Here’s How Much The Average Car Price On Bring A Trailer Fell Last Year

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If you thought Bring A Trailer was moving more volume, you aren’t imagining things. CNBC reports that more than 30,000 cars sold on Bring A Trailer last year, up 19 percent from 2022. That might explain why a Dodge Avenger traded on the platform just a few months back. At the same time, total value of sales is up just two percent to $1.4 billion. So what on earth is going on here?

On the whole, used car prices have been retreating from their meteoric pandemic highs, and that doesn’t just affect decade-old Corollas. From E46 BMW M3s to 997 Porsche 911s have been on the downswing, which may be affecting average values. In addition, Bring A Trailer has been auctioning off some cheaper cars, like a salvage title Ford Taurus, so that might affect things too. Either way, Bring A Trailer claims that the average vehicle price on the site fell from $59,500 to $54,000, a decrease of about 9.24 percent year-over-year.

Car prices are coming down, but investors in any venture want profits to go up. One way to do this? Add volume. Bring A Trailer charges a five percent buyer’s fee capped at $5,000 for every car sold on the platform, which means that auction fees don’t max out until a vehicle hammers for six figures. If the average hammer price is falling, sufficient volume can make up for lost revenue.

Avenger 9600 Gg

Of course, accepting more cars is a double-edged sword. Buying cars sight-unseen is a gamble, and loosening up the vetting process may result in more negative experiences that could hurt the brand. For instance, there are sellers on the platform that have been banned from other online auction sites. Generally, bad actors are far and few between in all instances of life, but it’s still something to be wary of on the internet.

If I may hazard a hypothesis, a combination of living expenses, and market fears may both play roles in the deflation of the enthusiast car market. During 2020, everything shut down, and so opportunities to spend money on travel and dining decreased, reducing expenses for some members of the public. In addition, federal stimulus resulted in some windfalls, which could have gone towards purchasing cool cars. However, that stimulus money came and went, everything opened back up, and we entered an inflationary period all at the same time, depleting the gains made during 2020. To rein in inflation, interest rates were raised, making it less easy to borrow money, and stoking fears of recession. When recession fears rise, the rich are more cautious, potentially meaning fewer discretionary car purchases.

996 46000 Gg

So what about the rest of us? What about typical people who just want a cool car? Well, as you probably know, life is expensive. As of December 2023, the Consumer Price Index climbed 3.4 percent year-over-year overall. While that’s slower than the 6.5 percent year-over-year increase we saw at the end of 2022, disinflation isn’t deflation. As it stands, the Consumer Price index doesn’t sit below previous levels, because we’ve seen year-over-year inflation slow but not reverse. The bottom line? A person earning the U.S. median income probably doesn’t have the same disposable income they did five years prior.

So where do we go from here? Well, Bring A Trailer feels optimistic. As CNBC reports:

[Bring A Trailer CEO Randy] Nonnenberg said this year’s sales are shaping up to be as good as or better than those of 2023, as prices stabilize and bidders gain confidence from potential interest rate cuts later in the year.

Possible interest rate cuts would make it easier to borrow money for a cool car, but remain a possibility rather than a certainty. If there’s anything that might tip the scales this year, it could be renewed interest for enthusiast cars due to the foretold end of the ICE age. In jurisdictions like California and Canada, every new vehicle is supposedly going plug-in for 2035. If you’ve always liked a certain car, and you’re being told there eventually won’t be any successors with similar powertrains, wouldn’t that make you want one sooner?

E46 28777 Gg

So, when’s the right time to buy a fun car, be it a Beetle or a Ferrari? Quite simply, it’s whenever you can afford it. Most cars aren’t made to be investments, they’re made to be enjoyed. If you can afford to buy, insure, fuel, store, and maintain a car you’ve always wanted, buy the damn thing. We aren’t getting any younger, so sing a song of living in 93 octane. Like premium toilet paper or fresh tangerines, if something makes your life more enjoyable, it’s probably worth having.

