The Daily Vroom

Good morning Vroomers!

We’ve got a lot to unpack in today’s edition, but let’s start with the numbers. Yesterday marked the second week in a row of a stronger-than-usual Monday, with total sales clocking in just above $6.1 million. Sales are moving along steadily, despite all the market noise out there. Cars & Bids had their best day in quite some time, moving a diverse lineup of vehicles, while Collecting Cars took the crown with the highest sale of the day.

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

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

Economic Shocks: Impact on Online Auctions?

There’s a lot to say about tariff’s and we’ll have some of that for you shortly. But the one question I keep getting asked is—how are the market downturn, economic uncertainty, and other factors affecting the online auction market? It’s still early, and things can change quickly. Sales fluctuate daily, and the broader market, as we saw yesterday, moves minute by minute. What I can share is based on the data—what’s selling and what’s not.

From what I’m seeing, the impact has been minimal so far. I’ve compared listings from the last 7 days to the previous 7, and the last 30 days to the prior 30. There’s no significant shift in sales data suggesting the stock market’s volatility is hitting auctions hard.

I could list plenty of examples, but take today—with uncertainty running high—a 1998 Dodge Viper GTS GT2 Championship Edition still fetched a very strong price, right in line, if not higher with past sales for similar condition and mileage.

Over the weekend, a 1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Coupe by Singer cleared $1 million. The takeaway - Quality cars tend to sell, regardless of market conditions. That’s the pattern holding up for now.

PCarMarket Sells: What We Know So Far

Details are still foggy, and no doubt we’ll hear more straight from PCarMarket themselves soon. But here’s the big news—they’ve sold!

If you haven’t already, check out our recent piece on them, “The Underappreciated Player in Online Auctions,” where I laid out why they’ve been punching above their weight. From what I can piece together, they didn’t cash out to some private equity giant, but to a private buyer who’s keeping quiet for now.

So, who’s the mystery buyer? I’m hearing it’s not Private Equity—which makes this a notable shift in tone. Instead, it sounds like a single buyer with big plans. That alone changes the trajectory. Less about spreadsheets and rollups, more about vision. Niche play? Personal passion project? Either way, it’s different—and worth watching.

Just like the Bring a Trailer sale to Hearst a while back, the numbers are hush-hush. That said, I’m hearing whispers of a price tag between $7 million and $10 million. Yeah, that’s a wide range, but even at the low end, it’s a solid multiple for them—and at the high end, it’s a home run.

I’m not in the room for these deals, so I can’t spill the fine print, but everything I’m picking up suggests this was a big win for them. Like I wrote in that article I linked, PCarMarket carved out a real sweet spot in this game. They zeroed in on Porsches—a niche you’d think would be straightforward, but it’s not. Just look at Marqued, the “official” Porsche auction site that crashed and burned. PCarMarket, though, they’ve crushed it, finding their lane and running with it.

Meanwhile, the online auction space is buzzing. Another big player’s been shopping itself around for a while now, trying to ink its own deal. At the same time, some newbie platforms are gearing up to launch. Lots going on—consolidation on one end, fresh blood on the other.

So, what’s next for PCarMarket?

They’ll be the ones to fill us in, I’m sure. For now, word is there’s some restructuring going on with the staff—pretty standard after a sale like this. If you’re one of the folks who got caught in the shuffle, drop us a line at [email protected]. We’ve got contacts who might be able to help you land on your feet. I’m also hearing they’re rolling out a new website, which isn’t exactly shocking. The current one did its job, but there’s plenty of room to level up—better user experience, sharper design, you name it.

More news will trickle out soon, no doubt. For now, it’s a big moment for PCarMarket, and it’s proof they’ve been doing something right. Stay tuned—they’ve got more to say, and I’ve got more to dig into.