The Daily Vroom

Good morning, Vroomers!

Another stellar week for online auctions — over $40 million worth of vehicles changed hands, all without leaving the driveway. And as you’ll see below, the momentum isn’t slowing down. Tariffs, S&P 500, market chatter… none of it’s putting a dent in this space. The cars are still moving. The buyers are still bidding. Let’s get into it.

Below are the top 5 makes sold last week across the whole online market and what their average price was.

Why the $7,500 Matters More Than the $2.4M

A 300SL Gullwing just sold online for $2,400,300. And I can’t stop thinking about what that actually means.

Forget for a second how special the car is (Graphite Gray over red leather, factory Rudge wheels, Paul Russell cosmetic refresh, 400+ miles under the current seller). You can read the listing for that. This is about what the sale represents.

Big money is still moving. Through a screen. In a market that, supposedly, is fragile. You wouldn’t know it from watching this play out. And that’s the point.

Great cars will always sell. The money might shift around, but the appetite never truly disappears—it just gets choosier. You can’t bluff your way to $2.4 million unless the car, the buyer, and the platform all show up. And in this case, they did.

But let’s talk about that platform.

Had this car sold at a live auction, the buyer would have been in for an extra $240,000+ in fees. That’s standard. 10% buyer premium. Sometimes more.

This sale? The buyer paid $7,500. That’s 0.3%.

Let that sink in.

Not only did someone get a multi-million dollar car in front of tens of thousands of people without flying it to a convention center or parking it under a tent—they did it for a fraction of what the old-school channels would’ve charged.

And it worked.

Now think about what you actually get with that $7,500 fee. Hundreds of detailed photos. Driving videos. Comment threads with input from marque experts, past owners, and even the occasional engineer. Seller engagement. Real-time bidding. Transparency.

Compare that to a live auction, where your walkaround might last 90 seconds before the car rolls across the block and disappears. There’s theater. Sure. And a social element. But if you’re buying the car, not the event, online wins on almost every front.

That’s why online isn’t a phase. It’s not "stealing share" anymore. It’s building the future.

It’s why I get emails every month from people looking to start their own auction platform. Why private equity keeps backing the existing ones. Why the biggest names in the traditional space have either launched or acquired online arms of their own.

Because this is where the buyers are. And increasingly, the sellers too.

Live auctions aren’t going away. They serve a different crowd, offer a different experience. But if you’re doing the math, the online model just makes more sense. And we’re still at the early stages of what that evolution looks like.

So yeah. A Gullwing sold for $2.4M on Friday.

But the numbes I keep thinking about?

$7,500 vs $240,000.

Auctions To Keep An Eye On

Following on from that Gullwing sale and the broader point around where this market’s heading — here's another heavy hitter worth watching: a Carrera GT that’s been used, sorted, and now bidding strong at over $1.2M.

Silver over Terracotta. Stick shift. V10. The right spec, the right seller, and none of the fluff. It’s not a garage queen trying to pass as fresh — it’s been driven, then hit with $120k in real service. Camshafts, clutch, Öhlins, tires — all done. Not patched. Fixed.

This is what buyers want right now. Not stories. Not “delivery mileage.” Something legit. Something that runs right, looks right, and doesn’t need $30k the minute you turn the key.

I love Sprinter builds because they don’t ask permission.

No bookings. No check-ins. No routes to follow. Just park, sleep, cook, leave. Total freedom, wrapped in a factory-grade shell.

This one's a proper One 5 Vans build — solar, shower, fridge, even heated seats. The layout’s clean, the mileage is low, and it doesn’t scream “DIY project.” It’s usable now. No finishing touches required.

If you’re the type who wants out — even for a weekend — this is the setup that makes it happen without drama. Just fuel, groceries, and a road you haven’t met yet.

This is the kind of listing that stops the scroll.

A W140 that isn’t just clean—it’s barely used. Polar White over deep blue leather, original window sticker still in hand, and 23,000 miles total. That’s not a typo.

And here’s what makes it special:

• It’s not one of the usual black-on-tan cars.

• It’s got 18" AMG Monoblocks and the factory 8-holes, both with fresh tires.

• Self-leveling rear suspension, soft-close everything, and an M119 V8 that still runs whisper-smooth.

You could daily this in total comfort or squirrel it away as a time capsule. Either way, it’s one of the most complete, unmolested W140s I’ve seen in a while. Nothing’s been “upgraded.” No weird stereo hacks (the original head unit is included), no wrap, no gimmicks.

It's not trying to be anything. It just is.