WHY I DID NOT SLEEP LAST NIGHT

Yesterday was a massive session on the digital boards, with over $5.67M shifting hands across 21 six-figure lots. Even with Monterey Car Week wrapped up, the market is not showing any signs of a post-summer hangover. High-end collectors are refusing to sit on their hands, particularly when low-mileage analog icons and rare track weapons cross the auction block.

The big story yesterday was the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS Lightweight pulling a massive $812,500 on Bring a Trailer. This sale proves that high-grade, documented air-cooled blue-chips are still the absolute gold standard when collectors want a safe place to park capital. Meanwhile, modern high-spec supercars are holding their ground, with duPont REGISTRY Live bringing home a heavy hitter and Lamborghini proving its late-model V12 dominance.

VEHICLE SPOTLIGHT

2021 McLaren 765LT

• Sold Price: $635,250
• Auction House: duPont REGISTRY Live
• Provenance & Spec Notes: Finished in MSO Curacao Blue over carbon fiber racing seats with extensive lightweight options, this LT is a visual and mechanical masterclass.

LT models are the smart money bet in the modern McLaren catalog. While standard 720S values have softened, the 765LT has stayed highly resilient due to its restricted production and insane performance dynamics. This particular example pulled a strong $635,250, showing that buyers are still willing to pay a major premium for a highly optioned, bespoke MSO spec.

THE LEADER BOARD

The high-end market remains highly active, with Bring a Trailer driving the massive unit volume and duPont REGISTRY Live dominating the ultra-high average sale prices.

WHAT TO WATCH

Air-Cooled Porsche 911s

Following the staggering $812,500 result for the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS Lightweight and yesterday's $385,500 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo sale, all eyes are on the air-cooled market. There are several highly documented 993 Turbos and 964s closing today and tomorrow. Watch the reserve levels closely; the momentum from yesterday indicates that high-grade, original paint air-cooled models are reclaiming their premium status as physical hedges.

Modern-Classic V12s

With a 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Coupe hammering for $707,500 yesterday, the market for naturally aspirated, late-2000s supercars is white-hot. Keep a close eye on any gated-manual conversion lots closing over the next 48 hours. Bidders are aggressively targeting cars that combine a traditional manual shifter with high-horsepower V12 engines, and the premium for these conversions is starting to match or exceed factory-manual pricing.

DATA CORNER

The entry-level six-figure market ($100k - $250k) continues to be the highest-velocity segment, moving 94 units this week. However, the upper tiers are doing the heavy lifting by volume, supported by exceptional multi-million dollar results that keep the market average elevated.

• $100k - $250k: 94 sales (led by Bring a Trailer with 80 sales)
• $250k - $500k: 28 sales
• $500k - $750k: 9 sales
• $750k - $1M: 5 sales
• $1M - $2M: 1 sale
• $2M+: 1 sale

TOP MOVERS

These were the key high-end sales completed yesterday:

WHAT'S COMING UP THIS WEEK

The post-Monterey dust has settled, but the online market is absorbing unsuccessful bidders who missed out on live-auction lots in California. Digital platforms are dropping major late-summer catalogs this week. Expect to see several prominent modern hypercars and low-mileage manual exotics go live on duPont REGISTRY Live and Bring a Trailer as sellers look to capitalize on the highly active post-Car Week audience.

Additionally, catalog drops are coming online this week for the upcoming physical Labor Day weekend sales, including RM Sotheby's Auburn Fall auction. Domestic muscle car collectors and vintage sports car enthusiasts should start reviewing these early listings now, as early online bidding opens ahead of the physical event.

Catch you tomorrow,

dRew

Data disclaimer: All data represents completed online-only auction sales of $100,000 USD or above tracked over the rolling 7-day period ending August 20, 2026.