Auction houses do facilitate private sales of course-last year RM Sotheby’s did an additional $150 million worth of private deals, more than doubling the sum from 2020-but that discreet service, which is sometimes called “private treaty sales,” does not provide the bulk of the business. Online, everyone uses pseudonyms, a big change from the sometimes all-too-public scene at live auctions. Sellers pay a $99 flat rate to list their cars.Īnother draw, especially for significant cars of high value, is easier anonymity for both the buyer and seller. Whoever has the highest bid when the seven-day countdown timer hits zero wins the vehicle and pays a 5% buyer’s fee, capped at $5,000-significantly lower than the double-digit percentages required from sellers and buyers at traditional auction houses. The recent Porsche Carrera sale represents another threshold crossed in the popularity of such online sales, he added via email about the trend.īAT’s jump indicates a major shift for the collectable and vintage car market, the pinnacle of which has traditionally been the Champagne-fueled auctions in white tents overseen by men in suits with lofty accents: Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, Scottsdale, Paris, and Lake Como. Last year the five major live auction houses sold a total of $343 million worth of cars at Pebble alone. Moving online removes the middle-men in an inherently opaque industry cloaked by back-door deals, insider favors, and clubby agreements between power brokers.īuying on BAT is simple, like EBay: Those who want to place a bid must register with the site and provide a credit card number. “Online and live auctions were on fire last year,” Fisher says. Online car sales across the board were up 107% year over year, moving from $492.5 million sold in 2020 to $1.02 billion sold in 2021, said Hagerty’s Kevin Fisher. Online auctions eclipsed live auctions for the first time ever in 2021, with 20,000 cars sold online versus 16,000 cars sold live across North America, according to data from the classic car insurer and data firm Hagerty. “But people are finding that we are a highly effective way to if you want to do it in a more personalized, streamlined way.” They put on a big show,” says BAT President and Co-founder Randy Nonnenberg.

“Big auctions will always have a business. A representative for Bonhams did not respond to a request for comment. Further down the list, Barrett-Jackson confirmed annual sales of $191 million for 2021 while Gooding & Co. It’s more than double the $407 million in total auction sales RM Sotheby’s reported for 2021. The news soundly beats the $578 million in total sales Mecum Auctions reported Dec.

In 2021 the online car auction site sold $828.7 million worth of cars, a 108% gain over the $398 million it sold in 2020-and a full quarter billion dollars ahead of its closest live-auction-house competitor. Pre-1976 models, like the one from today's listing, featured completely removable roofs, giving them an unmistakable look on the road.(Bloomberg) - A record-breaking $1.9 million Porsche sale isn’t the only big news from Bring a Trailer (BAT) these days. The Blazer featured in this listing is from the second generation, which started in 1973 and lasted for nearly two decades. Originally developed as an answer to the Ford Bronco and the International Harvester Scout, the original 1969 Blazer was essentially an SUV version of Chevy's C- and K-series pickup trucks. Take for example this 1975 Chevrolet K5 Blazer 4x4, which is open for bidding until March 7 on the Bring a Trailer auction site-which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. Fortunately, examples of that history remain available. The 2023 Chevrolet Blazer may be a stylish crossover with pleasing road manners for the daily commute, but there's little of it that resembles its more rugged ancestry.

UPDATE: The Blazer sold for $45,000 on March 7. Bidding is open on this 1975 model until Monday, March 7, with current bidding at $20,000.This model year was the last for the Blazer's iconic removable roof.Our Bring a Trailer pick of the day is this refurbished and upgraded 1975 Chevrolet K5 Blazer four-speed 4×4.

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