The Daily Vroom

Good morning Vroomers,

Yesterday’s online auctions cleared over $7.1 million in vehicle sales, led by a mix of modern muscle, classic icons, and luxury power. 

The Mercedes S-Class, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Corvette were among the most frequently sold models, while Porsche’s 911 held its usual spot as the top seller.

In today’s edition, we break down the biggest wins, spotlight a no-reserve Tesla sale that beat expectations, revisit a fire-surviving BMW Z8 from the late George Foreman’s previous collection sale, and take a hard look at some of the unknown auction sites fighting for traction in a crowded space.

MARKET LEADERBOARD

💰 The figures shared below don’t count any other sales such as car seats, memorabilia etc… All online auction sites are analyzed to put this leaderboard together.

I only include websites that have sold 5+ vehicles in the chart below.

YESTERDAY’S TOP 5 SALES

Monday we had four different platforms featuring cars in the top 5 sales. Yesterday BaT nearly took home the grand slam if it wasn’t for Car & Classic with that beautiful Jaguar recreation sale.

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

Sale of the Day

Let’s be honest. I’m not racing to write up electric vehicles. But numbers don’t lie. They sell. And yesterday’s result proves it.

This 2022 Tesla Model S Long Range crossed the block on Cars & Bids and brought in $47,500 at no reserve. That’s not just a respectable result. It’s a strong one, especially on a platform some still (wrongly) assume is where nice cars go to sell cheap. That narrative gets more outdated by the day.

Yes, the depreciation is real. Three years ago this car would’ve been closer to double. But that’s not the point here. The seller knew how to present it. Full Self Driving, matte PPF, clean Carfax, and just 28K miles. It was all laid out clearly. The comments were lively. Bidders were engaged. And by the end, over 40 bids pushed it well past what some expected.

This was a win for the seller. And honestly, the buyer didn’t do too badly either. If electric is your thing, 400 plus miles of range and that kind of tech stack for under fifty grand is still a solid proposition.

Auctions To Keep An Eye On

There are Z cars. There are V8 swaps. And then there’s a Scarab.

This one is #157 of about 200 conversions done by Scarab Engineering back when shoving a small-block Chevy into a Datsun was less about clicks and more about raw provocation. Scarabs weren’t kits. They were a statement. And this example isn’t just clean, it’s arguably the benchmark.

Bought on BaT back in 2016 as a tired but intact survivor, it’s since gone through a multi-year, obsessive restoration that ended with a ZCON Gold Cup trophy and a digital paper trail spanning hundreds of photos and over $50K in documented costs. That doesn’t include the bodywork. Because, of course it doesn’t.

Finished in Silver Metallic with custom Jet Stripe Recaros, this car looks the part. But what makes it matter is how correct it is. Original 350 block. Super T-10 4-speed. Period Scarab body kit. Correct emblems. Even the impossible-to-find upholstery was replicated in a one-off production run. It is, top to bottom, an emotional and mechanical return to form.

And yet, here it is offered at no reserve.

There’s a tendency to treat modified cars as second-class in the collector market. But when the modifier is the story, it’s a different game. This is not just a V8 Z. This is a Scarab. With paperwork. With pedigree. With a story that begins in Campbell, California and somehow still hasn’t hit its final chapter.

If you’ve ever told yourself “someday,” that day is staring you in the face. Someone is about to own the most faithful Scarab restoration we’ve seen in years. And they won’t be asking what it’s worth. They’ll be asking how it feels.

There’s a reason we always talk about context when it comes to online auctions. It’s not just about spec sheets or restoration receipts. It’s about how the car is presented and how that shapes buyer confidence.

Case in point: this 1977 Nissan Fairlady Z on Cars & Bids.

It's got all the right bones. Japanese market S31 chassis. L28 swap with triple OER carbs. Kameari competition suspension. Carbon hood. SSR Longchamps. Five speed manual. And a clean Georgia title. On paper, it’s a very compelling build. And visually, it presents well.

But there’s no driving video.

That alone changes the psychology of the auction. The seller’s been responsive in the comments and upfront about the situation. The car’s tuned for 99 plus octane and runs best on 100. But when potential buyers can’t see the car in motion, many will hold back or move on entirely.

