The Daily Vroom
Hey Vroomers!
Today's edition breaks down why only four auction platforms are making the Market Leaderboard—and what it’ll take for Hagerty and Hemmings to step up. Plus, we're tracking some fascinating cars: a Euro-spec Dakar Yellow E36 M3, a backdated Porsche 964 that’s back on the block almost instantly, and a one-owner ‘65 GTO with a history worth its weight in gold.
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Hemmings & Hagerty: Wasted Potential in the Auction Game?
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a lot of people asking why the Market Leaderboard (which we show from Tuesday to Friday) has only been featuring a max of four companies. The simple answer? We only include platforms that consistently sell five or more cars per day. There was a time when we’d see six, seven, even eight companies making the leaderboard. But since the start of the year, it’s been capped at four—Bring a Trailer, Collecting Cars, Cars & Bids, and Car & Classic.
Last week, we covered a lot about BaT and Cars & Bids, given all the news surrounding them. So today, I want to shift the focus to Hagerty and Hemmings—two platforms I’ve written about plenty in the past. Rather than rehashing old ground, let’s take a look at their future prospects and whether they have any chance of making a stronger showing in the auction space.
The Current Problem: Not Enough Volume
Looking at the next five days of auctions:
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Hemmings: 21 auctions ending (~4 per day)
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Hagerty: 10 auctions ending (~2 per day)
Here’s the issue—if you want people excited about your platform, you need a constant flow of new inventory. A few cars trickling in each day isn’t enough to generate momentum. And that’s a shame, because both of these companies are legacy brands with stellar reputations, and they each pull in nearly 3 million visitors per month.
Now, compare that to PCarMarket, which has 40 auctions closing over the next five days—averaging 8 per day—yet only gets 200k visitors per month. The difference? Focus.
Hustle vs. Complacency
PCarMarket is hungry. They put in the work, hustling every day to get cars listed and sold. Do they have the same brand recognition as Hemmings or Hagerty? No. But they grind to keep their auction platform moving.
Hemmings and Hagerty, on the other hand, have their hands in too many other pies—which, to be fair, are likely more lucrative. But from a consumer standpoint, it’s frustrating to watch so much potential being wasted.
The Fix? Get Serious
I’d love for both of them to come out and say:
“We haven’t taken auctions as seriously as we should, but that changes now. We’ve just hired X, Y, and Z, and we’re building a dedicated auction team. Our short-term and long-term goals are clear: We’re here to compete.”
If you want sellers and buyers to take your platform seriously, you need to show them that you’re serious.
For Hemmings, that means cutting out third-party car sellers from your publications and driving traffic back to your own auction listings. For Hagerty, that means aligning your strategy. You’ve invested in so many areas—including a stake in Classic.com, which also lists cars—so figure out your priorities and make a clear move.
The Frustrating Reality
Both of these platforms could easily get into the Market Leaderboard on a daily basis and truly compete—if they wanted to. They have the brand power, the audience, and the infrastructure. But do they have the will? That’s the question.

Auctions To Keep An Eye On This Week
This 1998 BMW M3 Coupe is about as close as you can get to a “factory fresh” E36—low mileage, a rare Euro-spec model, a proper 6-speed manual, and finished in Dakar Yellow. It’s the kind of M3 that rarely comes up for sale, and when it does, it commands attention—hence the strong bidding so far.
The Euro-spec models were a different breed from their U.S. counterparts. This one packs the 321-hp S50B32—a far cry from the detuned version Americans got—and comes with the sought-after 6-speed manual, making it an absolute driver’s car. With mostly original features and minimal modifications, it’s the kind of example collectors chase.
Of course, no special car comes without a little drama. The odometer controversy has been a talking point, with the illuminated tamper dot raising eyebrows. The seller has provided service records indicating a BMW dealer cluster replacement in Japan due to the common E36 dark-spot issue—and while the documentation appears consistent, it’s always something for buyers to investigate. Regardless, this is a rare and highly desirable M3 that checks nearly all the boxes.
With U.S. title in hand, this one’s already done the hard work of importation. Whether you’re looking for a pristine collector piece or a properly sorted driver, this Euro M3 is the real deal.
Well, that was quick. This 1992 Porsche 964 Carrera 2 Backdate was just up for auction last Thursday on BaT—didn’t meet reserve—and now, in record time, it’s already back on PCarMarket. I’ve seen fast turnarounds before, but this might take the cake.
Let’s rewind. This same car sold for $275,000 on PCarMarket in May 2023. Now, it’s back on the same platform, just days after failing to hit reserve on BaT, where the high bid stopped at $192,964. That’s quite a drop from its last sale price, and the big question is: Can it climb back up?
Mechanically, the car is top-tier. Built by Olsen Motorsports, it’s got a 4.0L flat-six, MoTeC ECU, JRZ coilovers, and Brembo brakes, not to mention the stunning metallic purple finish and an $80K investment from the current owner into interior upgrades and refinements. It’s got all the right ingredients, but is the market still as hot for high-dollar backdates?
Right now, the bidding is at $125,250 with four days to go. It’ll be fascinating to see if PCarMarket can do what BaT couldn’t—get this one over the line at a strong number.
You don’t see this every day—a true one-owner 1965 Pontiac GTO with a manual transmission, factory A/C, and detailed service records going back nearly 60 years. This is the kind of provenance that collectors dream about.
Originally purchased new from Sprague Pontiac in Chandler, Oklahoma, this GTO has lived a well-documented life across multiple states before being tucked away in climate-controlled storage in Florida since 2014. It got a repaint in Burgundy back in 1987, along with an engine rebuild, but aside from that, it’s been kept largely original.
A three-speed manual might not be the first transmission that comes to mind for a '65 GTO, but it's part of what makes this one unique. Plus, those original maintenance logs are worth their weight in gold—proving this car was owned and maintained by someone who truly cared.
Now, it's up for grabs, and the market will decide if originality and documentation outweigh the typical collector preference for a four-speed or Tri-Power setup. Either way, finding a GTO with this kind of history is super rare. I can’t wait to see the end of this auction today!
See you tomorrow.