Success Stories

This Success Story comes to us from BaT member mpage3245, who won this 2002 BMW M5 from ABCar in a May 2025 BaT auction:
I wasn’t planning to spend what I did on a 24-year-old BMW…but the heart wants what the heart wants. I set a hard stop limit during the auction, but somewhere in between the adrenaline and the denial, I kept clicking “bid” until my name sat at the top. Once the hammer dropped, my pulse slowed and a familiar buyer’s remorse crept in. Was the car really worth it? The seller, Andy from ABCar, assured me it was. “Come see it,” he said. “You’ll understand.” I talked my wife into flying with me to Michigan to pick up the car, and off we went.

This Success Story comes to us from BaT member Catman1978, who won this 2017 Audi R8 V10 Plus Coupe from M.Dolby in a July 2025 BaT auction:
Like many people, I was hooked on the Audi R8 when I saw it on the road for the first time in 2008. The body lines, the side blades, and the sound of its V10 were amazing. Over the years, I had dreamed of owning one, but life just didn’t align until recently. I’d been watching and bidding on cars on BaT for the last two years, but hadn’t made it to the “finish line” until a couple of months ago. I purchased a 2017 Plus coupe with 17k miles on it. To be honest, I had never driven one before the purchase, but I knew I’d love it.

This Success Story comes from BaT member RRawpower, who provided an update on this 1994 Porsche 968 coupe that he won from BaT seller and Local Partner the_patina_group back in March 2024.
He writes:
When I first got the car, my red 968 appeared to be the only one around at the few PCA-LA region events and PCA-OCR Concours events I attended. But so much has happened since then, culminating with my first long-distance drive from Los Angeles to Monterey for the annual PCA Werks Reunion, followed by BaT’s Alumni Gathering at Laguna Seca Raceway in 2024.

BaT member Bigmotorssmallcar last wrote to us about his love for Fjord Blue BMWs —specifically his 1974 3.0CS. He’s back with another Success Story, this time on the 1973 Porsche 911S Sportomatic coupe that he won from quuentinleblondmecanicus in a June 2025 BaT auction; he recently took delivery of the car from France.
I was not in the market for another project. Like many do, I was perusing BaT late one June evening when I was struck by the color combo on this F-body 911S—Gemini Metallic Blue over a beige leather interior. And it was a Sportomatic. If it were a five-speed car, I would’ve ignored it, but a Sportomatic? It was a wounded bird that I simply couldn’t resist. I immediately drilled into the gallery and went straight to the undercarriage photos—always where the truth is told.

This Success Story comes to us from BaT member laffman, who won this 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350SE Signature Edition coupe from BaT seller and Local Partner the_patina_group in an August 2025 BaT auction:
The Bring a Trailer platform has become the premier place for serious collectors, and my recent experience with this 2020 Shelby GT350SE confirmed why. The thrill of bidding on BaT is something most enthusiasts understand: the countdown and the adrenaline as the community watches alongside you. For me, the thrill turned into reality when I became the highest bidder on a 2020 Shelby GT350SE—a car that represents both rarity and performance excellence. As the bids came in during the final moments, the energy was electric. The feeling of seeing “You Won!” on the screen was unforgettable—not only because I won the car, but because I knew I was now a part of Shelby history.

Back in November 2022, BaT member KevinBN7 won this 1984 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE from Ljstew, who had kept it for 37 years. KevinBN7 recently penned this update to tell us about the work he’s done since.
In the fall and winter, my Sundays typically end with leafing through BaT to watch the cars I’d like to keep an eye on. This RX-7 was listed locally to me, and the auction was set to end on Tuesday. I reached out to the owner and viewed the car on Monday with a commitment to make a run at winning it.

After selling six vehicles, BaT member loganpopo celebrated his first win in September 2025: a 2007 Cadillac STS-V auctioned by skillda1. loganpopo recently wrote in to tell us about his road trip home with the car.
Anything with an engine has always been a part of my life—cars, dirt bikes, jet skis, and boats. These things filled my childhood thanks to my father. These childhood moments were more than just about the machines themselves—they were lessons. He taught my brother and me to respect them and how to shop for them. He also taught us how to communicate with a seller, what details to pay attention to, and more importantly, that you buy the seller and the story as much as you evaluate the condition of the car.

The Honda Z50 represents more than just a mini-bike to BaT user IndieRockBassPlayer, who won this 1968 Z50A Mini Trail from AJDiMizio in a July 2025 BaT auction. He wrote to tell us more about it:
Years ago, my mother—tired of the brutal Wisconsin winters—moved my family from Madison, Wisconsin, to San Diego, California. I was only 13 at the time. Ten years earlier, she had relocated to the Midwest in 1967 with three kids in tow to be closer to family after the untimely death of my father, who was a naval aviator. I was only three years old then. The 10 years I lived in Madison will always represent a magical time in my life, filled with special memories of the never-ending drowsy summer skies. Time stood still for every child, and none of us had a care in the world, never realizing that each of those days was a gift and that real life (and all its challenges) was only right around the corner.