1. Today's Take

If you were watching the digital boards yesterday, you saw a massive $5.67M shift hands across 21 six-figure cars. Monterey Car Week wrapped up just a few days ago, and instead of the usual post-event hangover, we are seeing serious liquidity flow straight back into the online market. Bidders who did not raise their paddles in California are clearly back at their desks with dry powder to burn.

Yesterday’s action was led by a staggering $812,500 result for a legendary air-cooled icon and a $707,500 hammer for an analogue V12 favorite. This is a clear indicator that the momentum from the physical lawns is carrying over seamlessly into the online space, where highly specified, clean collector cars continue to command serious premiums.

2. Vehicle Spotlight of the Day

• Vehicle: 2021 McLaren 765LT
• Hammer Price: $635,250 USD
• Auction House: duPont REGISTRY Live
• Spec: Finished in Curacao Blue over carbon-fiber bucket seats, loaded with extensive McLaren Special Operations (MSO) bespoke options.

With only 765 units produced worldwide, the McLaren 765LT is already cementing its place as one of the ultimate modern track weapons. This particular example features a heavy selection of carbon fiber and bespoke options from MSO, pushing the final hammer price to $635,250 on duPont REGISTRY Live.

This sale is an excellent data point for the modern supercar market. While the newer 750S is currently sitting on showroom floors, collectors are paying a premium for the limited-run LT series because of its raw, track-focused dynamics and low production numbers. It shows that serious buyers are prioritizing rarity and limited-run build sheets over the latest-generation depreciation curve.

3. Auction House Roundup (7-Day Rolling $100k+ Average Sale Price Leaderboard)

We are looking at two entirely different business models operating at the top of the digital food chain. duPont REGISTRY Live is executing a highly curated, low-volume, ultra-premium model, averaging a massive $548,347 per sale over 17 transactions. Meanwhile, Bring a Trailer continues to act as the heavy engine room of the hobby, moving $28M across 113 lots at a very healthy $248,268 average. Cars & Bids sits comfortably as the go-to platform for modern enthusiast cars, maintaining a steady $153,941 average.

4. What to Watch (Auctions Closing Today & Tomorrow)

Bidding momentum remains incredibly strong as the market processes the post-Monterey landscape. Buyers and sellers should keep a close eye on these two key trends closing today and tomorrow:

• Analog V12 and Manual-Swapped Classics: Following the $707,500 result for the 2007 Murcielago LP640 Coupe yesterday and the manual-converted LP640 Roadster that sold earlier in the week for $708,500, analog V12s are the market's current darlings. Watch active auctions closing today and tomorrow for gated manual conversions or rare factory manual supercars. The premium for three pedals paired with a naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder is holding firm, and bidders are treating these as long-term inflation hedges.
• Air-Cooled Airtime: With a 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo pulling $385,500 and a 1973 Carrera RS Lightweight hitting $812,500 yesterday, air-cooled Porsches are showing zero signs of cooling down. Bidders watching the boards today should watch the late-90s 993-generation listings closing this weekend to see if reserves continue to push higher or if buyers start resisting the current price run-up.

5. High-End Price Breakdown & Valuation Spread (7-Day Rolling Context)

Over the past 7 days, the high-end online collector car market achieved a massive total volume of $38,555,071.85 across 138 sales of $100,000+.

The market continues to find its foundation in the $100k-$250k tier, which accounted for 94 of the total 138 sales. This tier is the true engine room of the collector market, where highly optioned modern sports cars and clean restomods trade daily. However, the upper tiers are where we see the battle of the platforms. duPont REGISTRY Live captured the highest tier with a monumental $3.72M sale of a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, proving that elite collectors are comfortable buying seven-figure assets online without the theater of a live physical auction room.

6. Market Movers (Yesterday's Key Sales Highlights)

7. What's Coming Up This Week

As we move deeper into late August, the collector car market is in an interesting transitional phase. With Monterey behind us, the physical auction houses are quiet as they prepare their fall catalogs, leaving a massive window of opportunity for online platforms. Bidders returning from summer vacations are looking to deploy capital, and we are expecting to see a high volume of quality consignments hit Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids, and duPont REGISTRY Live over the next seven days.

For serious collectors, this late-August stretch is one of the best times of the year to hunt for overlooked lots in the $100k-$250k range. While the spotlight is off the multi-million dollar physical events, many sellers who missed out on consigning for the summer blockbusters are listing their clean, highly optioned drivers online. Focus on verifying history files, look for well-documented ownership, and prepare your bidding strategies for the upcoming fall catalog drops.

Catch you tomorrow,

dRew