(Photo credits: Bring A Trailer)

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71 thoughts on “Here’s How Much The Average Car Price On Bring A Trailer Fell Last Year”

  1. They (BaT) changed owners two or three years ago, and that is when I noticed more and more stuff that I kind of went “huh, that is just a late model used car”.

    Just like eBay became less cool but started making more money I am sure when it went from mostly being collectors old stuff to entrepreneurs selling trinkets from China, I suppose they BaT management will be laughing all the way to the bank.

  2. I end up buying/bidding/selling on BaT from time to time and I’m always a bit stunned when I see things like very normal cars on there. I get it that a sale is a sale and all that jazz but it really doesn’t seem like the avenue for these kinds of vehicles. Cars and Bids is a little more catered that way but even still, other than the very weird zero mileage cars who’s bidding on a taurus that they’d have to ship home?

    1. It’s ironic that it used to be cars that needed a trailer and now it’s mostly more expensive cars…they should add “enclosed” to the trailer part

      1. right?! It was a super fun site to daydream on back in the day when I was a broke college kid thinking, hey I could fix that up!

        Obviously they did the right thing by getting into auctions though

  3. I did not know that BaT turned sellers away as evidenced by some previous comments, but that just goes to enforce my preconceived notion that BaT’s meteoric rise from ‘hey selling this project car, bring a trailer’ to ‘offering up for ownership exchange is this one-of-three supercar with double digit mileage where each revolution of the tire has been accounted for’ has been solely as a vehicle for money laundering, and a damn fine vehicle for money laundering it has been

    2. Every time someone mentions “money laundering”+”BaT” I have to ask how do you think that works? I just don’t understand it as the laundering part of crime is meant to the be low profile/risk part.

      1. It’s just a stupid joke I suppose based on the fact that cars go way over market and are often sold in the site over and over again in short periods of time. But if you give it any serious thought it makes. No sense at all.

      2. the way i perceive it, the two parties in the ‘sale’ are the same entity-like when a father ‘sells’ a car to his son for $1.00.oh sure, it *looks* like an auction, but at the end of the day, the ‘seller’ and the ‘buyer’ are in cahoots. the movement of the asset back and forth for exorbitant sums accounts for the illicit gains made elsewhere and effectively launders the money like a maytag.

        sure, there’s might be evidence to dispute this and i sound like a hack, but those are my guns and i’m sticking to them until i learn something to refute it. i’m not above changing my opinion with new information

        far as low risk/low profile- that might be the evidence enough to make me sound like i’m blowing smoke, but i think that BaT is on most/all car guys’ radar but not the general public’s

        1. Not the general public’s but the IRS/FBI/DEA is the issue. As Daniel mentions below, if you’re laundering, you’re laundering millions. I’d think your plan could work, but why not just use eBay or CL? BaT is higher profile than you might imagine, especially given the revenue in the last couple years.

          1. Agreed, unless I’m wildly mistaken about who’s laundering money (and I might be!) it’s organized crime laundering hundreds of thousands if not millions and doing it via BaT doesn’t reasonably scale up that high. As for it being occasional smaller amounts I don’t think John Q. corner meth dealer is bothering with laundering his money at all?

      3. I don’t really buy the money laundering angle either-I get how it’s theoretically supposed to work but the amount of effort -as it would require multiple fake bidder accounts to have any semblance of plausibility plus still having an actual car that is at least somewhat desirable that’s title and whatnot, like there must be easier ways to clean $20K in cash

  4. I am hoping the reduced prices on the auction sites helps reduce the prices on the non-auction sites. I would like to pick up an older project vehicle, and I’ve grown quite tired of people listing their worn-out, garbage version for five times what it is worth simply because a pristine, low-mileage, museum-quality version went for some idiotic number on BaT.

    1. I don’t think prices will go down very astronomically. There are so many people who are waiting on price, and so many more people who want these older cars, that someones threshold of “cheap enough” will always be higher.

