The Daily Vroom

Good morning Vroomers!

Quick one before we dive in—some of the Hagerty auction links in yesterday’s email didn’t load properly on mobile. Looks like their end couldn’t handle the traffic!

I get a lot of emails from readers asking where to find specific cars.

“Where should I look for a clean 964 under $100K?”
“What’s the best place to find a manual V8 wagon?”

Yesterday, I got one that hit a nerve:

“I’ve been trying to find a decent E39 M5 for months. I check BaT all the time — and once in a while I glance at Cars & Bids. But I’ve already missed two clean ones… either I didn’t see them in time, or they were on platforms I wasn’t watching closely enough. It’s frustrating.”

He’s not alone. I’ve been hearing versions of this same frustration more and more. The truth is, with so many platforms now — BaT, C&B, PCar, Hemmings, and more on the way — it’s getting harder to keep up, not easier.

So let me ask you this:

YESTERDAY’S TOP 5 SALES

On a day with just over $7M in total sales, Collecting Cars once again showed they can play at the top—claiming the two highest-priced results of the day.

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

Nearly Sale of the Day

You don’t see this every day. Actually, you’ll never see another. This is the only open-top Maserati 3500 GT ever bodied by Frua—built as a prototype to chase the contract that eventually went to Vignale. One of one. Movie star. Pebble Beach veteran. Over $400k spent restoring it to concours spec, including its original turquoise-and-cream interior.

And yet… it didn’t sell.

The high bid was $895,000. Just shy of seven figures for a car that’s basically Italian design history wrapped in pale yellow sheet metal. The seller said it himself: “It was close.”

I agree. That felt like a $1M moment or close to it.

You can see the Mustang cues. The Thunderbird echoes. The American influence bubbling under Italian curves. Frua was ahead of his time—and Maserati knew it. They just didn’t pick him.

But maybe someone else still will. If I were a betting man, I’d guess this one’s already working its way into a private deal.

🛑 STOP SCROLLING

If The Daily Vroom hits your inbox and makes you think, laugh, or check the market twice—pass it on. Forward it to that friend who never stops talking about cars. Or that one who should. Every share helps fuel this engine we’re building. Let’s grow it together.

Send them to thedailyvroom.com to subscribe for free.

Auctions To Keep An Eye On

There’s something about a W111 cab that just hits different. It’s not flashy in the modern sense—it’s elegant, reserved, the kind of luxury that doesn’t need to shout. And this one’s the real deal. One family since new, green over cognac, full luggage set, and records going back to Nixon’s first term.

This isn’t just a car—it’s a time capsule. A survivor that lived its life right: summers in Chicago, then gliding through California sunshine, and now showing up fresh from a full service with new leather and top. Not over-restored. Not molested. Just gently kept alive, decade after decade.

You buy this car because you appreciate the long game. Because you know there’s value in originality. And because, let’s be honest, green over tan with matching bags in the trunk - that’s just classy.

You want rare? The 1998 Panoz AIV Roadster is rare rare. Just 176 made, hand-built in Georgia, and stuffed with a Mustang Cobra V8 and a 5-speed. It’s like someone sketched a Shelby Cobra, sharpened the edges, and said “let’s make it weirder—and faster.” The aluminum chassis keeps it featherlight, and this one’s been supercharged for good measure.

This car isn’t for shy people. It’s loud, raw, unapologetically analog—and looks like it escaped from a Gran Turismo cheat code or a Midtown Madness fever dream. At $30K right now, it’s cheaper than a clean Prowler… and about 10x cooler.