Buying a car might feel like a challenging task in the US, but what if you expand your search to locations around the globe? There are far more rare, collector, vintage, or antique cars when you have access to auctions with more inventory or high-end listings.
What makes the task easier is knowing which auctions meet your specific needs. Are you in the mood to visit the location and get plenty of entertainment near your potential cars? Do you prefer to visit an auction with as many listings as possible?
Knowing what biggest car auction will bring you the best deal for your next buy is important. Here is a quick rundown of the auctions you should keep in mind when shopping for any vehicle.
How Do the Largest Car Auctions Work?
The good news is that the average car auction is pretty easy to navigate. While there were well over 12 million vehicles offered at auction in the US alone last year, figuring out how to make a sale in Canada or when you’re on vacation in Italy isn’t as complex as you might think.
You typically start by registering with the auction house. They might request a copy of your driver’s license and any verification of financing or a down payment held in reserve. In some cases, there may be a small fee to pay for the privilege of placing a bid.
When the auction “goes live,” you place a minimum bid on the reserve price or use phone and online tools for your bid verification. There is an open bidding period, and when the clock runs out, the person with the highest verifiable bid gets the car.
Once all the paperwork is handled and you’ve secured door-to-door auto transport for your new acquisition, you can either drive your car away or have it shipped back home. Some auction houses will handle car shipping, but at an additional fee or with a longer delivery timeframe.
That’s it. Overall, the auction process is manageable, even if you’re in England visiting family and find a custom Aston Martin that looks just like a Bond car. It’s all about going to an auction that fits your unique lifestyle and car needs.
The Biggest Car Auctions in the World
RM Sotheby’s (Best for Car Collectors)
From Maranello to Monaco, RM Sotheby’s provides some of the most desired collector’s cars at auction you’ll ever find. If you’re in the mood for luxury and rarity, this is the auction for you. You can easily find multi-million-dollar Ferraris and globally hosted events in Monterey, London, and Paris. The entire inventory is carefully curated with buyers bidding actively for rare gems like a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider.
Barrett-Jackson (Best for High Volume Bidders)
Many auction attendees flock to Barrett-Jackson events in Scottsdale, AZ, or Columbus, OH, because this is where buyers with larger collections or dealers hoping to resupply rare inventory journey.
There are many sponsors, food offerings, and entertainment venues as part of these auctions, so even if you’re not in the market, you can pay for a ticket and attend for fun. Most vehicles on auction here use a no-reserve format, making the bidding process extremely competitive.
Mecum Auctions (Best for Largest Inventory)
Mecum puts a spin on the largest car auctions by offering the largest available inventory for sale. You can find 1,000 vehicles in Houston, 3,000 in Indianapolis, as well as collections of motorcycles, road art, and online bidding. Everything from American muscle cars to Japanese work trucks is available, so you want to quickly pay your fee and get access to early docket announcements to budget and plan out-of-state delivery services.
Bonhams (Best for Historic Vehicles)
Bonhams Auction House is traditionally a fine art and rare-item facilitator. However, they have a rich infusion of hard-to-find antiques from the U.K., Japan, China, Eastern Europe, and the United States.
The Monaco Sale and the Stafford Spring shows are the most popular, but if you get the chance to visit The Bonmont Sale in Switzerland, you’ll find extremely rare antiques that are museum quality and still function for driving.
Gooding & Company (Most Curated)
Gooding & Company prefers to stay in the high-end auction space. They are where you can get your hands on investment-grade collector vehicles like a 1965 Porsche 356 SC Coupe or a 1919 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Alpine Eagle Roadster. They raised over $72 million USD in their recent Amelia Island auction, making this a serious player among the largest car auctions.
