Success Stories

This Success Story comes to us from OttoBob, who won this 2003 BMW 325i Sport sedan from SterlingM5 in an April 2025 BaT auction:
I really have to thank Tim Morris of German Master Tech in Bend, Oregon, for suggesting I look at this car. Tim has been working on my BMWs for many years. A couple of years ago, I acquired an E46 convertible that lives at my Southern California home. It’s Orient Blue with a gray leather interior and—unusual for me—an automatic transmission. I reasoned it was beneficial for driving on the 101 and 405.

This Success Story comes to us from TwinFourBarrels, who won this 2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata Sport from CVLC in an April 2025 BaT auction:
I had been looking for a two-seat roadster for a little while with the intent to fly out and drive it home. I didn’t consider a car in Washington State initially (given that I am based in Florida), but to my delight, I wasn’t outbid on this one. I shared the news with my good buddy, who also happened to have an ND Miata finished in the identical shade of Soul Red Crystal Metallic, and we quickly organized flights and itineraries for our trip out west.

BaT member Govehillbill recently wrote in with an update on the 1967 Volvo 122S that he won in April 2025:
I recently purchased a 1967 Volvo 122S on Bring a Trailer. It was an unrestored, low-mileage, original car located in Oregon and had been an one-owner car until 2025. There were lots of pictures, and the seller was helpful answering my questions. Still, buying a vehicle sight unseen across the country was a challenge for me. Things went very smoothly after the auction, and I received the car about a week later.

10/7/25 Update: BaT user NIACC wrote in last year to tell us about the 1957 BMW Isetta 300 that he won from campari in a March 2024 BaT auction. Now he’s back to share a few improvements he’s made to it since then!
NIACC writes:
I’ve had a lot of cool cars over the years, but none get the universal attention that this Isetta does whenever it leaves the garage. And after a bit of a learning curve, it has proven to be quite reliable.

This Success Story comes to us from BaT member MPM97turbo, who won this 2010 Mini Cooper convertible from robiemini73 in a May 2025 BaT auction:
Anyone who has gone down the rabbit hole of searching for a good used Mini is in for quite the journey. From how the car was driven to the year, specific model, engine, transmission, mileage, and maintenance records—all of it matters. There were even mid-year changes that could make a big difference. Searching on the Intraweb can make the predicament both easier and worse. It’s overwhelming.

This Success Story comes to us from BaT member Dwathencars, who won this 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider conversion from silverarrowcarsltd in a May 2025 BaT auction:
I’ve wanted a Daytona Spider ever since an acquaintance pulled into my driveway with his as I was replacing the water pump on my first (of many) E-Types some 50(!) years ago. I’ve definitely indulged in fun cars over the years; this is the seventh collector car in our “fleet,” which covers various themes—convertible, sporty, fast, fun to drive on tours, and kept in a condition that we could drive across the country tomorrow at a moment’s notice. That’s the goal, anyway! Our oldest is a 1938 Jaguar SS100 that I’m in year four of restoring and just starting to reassemble. Our fastest (until the Daytona) was our 1964 289 Cobra.

Back in January 2023, BaT member J3ter won this 2003 BMW M5 Dinan S2 from RocketTurtle, and he recently wrote in with a Success Story about it:
I’ve always considered myself an E39 enthusiast, having put thousands of miles on my father’s ’99 540i over the years. Living close to the BMW factory in Spartanburg, I’ve driven plenty of modern M cars—ones with massive power and tech—at their track events, but I had never experienced what made the E39 M5 so special.

This Success Story comes to us from BaT member racecityusa, who won a 2014 Audi TTS Roadster Quattro from CARFINDERDAVID in an April 2025 BaT auction:
I’ve purchased six cars (and sold one) on BaT, so I’m definitely a BaT Alumnus! My latest purchase was a 2014 Audi TTS Roadster for my wife of 52 years. My wife has always loved convertibles and has owned many during our marriage. In 2009, I purchased an almost-new Audi TTS roadster for her from a local high-end pre-owned dealership. It was black over red and equipped with an automatic transmission. She loved the car very much and called it “Just So.” I even had a vanity license plate made for it. Everyone in our Ohio community knew Just So, as did the North Carolina community near Charlotte, where we moved in 2013. This was her primary car for 10 years. By 2019, we were getting older, the area traffic was getting busier, and the car’s technology was feeling dated, so she sold it. Much to my regret, I helped her make that decision.

BaT member Txcarguy recently wrote in with a Success Story about the 1999 Porsche Boxster that he won from BaT Local Partner collectiveauto in a July 2025 BaT auction.
He writes:
For many years, owning a Porsche had been a dream of mine. After years of saving and imagining the moment, that dream started to turn into a reality (and the adventure of a lifetime) when this 1999 Porsche 986 Boxster with just 40,608 miles appeared on Bring a Trailer at no reserve. It was finally time to take the plunge. After a spirited bidding war, the car was mine. Nothing could wipe the smile off my face that day.