Continuing the week's trend of consistent high sales, Friday's performance did not disappoint, with sales totaling $6.2m, closely followed by the weekend's $6.1m. Among these achievements, Cars & Bids secured a notable highlight with the auction of the 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS Weissach on Friday, achieving $218,000 and maintaining the week's strong momentum.

To delve into the specifics of each auction, click on the images.

When SM kicked off their journey into the online auction world, I dove deep into their initial hiccups—ranging from their messaging mishaps and fee structures to the auction processes themselves. They didn't exactly hit the ground running. However, giving credit where it's due, despite some lingering issues, they've managed to smooth out many of their initial wrinkles. What stands out to me is their willingness to experiment with new ideas; understanding that while some may falter, others could truly flourish.

I previously covered their collaboration with Ed Bolian, noting how the car listings, from an outsider's perspective, didn’t quite meet expectations. The absence of further mentions of Ed suggests that venture might have been a singular experiment. This past weekend, SM took a new leap by partnering with The Palm Event in Palm Beach, serving as the exclusive online auction and livestream partner for the event's 10th anniversary. It's a bit unclear whether this partnership is a one-time affair or marks the beginning of a recurring collaboration. Nonetheless, they managed to spotlight two significant auctions at the event: a 2019 Porsche 911 Turbo S and a 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, with the latter already meeting its reserve at $150,000—despite an estimated value listed at $162k. This discrepancy raises questions, but it undeniably led to heightened bids and exposure for both vehicles.

SM's strategy doesn’t require the massive volume of sales that a platform like BaT might, thanks to their higher cap of $25k on a 5% fee. Yet, the desire to boost their sales volume is apparent. The online journey is complex and far from straightforward, but SM's readiness to take risks, pivot as needed, and stay competitive is commendable. I’m keenly watching to see where their adventurous spirit takes them next.

I meant to write about this car last week. A few weeks ago, I got to drive a friend's 911r tribute that is a backdated Carerra coupe like this. It was a wonderful analog experience. Tasteful modifications are seen in details throughout this build. I often feel bad when I see backdates, but in this case, we have seen this car twice before. The first listing presented a decent clean driver (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1986-porsche-911-carrera-19/).

The second listing was as a project after an altercation with a fence, that seemed relatively minor, but that required some repainting (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1986-porsche-911-carrera-coupe-17/).

I was glad to see this listing because the Carfax listed damage as severe, and I think that assessment was too harsh for what is visible here. This new listing shows a 911 that has been thoroughly reimagined, and that seems like a tasteful tribute for a car that was never going to be completely original again. It seems that bidders here agreed with my assessment and approve of these updates as well, however, bidding stalled at $102K and, given the quality of this restoration/re-creation I think the seller was right to hold their reserve.

Hopefully the parties can work something out on this. ( I wish BaT had a way to update us on after auction sales).

We often talk about cars being icons around here, but this one truly is an ‘Icon’, 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser ICON FJ44. Like all Icon builds this one is purpose built, but subtle. Highly capable, but understated. I meant to cover this a few weeks ago, but after being RNM it has been relisted and due to an auction close on Sunday (hello weekend auction fans!) bidding, as of writing this, is at $130K with about 24 hours to go. We are rooting for this unique build to find a new owner by the time this email hits your inbox on Monday. Update - It did sell for $170K. Congrats to the new owner on an amazing ride.

For those who feel that the Ariel Atom is too limiting, in that it is constrained to use on track or on paved roads, we present this alternative. If you missed it the first time it was listed in 2022, here is your second chance. This particular vehicle is road registered in California, so it is legal for use on and off road and I assume it passes smog, or as a Specially Constructed Vehicle it is somehow exempt. What would you do with this beast and where would you plan to have your adventures take you? Current bid is $100k, last time around it finished on $146,000.

This is such a stunning car. 911r always delivers amazing vehicles with some incredible photographs to document them, and this one does not disappoint...

In the comments for this premium auction there are a few commenters weighing in on how they owned similar rare European coupes back in the day, with no idea how rare or special they were. This remarkably documented example is the one to own. This car was last seen on BaT in August of 2021 and sold for $190,000. I have a feeling that with the current presentation, full documentation and appreciation of the values of early and unique 356's we should see a result that is significantly higher this time around.