The Daily Vroom

Good morning Vroomers,

Yesterday’s top sales (see below) were a refreshing mix. Not the usual wall of 911s. More notable was Cars & Bids appearing in the top five for the second week in a row. That matters. Last year, they had liquidity, but not enough consistent six-figure volume to keep showing up at the top. This year has started differently, with bigger sales appearing earlier and more frequently.

The open question isn’t whether Cars & Bids can sell a big car. We already know they can. It’s whether they can make that performance repeatable and continue attracting higher-end consignments. Those headline cars aren’t the be-all and end-all, but they do set the tone. And if the early weeks of the year are any indication, there’s reason to think they can push well beyond last year’s ceiling. Even challenging their own record sale doesn’t feel out of reach.

Also worth noting Hagerty’s presence on the market leaderboard. Pound for pound, they continue to run the highest concentration of no reserve auctions, and unsurprisingly, that translates into sales. With a rumored shakeup happening behind the scenes at Hagerty Marketplace, we’ll be watching closely to see if and how it impacts day to day auction performance.

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.

Sale of the Day

Some sales jump out because they’re flashy. This one stood out because everything lined up, which is my kind of car!

A 2004 BMW 330i ZHP sedan. Six-speed. No reserve. Real miles. Real wear. And the big E46 question already dealt with. The subframe wasn’t “known about” or “believed to be fine.” It was reinforced, documented, and out in the open. That changes the entire conversation.

The ZHP has always lived in the sweet spot. Not an M3, but close enough to remind you why BMW mattered in the first place. The right engine. The right steering. Four doors because that’s how these actually get used. In sedan form, it’s still the M3 BMW never built, just without the baggage.

What made this one work is that it didn’t pretend. The paint shows age. The interior shows miles. The headliner sags. None of that was hidden, and none of it scared people off. Because the stuff that actually matters was handled. Drivetrain sorted. Known weak points addressed. Sensible upgrades you’d do anyway.

At $7,800, this wasn’t about stealing a car. It was about buying one the right way. A modern classic you can drive, enjoy, and not be afraid of. That’s why this was Sale of the Day.

Auctions To Keep An Eye On

Yesterday we were talking about how a comment section can go from “helpful” to outright radioactive and end up working against a sale. Today’s Pantera is the opposite kind of case study and it’s a reminder of what BaT can look like when a listing is strong and the crowd shows up in the right way.

This 1971 DeTomaso Pantera has the kind of backbone you can build a story around. Delivered new through McCormick Lincoln-Mercury in Trenton, kept by the original owner all the way until 2024, and now resurfacing with just 18k miles showing. Somewhere along the way it made the very period correct transition from white to red in the mid 80s, then it basically disappeared into storage for two decades. That’s the part that always sounds romantic until you remember what storage actually does to a car like this. The real headline isn’t “kept in storage.” It’s what it took to bring it back.

And to their credit, this isn’t one of those listings that hides the cost of that comeback. Over $30k of recommissioning from 2022 to 2025. Steering rack work. Brakes front and rear. Fuel system service. Clutch hydraulics. Cooling upgrades. The kinds of jobs that aren’t sexy, but are exactly what separates a survivor you can drive from a survivor you can only stare at. It still has imperfections because of course it does. The paint shows its age. The AC blows cool, not cold. There’s an oil leak that hasn’t fully been chased down. The luggage tub isn’t even with the car and will need to be shipped from New Jersey. None of that is a dealbreaker. It’s just the honest reality of a 55-year-old Italian body wrapped around Ford muscle.

What’s been most interesting is watching the conversation around the car. Not because the comments are entertaining, but because they’re functional. The right kind of scrutiny. The right kind of education. People pointing to the known Pantera areas that matter, asking for the right photos, talking about what a PPI should actually focus on, and doing it in a way that adds confidence instead of creating chaos. That’s the difference between a comment section that scares off bidders and one that acts like a second layer of due diligence.

Survivor cars live and die on trust. This one has the ingredients that make bidders lean in rather than back away. Clear history. Real receipts. A seller who responds. A community that stays constructive. With a few days to go, I’m excited to see where this one ends.

This one’s fun because the story isn’t complicated and that’s exactly why it’s working.

A 1997 Defender 90 pickup. Short wheelbase. Right-hand drive. 300Tdi diesel. Five-speed manual. Already imported. Already titled. Already sorted. The hard part is done, which is why bidding didn’t hesitate.

At a glance, it almost tricks people. From the thumbnail, half the audience thought this was the new Slate truck or some concept car gone rogue. Then you realize it’s the real thing. A factory D90 pickup that looks like a Tonka toy brought to life. Chubby. Stubby. Unapologetic. Less cabin. Less bed. More character.

The refurbishment story matters here. Mad Rover Imports didn’t turn this into a mall crawler. They freshened it properly. Bonatti Gray repaint. Sawtooth wheels. Suspension refresh. Interior updates done with restraint. AC and power windows added without sanding off the edges. It still feels agricultural in the right way. Just cleaner. Tighter. More usable.

That’s the appeal. Nothing here is trying to be clever or overthought. It’s a Defender in its most distilled form, with just enough refinement to live with and just enough weirdness to make it memorable. Not a do-everything truck. Not a spec-sheet hero. Just a very specific idea, executed well, and left alone to be exactly what it is.

This one works because it doesn’t try to be anything else.

A 2002 Ferrari 360 Challenge. Built as a race car from day one. No road conversion. No backstory about Sunday drives. Just a factory Challenge car that spent its life doing exactly what Ferrari intended.

When these were new, nobody cared about preservation. They were consumables. Blueprinted V8. Faster-shifting F1 gearbox. Stiffer suspension. Less weight. More noise. They lived on trailers, not in garages, and they were sold when the next season came around.

That’s what makes this one interesting now. You’re not buying a compromised road car with some track parts bolted on. You’re buying the real thing, scars and all. No mileage because it never needed one. Race wear because that’s the point. Documentation that talks about events, not valet keys.

And here’s the quiet tension. For similar money, you could buy a clean 360 Modena and spend your time explaining it. Or you could buy this and actually drive it the way Ferrari meant the platform to be driven.

It won’t be for everyone. It doesn’t pretend to be. But for the right buyer, this is one of the few modern Ferraris that still feels honest.

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