    2. Sadly I think we’ve all fallen prey to the BaT numbers-I bought a project 1983 BMW 533i a couple years ago for what was in hindsight too much money off of craigslist; because I hadn’t seen them anywhere but BaT thought I’d gotten a good deal with room to improve it and increase value-but then I discovered all the project BMWs are now being sold on Facebook Marketplace and nothing is currently moving and as you point out everything is way overpriced relative to condition-I assume because of BaT.

  5. Accepting more cars? News to me. They rejected our really nice 12k mile Dodge Dart twice last year. BaT now is more like a clique where the same dealers and flippers get everything they submit accepted over and over.

    1. “BaT now is more like a clique where the same dealers and flippers get everything they submit accepted over and over.”

      You see so many cars on there that will only travel from bunker to bunker while accumulating less than 3 digits in mileage between sellers. They’re Pokemon trading cards for the 1%.

    2. Yeah, they lowered their standards after the Hearst buyout, from about 35% acceptance to closer to 60%. Not sure what it is now, as I was heading for the door right after the takeover. They also couldn’t hire any additional auction specialists while talks were happening. They already had a huge backlog of cars, because there weren’t enough auction specialists to handle the volume already, and then they just started accepting a lot more cars (to make more money to recoup their investment, presumably).
      Dealers were much easier to work with. Generally had their act together, so they jump the line. The back and forth that would happen between the auction specialists and the sellers was sometimes excruciating, trying to explain to them why they can’t submit pictures from two years ago, or trying to get a Carfax out of them (before they were added automatically).

  6. I tend to keep an eye on the non-exotic Italian metal going through BAT and lately it’s been a bit concerning how many lots aren’t meeting reserve. This seems to be as common for the more pedestrian stuff as it is for the high end vintage cars. Something that would have gone for 60 or 70 a year ago will make it to 40 or so and miss the reserve. I’ve also seen a case or two of the carpassing reserve, but the buyer fails to come through with the money.

  7. I’ve sold three vehicles on BaT and purchased one as a normal everyday person, not a dealer or flipper. First, a Jeep Comanche, didn’t meet reserve but I made a deal with the top bidder. Second a Mini which didn’t meet reserve. The third my grandfather’s Euro Ferrari 308gtsi, met reserve. Buyers were delighted. Also purchased a BMW e38 for my parents, we got a great deal on a very highly optioned one that wasn’t the configuration that most people want.

    I quite like the platform, there are lots of cars for many different price ranges. I ignore the high end and new stuff, but am subscribed for email alerts on quite a few more down to earth models.

  8. I sold my Mazdaspeed 3 on Cars and Bids back in July and the final price was definitely lower than similar cars that sold just a year before, and so far that trend hasn’t slowed down. I got the price I wanted but was hoping for more. If I sold it maybe 6 months earlier I likely would have got more for it.

  9. I can’t speak to all the cars on BaT, but I’ve been looking for a first gen Bronco for my father, who owned two in the 70’s, and the prices have really softened. There are still Broncos that go for over 80k (usually pristine or that have a Coyote engine) but a nice example was 55k two years ago seems to max out at around 40k now. Most of them get the dreaded RNM ending. Until people realize that these don’t seem to be as in demand anymore they will not be moving onto a new owner.

  10. I look on there most days at certain makes and models and have seen a lot that is being resold months after being bought on BAT. Like, “Hey, was that old whatever just on here a few months ago?”

  11. Most of the collectors I know (5+ cars) are well over 60 and I believe there is less overall interest among younger generations.
    Those collectors won’t be with us a whole lot longer and their estates will dump a glut of mid-range pre-80s cars on the market (muscle cars, antiques, imports). The values will continue to drop and unfortunately some vehicles won’t be able to find a home.

    Of course that is good news for younger enthusiasts with some cash and an interest in cars of that era.

    1. I’m not sure where the interested enthusiasts from for some of those cars will come from unless prices drop very low.

      I grew up with car shows full of muscle cars and hot rods. I have no desire to own either. (OK… sometimes tempted by a resto-mod, but not to the point of checking my account balances.)

