It was bound to happen someday. I have been interested in Japanese cars since I was 7 years old, but up until now, I have only owned models that were sold here in the U.S. I have driven right-hand-drive JDM cars, and friends have imported cars from Japan. I even […]
Collecting Thoughts
Plugging In
Change is inevitable. It can be a difficult truth, but what works now won’t work forever. Converting classic cars to electric power isn’t entirely new — half-baked electric Porsche 914 conversions and the like have been home-brewed in garages for decades. But today’s evolved electric vehicle technology means that electrified […]
Unconsciously Bought
I bought a new addition for my automobile collection from RM Sotheby’s at its recent Amelia Island sale. Parked in a corner of the viewing tents was a dark blue 1934 Tatra 77 that, through some combination of pheromones and kismet, I knew was going home with me. I have written […]
Gotcha! Online auction commentary proves the devil is in the details
Although the first rule of the internet is “never read the comments,” it is precisely these comments that make Bring a Trailer so much more compelling than most online auction sites. If a car is noteworthy, the comments regularly number in the hundreds. Of course, we all try to guess […]
Stamp of Approval
Last month, we looked at various factory-supported programs that provide certifications of originality, condition and provenance of collector cars. But those are not the only “stamps of approval” out there. There are also third-party services that provide inspections and documentation to help establish authenticity, although these vary in scope even […]
Factory Blessings
Among the many qualities that confer value upon a collector car, none is as important — or open to dispute — as provenance. The term refers to evidence that a vehicle is what a seller claims it is, and that any notable history of the car can be proven to […]
The $500 Million Endowment
In early November 2022, McPherson College announced that an anonymous donor had made an extraordinary endowment gift to the school. This record-breaking, potentially $500 million donation is the largest single commitment ever made to a liberal-arts college. This news thrust the small Kansas-based school into the headlines. It is notable […]
Turning the Corner
As far as time-travel fantasies go, buying up used cars before they became collectible may not seem quite as clever as betting on the World Series or investing in Apple when its stock was trading at $15. But to most car enthusiasts, there’s no question that being able to easily […]
Classic-Car Heist Spoiled
I have always used a collector car as a daily driver. It makes little errands a bit more joyful, and having the car out in public invites conversations wherever I go. My current car is a 1974 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 1.3, which I’ve been using since 2015 without any incident […]
That’s Show Business
In early August, Barrett-Jackson announced that IMG had acquired a 55% interest in the collector-car auction company. The sale price of $261,250,000 gives Barrett-Jackson a total valuation of $475m. However, what makes this story about more than money is the strategic fit between IMG and Barrett-Jackson and how that will […]