Cars and Bids – Introducing

Cars & Bids is an online marketplace for buying and selling modern enthusiast cars. In the last few years, many car enthusiasts have started turning their attention to vehicles from the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond. Automotive reviewer Doug DeMuro realized there wasn’t a specific place focused solely on buying and selling these modern enthusiast cars. So, he and his team created Cars & Bids, with its name inspired by Doug’s well-known pursuit of “quirks and features.”

Cars & Bids is an online auction marketplace for modern enthusiast cars, including extraordinary vehicles from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. The platform welcomes everything exciting, fun, interesting, or quirky from the modern automotive era. Enthusiasts interested in must-have modern classics to buy now before prices surge can explore the appeal of these vehicles and their growing popularity.

Cars & Bids was co-founded by popular automotive YouTuber Doug DeMuro and tech entrepreneur Blake Machado and launched in 2020. Doug’s reputation for describing not only interesting cars but also their unique details works well in the online auction world, where much of the excitement surrounding a particular vehicle comes from the quirks and features he is known for highlighting.

Cars and Bids for Just a Few of Our Benefits

We’re focused on modern enthusiast cars: From the 1980s to the 2020s, Cars & Bids provides a dedicated marketplace for people interested in exciting vehicles from these decades. Our fees are competitive. Sellers can list their vehicles for free, while the buyer’s fee is 4.5%, with a minimum of $225 and a maximum of $4,500.

We believe every vehicle should come with a vehicle history report, so we provide one for free instead of asking sellers to pay for their own.

Doug DeMuro brings additional attention and potential buyers to the platform by occasionally reviewing cars offered on Cars & Bids. If your car is selected, it can receive greater exposure than it might on other auction platforms.

While other car auctions can take weeks or even a month to get your vehicle listed and available to buyers, Cars & Bids aims to get vehicles listed quickly and considers seller input when scheduling auctions.

Cars & Bids makes it easy to submit your vehicle for sale. The platform asks for a few essential details before determining whether a vehicle is suitable, helping sellers avoid spending unnecessary time providing extensive information for a car that may not be accepted.

Cars & Bids is an accessible online automotive marketplace, with easy-to-use search filters and straightforward listings that tell buyers what they need to know about each vehicle. Buyers exploring other options can also learn more about used cars and compare vehicles available in the market.

How Cars and Bids Works

Purchasing a Car

Once you’ve found a car you’re interested in, there are several steps to follow to bid and potentially win the auction.

Register to Bid

To contact the seller directly and place bids, you must first register to bid with a valid credit card and phone number. Winning buyers pay Cars & Bids a 4.5% buyer’s fee on top of the winning bid, with a minimum of $225 and a maximum of $4,500.

Buyers who are comparing different online marketplaces can also explore OLX Autos to learn about other ways to buy and sell vehicles.

How Am I Protected If There’s a Problem with an Auction?

This is one of the most important questions for any online auction or car-buying process. Even with hundreds of photos, videos, vehicle history reports, and a community of enthusiasts, a buyer in New York still places considerable trust in a seller located thousands of miles away in San Francisco.

What protections do platforms such as Bring a Trailer and Cars & Bids offer to someone spending tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a used car they have never physically inspected?

Both platforms require buyers to register with a credit card and phone number, and the winning buyer is responsible for the applicable buyer’s fee. These requirements discourage buyers from abandoning a purchase after winning an auction, although such situations can still occur.

Cars & Bids has policies designed to address failed transactions. In certain circumstances, the buyer’s fee may still be charged if a winning buyer fails to complete the purchase, and a portion may be shared with the seller. However, buyers may sometimes dispute charges with their credit card companies.

Conversely, what happens if a buyer follows the proper process but receives a vehicle that differs significantly from its auction description? Although detailed photographs and vehicle history reports can help reduce the risk, problems can still arise. Once the transaction is completed and the money has changed hands, resolving such disputes may be difficult.

Buyers and Sellers Must Do Their Due Diligence

This is why buyers and sellers should perform their due diligence before using an online auction site. The growth of Bring a Trailer and Cars & Bids demonstrates the increasing popularity of digital car auctions. However, these sites primarily connect buyers and sellers; they do not necessarily guarantee the condition of every vehicle or the conduct of every participant.

Due diligence includes contacting the buyer or seller directly before the auction ends to get a better sense of the person involved in the transaction. Better still, buyers should try to inspect and, if possible, test-drive a vehicle before bidding closes. This may mean limiting searches to local auctions or arranging a last-minute trip.

Neither approach is always convenient, but both are practical measures when spending the substantial amounts of money that enthusiast car auctions can involve. Buyers considering whether a household needs another vehicle can also read about owning a second car in the family.

Arrange Financing and Logistics

To ensure a smooth transaction, buyers should prepare the necessary financing and transportation arrangements before making an offer.

To simplify purchases, Cars & Bids has partnered with LightStream to offer financing options for eligible users with good to excellent credit. Buyers can compare rates and payments and apply for a loan directly from an auction. Loan approval, funding timelines, and eligibility depend on the lender’s requirements.

If you plan to finance your purchase, work with your lender to obtain approval quickly. Keep in mind that some lenders may require specific vehicle information and impose restrictions based on the car’s age and mileage.

Discuss transportation and storage timelines with the seller. If you are shipping the vehicle, obtain a shipping quote in advance to avoid unexpected expenses.

Buyers who prefer a conventional rental option while arranging transportation or waiting for their vehicle can also read our comprehensive review of Enterprise car rental.

Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids

The concept of an online car auction site is not new. Fleet managers and wholesalers have used digital auction marketplaces to locate and purchase inventory for dealership lots since the early 2000s.

The automotive world has changed significantly over the past two decades, and eBay Motors has sold many cars to consumers willing to try buying vehicles through digital marketplaces. Today, online car buying has become increasingly popular, supported by high-resolution photographs, vehicle history reports, and improved online shopping experiences.

Cars & Bids and Bring a Trailer have helped serve enthusiasts looking for distinctive vehicles, giving buyers and sellers a convenient way to connect beyond traditional dealerships and local classifieds.

Conclusion

Cars & Bids is an online auction marketplace for buying and selling modern enthusiast cars, including interesting vehicles from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. Founded by automotive journalist Doug DeMuro and tech entrepreneur Blake Machado, Cars & Bids has grown since its launch in June 2020, attracting enthusiasts interested in distinctive and collectible vehicles.

For buyers and sellers, the platform offers a dedicated space to discover modern classics, participate in auctions, and connect with other automotive enthusiasts. For more information, visit the Cars & Bids website.