        1. I haven’t followed as much, I bought the last of the cheap drivers I think, for not much over 2k in about 2014, I knew they went up after that. I kind of thought I might have noticed them going back down to earth lately, but I haven’t been watching that closely lately

      2. I agree. In the 80s I grew up with shows full of muscle cars. Those cars still dominate nearly all shows. To me it’s meh. We got a long time left I think. Lots of boomers are just retiring, with several decades of play time ahead, perfect for shows. Early gen x ers had used muscle cars as their first car too.

        I’m thankful for Radwood and similar shows, and the enthusiasm is growing. Back to the 80s Minnesota has had to change venues twice at least, due to growth. But those shows are few and far between at least in the Midwest. I think it’s gonna be decades before cars of my generation dominate. And the muscle cars are not so desirable.

        1. Well said. This gen Xer who lived through the used muscle and malaise era, I have NO interest in collecting American muscle cars. The only thing I would want from before 1990 is a saab sonett.

    2. Less overall interest in older cars, sure, but I’m seeing tons of younger enthusiasts at every Radwood show I’ve attended. Interest has just shifted more towards newer cars. E30s and Fox Mustangs are climbing in value while Tri-5 Chevys are declining.

      1. Radwood is a little different. That type of show seems to celebrate oddities – which aren’t necessarily desirable (and therefore they’re cheap). The muscle cars stashed in collections are probably all variants of five car models. All the owners think they are an appreciating asset thanks to a few big numbers at Barrett Jackson and the families are in for a surprise when all of these number-matching ‘rarities’ hit the market at the same time.

        1. I disagree. Have you actually attended any Radwood shows? At least out here in CA there’s plenty of the “hero” cars from the era with skyrocketing values at those shows – AMG Mercedes, Porsches, Supras, Skylines, etc. Cars and Bids auctions from that era exclusively and last I checked they were giving Bring a Trailer a run for their money.

    3. I’ve always felt that there’s a market for people who grew up and were able to buy the cars of their youth that they couldn’t afford then. Or maybe one they never had. When I was a teen in the 90s it was all about muscle cars from the 60s and 70s. Who was buying those cars? Guys in their 50s, that were young when those cars were new. Look at the market for 90s and 2000s import tuner stuff, now that were all in our 40s. Those were the muscle cars of my era. Now my generation is paying way too much money for an Integra Type R or what not. So what happens when the muscle car guys die off? Which is not far out. Who covets those cars? Someone born in 2005? Who has to have Apple car play? Who can’t drive a stick? Who can’t back up without a camera? Who is startled by the rumble of a big carbureted (what’s that?) V8? Because they’re used to the effeminate piped “whir” of their EV? Joking aside. Someday, as these cars fall further back into history, they become more of a curiosity, as a technological time stamp of their day and less an actual driver’s car to be enjoyed.

      1. I grew up with pre-war cars because my Dad collected them. I still have a soft spot for them but all the intrepid adventurers of the Great Generation who would take a 1924 Packard on tour across 5 states are long gone. If you own that car today it’s only good for parades, the occasional local car show, and weddings.

    4. In my area, vintage muscle cars still rule the car shows, and hence the shows are boring. I took my minty 90 Jeep Comanche Eliminator to one of these shows and the person directing cars into the show was really confused that I would enter such a new vehicle into a show. My primary interest is 80s and 90s cars but there are a few older vehicles I’d love to own. A Jeep forward control, or a big prewar Packard type vehicle would be much fun.

      There will be a time where classic muscle will go down in value to the level of what people that didn’t grow up with them will find interest in them.

    5. So I think you are hitting on something here as it tracks with what I’ve seen/experienced. the guys I know in their 70s love to collect. they have 6-7-8-10 cars that just sit. They love to talk about them, show them off, but they haven’t driven them since they bought them. Others I know in their 40s – 50s love cars just as much and they can afford a collection, but they buy cars to drive and enjoy like me. 1-2 cars that are fun and when they aren’t driven, they are sold.

