Author: John Mayhead
An interesting snippet of information from the Hagerty AutoIntel analysts crossed my desk last week: live auctions seem to be clawing back some of the trade from their online-only counterparts with average prices up 18 percent, number of vehicles offered increased by seven percent and sell-through rates up three points. For online auctions, there’s been a drop of two percent in average price, vehicles offered is down four percent , and sell-through rates have remained within a percentage point.
This is interesting. Since Covid, online auctions have led the way, especially in the US, where the vast majority of online auctions take place, thanks to the behemoth that is Bring-A-Trailer (BAT). Pre-Covid in 2019, the US live auction market was worth $1.1BN and online sales $266M. By the end of last year, both had grown but online auctions had overtaken their tradition rivals: live accounted for $1.76BN, online for $1.8BN. By the end of May 2025, this had flipped again: live $957M, online $819M.
So, what’s happening? First off, it could be a seasonal thing. The biggest live auction in the world is the Mecum Kissimmee sale every January, and the first half of any year always includes the Scottsdale, Paris and other major live auctions. Broad Arrow has completed four major live auctions this year, including The Amelia in March, Air/Water in April and the Villa d’Este auction in May. Plus, there’s one huge silver elephant in the room: in February, RM Sotheby’s sold the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Stromlinienwagen (streamliner) for a shade over €51M in Stuttgart back in February, which would have had an impact on the average live sale price. Also, online auctions tend to be more seasonal, with a higher number of sales taking place in the summer months of the northern hemisphere.
But there may also be something else at work here, as these conditions don’t account for the reduced number of cars consigned online. Just as Covid forced people online, go to any car show and you sense that people want the live experience again. Last week, I attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and it was absolutely buzzing; it felt like a return to form after years of stagnation.
So, although online auctions are here to stay, the experience of actually seeing a car in the flesh and the adrenaline rush that accompanies raising a bidding paddle in a crowded saleroom is, in my opinion, impossible to match. Broad Arrow agrees – when you’re next at the Hagerty Clubhouse at Bicester, walk another 50 metres to the new Broad Arrow showroom and see what they have in stock.
Do you prefer to buy your cars in person or online? Let us know at hdc@hagerty.co.uk