Auctions America readies ‘virtual live’ all-Internet sale

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A 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe is described as “like-new” | Auctions America
A 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe is described as “like-new” | Auctions America
A 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe described as “like-new” will be part of the online auction | Auctions America

Auctions America launches a new kind of collector-car auction Friday with a live sale that takes place entirely online.

The one-day, BidAnywhere auction starts at 1 p.m. ET with 65 vehicles for sale. There will be a live auctioneer calling the bids, but potential buyers will place their bids remotely, from anywhere in the world, through an exclusive platform created by Proxibid, the online marketplace that specializes in high-value merchandise.

The auction vehicles will not be available for inspection before or during the “live virtual” auction. However, each of them appear on the Auctions America website with descriptions and extensive photos, plus first-person condition reports from Auction America specialists who have inspected the cars and trucks and who will be available to answer questions.

A 1960 AC Bristol roadster is a 'barn-find' offering | Auctions America
A 1960 AC Bristol roadster is a ‘barn-find’ offering | Auctions America

“Bidders can participate confidently, knowing vehicles have been reviewed by qualified experts,” according to Auctions America.

The mostly mid-level collector cars include a number of pre-war entries, such as the highest-valued car of the auction, an award-winning 1937 Cadillac V16 Custom Imperial that was used by the MGM Studios car to transport movie stars of the era, including Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh during the filming of Gone with the Wind. The Cadillac is valued between $200,000 and $250,000.

Another pre-war car of interest is an early production 1928 Ford Model A “AR” rumble-seat roadster that’s described as restored to original condition.

Sports car highlights include a 1971 Porsche 911E coupe, a “like-new” 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe, a 1991 Ferrari Testarossa, a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, a 1964 Jaguar E-Type convertible, and a 1976 Triumph TR6.

American muscle and performance cars feature a “highly original” 1987 Buick GNX, a 1968 AMC AMX, a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS convertible, a 1966 Corvette roadster, a 1968 Shelby GT350 fastback and a 1970 Pontiac GTO 455 HO Ram Air coupe.

The 1970 Pontiac GTO 455 HO Ram Air coupe is fully optioned | Auctions America
The 1970 Pontiac GTO 455 HO Ram Air coupe is fully optioned | Auctions America

A number of intriguing “barn find” cars are on the docket, such as a 1960 AC Ace Bristol roadster offered at no reserve, a 1953 Aston Martin DB2 coupe, a 1969 Intermeccannica Omega sports coupe and a 1964 Buick Riviera.

There are also such unusual items as a 1935 Gar Wood 16-Foot speed boat, a lavishly built Slot Mods slot-car track and a 1943 Borward cargo truck.

All-Internet collector-car auctions are seen as a possible wave of the future by collector-car experts, who note the highly successful virtual sale by auction veteran Rick Cole during Monterey’s classic car week in August. In that auction, the cars were presented for inspection in a hotel ballroom but all the bidding took place remotely.

A German art-auction house, Auctionata, will stage its first sale of classic cars via an online auction November 28 from its headquarters in Berlin.

Online auctions might be a new thing for collector cars, but highly valued items such as exclusive jewelry and fine-art objects are often auctioned by Internet events, and now the collector car marketplace is following suit.

For more information about Auction America’s BidAnywhere auction, and to read the condition reports of the auction vehicles, see auctionsamerica.com/events.