Most car sales today take place at least partially online, whether it’s researching models before going to the dealer, perusing Bring a Trailer listings or putting a reservation down for your new Bronco. But now that the pandemic has canceled car auctions across the country, high-end auction houses are wondering: will collectors still shell out over the internet?
The answer, as we learned this week, is a resounding yes.
Gooding & Co. recently held an online-only auction in which a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose sold for an eye-watering $3.08 million, setting a record for the most expensive car sold entirely online, according to Bloomberg. It proves that the classic car market, an investment arena that’s gained popularity in recent years, hasn’t been hobbled by the fallout from COVID-19.
On the other hand, this particular Ferrari might be a bit of an anomaly.
“I think this car is virus-proof in the sense that it is a really, really exceptional 275,” David Gooding, president and CEO of Gooding & Co., told Bloomberg. “It’s basically an all-original car with an original interior, a lot of original paint, and long-term ownership.”
Additionally, even though this is a record-breaking sale, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Leading into the sale, the ‘66 Ferrari was appraised between $2.75 million and $3.25 million, and ended just north of the middle.
If you want to see what you missed out on, Gooding walked through the car in a video on the auction house’s YouTube page:
But as the vertical video shows, it looks like these auction houses still have a little more to learn about selling cars online.
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