purchase costs.

The buyer summed it up better than I ever could:

• California Sales Tax (10.25%): $90,200

• California Registration Fee: $8,000

• BaT Fee: $7,500

• Ocean Freight Shipping Insurance (2%): $17,600

• Duties and Bond (4%): $35,200

• Shipping Fee: $4,500

So, while the hammer price was $880k, the true cost to the buyer climbed well over $1M.

Now, I know what you’re thinking—“If someone can buy an $880k car, they can afford the extra costs.” Sure, but everyone has limits, and at some point, you’ve got to draw the line.

When bidding on cars, always factor in these additional expenses—they can quickly turn a “great deal” into something less sweet.

Want to dive deeper into any of these listings? Just click on the car to take you directly to the listing.

Leadership at the Helm: Why the Right CEO Can Change Everything

I'm a firm believer that strong leadership can turn a platform’s fortunes around, and we’re about to see if SBX Cars is on that path. They’ve just brought in Rogelio Choy as their new CEO—a major move and, in my view, a very smart hire.

Let’s face it, SBX has had a rocky start. They assumed that with 100 million+ social media followers, they’d have buyers flooding their platform. But as we’ve seen before, followers don’t always equal customers. That miscalculation wasn’t their only hurdle. There’s also been a lack of clarity about who’s steering the ship, and that kind of uncertainty at the top filters down fast.

But hiring Rogelio is a step in the right direction. He’s a proven talent, and I believe he has what it takes to steady the ship and chart a course for long-term success. (if they let him) Platforms like SBX need more than flashy numbers—they need strategy, execution, and the right person driving both.

We’ve seen this play out before in the industry. SOMO was struggling at first, and then they hired an exceptional President, Colleen Cash who transformed their trajectory. With the right leadership and support from the top, platforms have the potential to completely change their fortunes.

Looking ahead to 2025, I hope other platforms take note. There’s plenty of room in this space for multiple players to compete. Competition fuels innovation, and there’s no shortage of opportunities for growth in this market. A rising tide lifts all boats, and I’d love nothing more than to see every platform finding its stride.

Leadership matters. SBX just made a big move—now we watch to see how it plays out.

Two Auctions, Two Lessons: Porsche Stumbles, Mercedes Soars

If you’ve been keeping up with the newsletter this week, you’ll remember these two cars we spotlighted for very different reasons. With their auctions now wrapped up, let’s check back and see how they fared.

First Up: The 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet M505 Slant Nose

This one was a bit of a head-scratcher earlier in the week. If you recall, the seller originally listed it two months ago, where it peaked at $180k—only for them to pass on the bid. That choice set the stage for this second go-round, and while the car picked up a bit more interest towards the end of this auction, it didn’t quite hit that same number. The hammer fell at $176,500, and the seller decided to cut their losses and accept the bid.

What makes this even more interesting is that the seller also spent extra on a set of BBS wheels with tires to sweeten the deal this time around. But instead of turning that extra investment into a better price, they ended up taking a slight hit compared to their first auction.

Lesson learned: the grass isn’t always greener on the second listing. Credit where it’s due, though—the seller made the smart move by accepting the offer and moving on. Sometimes, knowing when to let go is the best call.

And Then: The 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Coupe

This one’s a feel-good story if there ever was one. Remember how we talked about niche platforms potentially outperforming the big players earlier this week? Well, this car delivered a case study in just that.

Originally listed on BaT in October, it ended RNM at $30,750. Fast forward to now, and it was re-listed on TheMBMarket, a smaller, more specialized platform. The result, it crushed its previous high by selling for $40k.

That’s a massive win for the seller, and it’s also a feather in the cap for TheMBMarket. It shows that in the right context, niche platforms can sometimes deliver better results than the big gorilla in the room.

The Takeaway

Two cars, two very different journeys. For the Porsche seller, it’s a lesson in moving on and cutting losses. For the Mercedes-Benz seller, it’s proof that sometimes the right audience can make all the difference.

And for the rest of us, it’s a reminder that in the collector car market, nothing is ever guaranteed.

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