Which is exactly why this might end up being a smart buy.

The car isn’t for everyone. It’s loud, raw, and built for someone who understands what they’re getting. But the ingredients are here. And the absence of one soft factor in this case, a driving clip creates opportunity for buyers who know how to read between the lines.

It’s a perfect reminder that value isn’t always dictated by condition or spec alone. It’s shaped by perception. And when perception falters, the smart money pays attention.

Yesterday we talked about Hagerty’s success with collections. Well here’s one I remember clearly, a headliner from the George Foreman Collection

This 2000 BMW Z8 sold back in December 2023 on Hagerty Marketplace for $235,000. It was part of the group of cars affected by a garage fire not burned but exposed to corrosive smoke and soot. At the time some brightwork showed wear. The hardtop liner needed replacing. And though the mileage was ultra low at just over 4,500 it still left buyers with a few unknowns.

Fast forward to now and it’s back. Fully recommissioned. $30K in mechanical and cosmetic sorting. The Z8’s signature Topaz Blue paint (1 of just 37) looks sharp the trim has been replaced the fuel system’s been serviced and the car shows just 4,900 miles. It still carries a clean Carfax a clean Montana title and is offered with the hardtop stand service records and documentation from both owners.

Under the hood the S62 V8 and 6 speed manual remain untouched. This is still the same hardware that makes the Z8 feel like a proper driver’s car but now with added provenance and a cleaner presentation than when it last crossed the block.

With BaT bidding at $185,000 and a few hours to go, the question now is whether buyers will match or exceed the Hagerty result (seller would hope it exceeds) or see this as an opportunity to land a sorted example with a heavyweight backstory.

Either way the market will decide. But the car it’s ready for another round.

BONUS AUCTION TO WATCH
🎥 2024 Porsche 911 S/T - highest bid so far $701K on BaT
See details here 

The Other Side of the Auction Market

We spend a lot of time talking about the big platforms. The ones with high volume traffic, daily sell through, and recognizable momentum. And to be fair, that’s for good reason. Consistency is rare in this game even for the so called “established” names. Behind the glossy landing pages and investor decks, there are plenty of well funded ventures and heritage backed brands that couldn’t make it stick.

Marqued had Porsche behind it. Shiftgate had funding and flair. Neither lasted.

Then there’s the group you probably haven’t even heard of not because they aren’t trying but because breaking through in this space requires more than a clean UI and a listings page. Sites like Trucks & Auto, Collector Chassis, and Classic Promenade are all fighting for oxygen in a market that gets more crowded every quarter. Some specialize, some diversify. Most are learning the same lesson, if you don’t come with a built in audience or a massive marketing budget, traction is slow. And even if you do, there are no guarantees.

AutoHunter have the Barrett Jackson name. It still struggles to move more than a few cars a day. SBX arrived with 120 million social media followers and couldn’t crack the top tier. To their credit, they’ve improved. Sales are up. The tone is more confident. But volume? We’re still talking two or three a week. This isn’t a criticism. It’s a reality check.

There are also plenty of would be disruptors still in stealth or still in beta, convinced that their unique twist on the model will be the one that finally breaks through. A new pricing structure. A better mobile experience. An influencer backed push. The ideas are endless. The execution is hard.

Let’s be clear. This is a growing market. That’s why there’s so much heat around it. Live auctions still do well, but online eats a little more of their lunch every year. And it’s not slowing down.

At The Daily Vroom we want everyone to win. More competition means better innovation. Better curation. Smarter listings. And more transparency for buyers and sellers alike.

But let’s not pretend this is easy. The platforms that last aren’t always the flashiest. They’re the ones who figure out day by day how to build trust. How to earn repeat listings. How to keep the wheels turning even when the market cools.

The rest? They’ll either evolve or be written about in past tense.

That’s why we’re watching the clever pretenders. Sites like The MBMarket, branding themselves around one make the same way PCarMarket once owned the Porsche lane. Focus creates authority. It’s easier to build credibility when you claim one category, own it, then expand outward. Even Cars & Bids has finally started to break out of its early “only modern” shell.

So the real question becomes this, who gets to be the expert at anything in this space? Because if you get that right, you don’t need to launch big. You just need to start somewhere smart.

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