      Seems like the older generation loves to collect, covet, possess things. The younger generations love to drive and experience them. That’s why I see so many younger people passing up no-mile examples of fun cars for examples that are more driven. Cause what am I going to do with a pristine never driven example… sit it in my garage and stare at it? So the older guys all sell their cars amongst themselves. My FIL buys and sells as a hobby and it’s always from/to older people. Even the rare s2000 he buys ends up being sold to someone in their 60s. To sit for another 10 years.

      1. I had never thought of it as an age thing but I think you have something there because younger people tend toward experiences rather than possessions. Some people have DO NOT TOUCH signs all over their antique cars but I always see the car as a ticket to adventure so I invite kids to get their picture in the drivers seat. My friends tend to be drivers and will take their classic car down a dirt logging road to see where it goes. Since many of us are somewhat older, I guess we are just pioneers.

        1. I think it is more generational. The boomers love stuff. To them it represents success. They measure themselves and eachother by what they own, how big their house is, etc.

          Younger generations are more interested in the interactions they have/can have with the people and world around them. Less stuff, smaller homes, more experience.

          Anecdotal example. My FIL (boomer) loves Costco steaks. The bigger the better, he is even fine if they come frozen. Looks great on a plate. I prefer to spend the same amount of money on a smaller, marbled, fresh cut from the local market. Tastes much better and who really needs 18 ounces of beef on their plate. It translates into homes, cars, etc. It’s all very interesting.

    6. I dream of owning a cheap E-type. As a tail end boomer, the older boomers have been chasing it out of my price range my whole life. There aren’t too many guys much you get than than me that care much about cars with chrome bumpers.

  12. I bought a 911SC off of Evilbay sight unseen just over ten years ago and ended up with a sweetheart of a car sold by a guy who knew very little about 911s. If he did, he could have made the ad more attractive to Porsche enthusiasts. I won on that one, but could have easily gotten burned so it just worked out.
    On the flipside, even though the car was great it was hiding dark secrets like the pink anal beads we found under the passenger seat next to two empty beer cans. Guess the PO loved to party???

      1. For a while now I’d been looking for a nice one with a Triomatic. Yeah, I know, for any sensible person there are at least two problems with those requirements.

          1. Did it have the Triomatic, a.k.a. the Hondamatic H2? I understand there are something like four Acclaims already in the US but they all have five-speed manuals for some reason…

  14. Wonder what the average price of the listings reserve not met, bet its much higher. Been browsing BaT since the early days, like when there were maybe 20 listings in total. Since they sold out it’s the mutant child of Carmax & Sotheby’s. Tired of seeing brand new cars people are flipping. Half the buyers are dealers and flippers. There’s just way too many listings it’s overload and a ADM & dealer options on a Kia is a better deal than what stuff goes for. Not ready to get into Cars & Bids as it’s mostly BaT rejects and sketchy cars.

    1. I found and bought three cars via BaT years ago, before it became an auction site:

      https://bringatrailer.com/2008/12/20/rare-uk-import-1982-mg-metro/

      https://bringatrailer.com/2012/08/20/non-usa-1983-austin-maestro/

      https://bringatrailer.com/2015/11/04/never-seen-one-1982-austin-allegro-3/

      and even wrote a Success Story about one of them:

      https://bringatrailer.com/2010/06/25/bat-success-story-1982-mg-metro-hauler/

      but yeah, it’s… different now.

    2. Checking BaT used to be part of my morning routine back in the days before it was even an auction site at all. I even still liked checking it even in the early days of it being an auction site. But now there’s way too many people trying to flip new cars and listings that make me go “why did they even accept this” to make me really want to casually browse it.

    3. Too many listings, indeed. I visit from time to time, but it feels impossible to have an overview of what’s up for sale at any time. FOMO precludes me from bidding even if I find something I might like.

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