Bring a Trailer launches expanded services in UK
The world’s largest online collector car auction platform, Bring a Trailer (BaT), will expand its services in the UK market with several local partners and programmes.
The company is looking to expand its 1.65 million worldwide user network, having conducted 49,486 auctions last year, with an 81% sell-through rate generating $1.7 billion (approx. £1.28 billion) in sales.
What is Bring a Trailer’s set up?
BaT was founded in 2007 in San Francisco and prides itself on ‘a level of transparency that no traditional auction house or online competitor can match’. Each listing goes into honest detail about the vehicle without selling an unrealistic dream and open comment sections on auction pages allow BaT’s community to ask questions and have them answered in real time.
The company covers vehicles ranging from $5m Ferrari LaFerraris to $15,000 Mazda MX-5s, with half of its listings priced at £20k or less. One of BaT’s most recent sales was a 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, which sold for £402,000.
How does each auction work?
Each seller pays a flat listing fee starting at £79, while a BaT ‘Plus’ option for £239 enables an on-demand photography service at the owner’s preferred time and location, and a more streamlined listing process.
Auctions run for seven days and are visible online 24 hours, with BaT having 1,200 listings on its site per week in 2025. Buyers pay 5% of the final sale price, capped in the UK at £5,000 plus VAT, which is significantly lower than traditional auction house commission structures.
The final two minutes of any sale sees the clock reset with each bid to ensure a fair, live-auction finish every time, while an up to date currency conversion tool for UK (GBP) and Europe (EUR) allows bidders to compare a vehicle’s price in different countries.
“The UK has a passionate, knowledgeable collector car community”
Randy Nonnenberg (centre) with James Turner and Rory Jack from Sports Purpose
The expansion will see BaT, supported by lead Local Partner, Sports Purpose, led by James Turner. The renowned Porsche specialists based out of Bicester Heritage in Oxfordshire will bring local knowledge and expertise, while helping BaT grow in the UK market.
Randy Nonnenberg, Co-Founder and President, Bring a Trailer, said:“The UK has a passionate, knowledgeable collector car community and an extraordinary depth of automotive heritage. We’ve watched closely as British sellers and buyers have organically found their way onto BaT, compelled by the variety, vibrant discussion, and market-setting results. We have worked to optimise the BaT experience for UK users based on their feedback, and we are very excited to offer our uniquely transparent and effective auction model to UK buyers and sellers, whether they want to self-serve or engage local partner support.”
A special episode of The Driven Podcast featuring Founder Randy Nonnenburg and James Turner will be available to listen to from Friday 27 March.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Bring a Trailer