Copart (Best for Online Auctions)
Copart isn’t an auction you attend in person. It’s a marketplace that acts as an auction house with millions of vehicle listings each year. There are salvage and repairable vehicles in the mix, so you have to do a bit of research as you check out different makes, years, and models. Copart isn’t about finding a rare Mercedes. It is about offering volume for insurance companies, dealers, resellers, and individuals.
eBay Motors (Great for Affordability)
eBay Motors is the vehicle auction arm of the popular auction website eBay. It focuses on millions of listings, often backed by private sellers worldwide. You do pay a small fee on the final purchase price, which is a percentage of the car’s value, and the risk is slightly higher.
eBay doesn’t do the verification steps that many of the other biggest car auctions do before putting together a docket. However, you can also find auto parts as well as full vehicles.
Carlisle Auctions (Best for Consignment Deals)
If you prefer an auction at a larger scale, but only in the United States, go with Carlisle. They host a series of smaller events throughout the country, with most of their listings offered on consignment. This means you get more inventory diversity like Copart, but with verification and curation by a recognized authority in the business.
Largest Car Auctions in the World
Auction House | Specialization | Primary Locations | Typical Inventory | Scale Indicator | Best Known For |
Mecum Auctions | High-volume, diverse inventory | U.S. (Indianapolis, Houston) | Muscle cars, trucks, motorcycles | 1,000–3,000+ vehicles | Largest inventory and wide variety |
Barrett-Jackson | High-volume, no-reserve auctions | U.S. (Scottsdale, Columbus) | Collector cars, custom builds | Large live events | Entertainment-driven auctions |
RM Sotheby’s | Luxury and collector vehicles | Global | Rare, exotics | Smaller volume, extremely high value per car | Elite collector market |
Bonhams | Historic and antique vehicles | Global | Museum-quality classics | Curated, lower volume | Rare global inventory |
Gooding & Company | Investment-grade collector cars | U.S. (Amelia Island, Pebble Beach) | High-end classics | Tens of millions in sales | Highly curated vehicles |
What Separates the Largest Car Auctions from the Rest
There are many other car auctions you can visit. Everything from US government-run events where you can bid on seized vehicles used in crimes to custom finds that are only hosted in certain cities each year. The trick to the largest car auctions is:
They offer a scale you simply cannot get otherwise, with hundreds to thousands of listings at a single event.
The inventory type is focused on rare finds, antiques, collector cars, or consignment options.
Buyer access is a little restricted to those who can verify financing or pay a fee to participate.
They often include entertainment, food, drinks, and networking opportunities for collectors and dealers.
Each auction has a different purpose, so visit a few before you land on the one that will give you a reliable deal with the type of car you’re hunting for. You want an auction where you can get a deal and ensure your car stays safe as it travels to your driveway.
Bringing Your Car Auction Purchases Home
After you’ve won a bid for a car auction, you’ll need to finish the sale, complete paperwork, and then get the car back home. Some auctions offer shipping services, but if you wait too long, you’ll end up paying storage fees or dealing with multiple services the farther your home is from the auction’s location.
An alternative is to use Nexus Auto Transport's coordinated shipping services. There is clear pricing to help you budget for your bid ceiling and door-to-door nationwide shipping. That provides better timeframe predictability for your delivery, and the network of professional drivers already has experience with auction sites, meaning they understand how to get in, get your car, and get out smoothly.
Most importantly, Nexus offers both open and enclosed shipping. That’s a big plus when you’re buying an antique or collector-quality item. Learn how enclosed auto transport protects high-value vehicles during cross-country moves so you have peace of mind that your purchase will get home safely.
Understanding Where the Car Auction Opportunity Lives
While each of the largest car auctions is unique and serves a specific clientele, they all provide a wealth of buying opportunities worth checking out. Take your time to explore the advantages of each one and then place a bid on the car(s) you want brought home. A little patience and preparation can mean finding that rare vehicle you’ve been craving ever since you were a teen.
FAQs
What is the biggest car auction in the US specifically?
The trouble is that a lot of the big players claim to host the largest auctions. The most predictable to have the most on-site inventory is Mecum.
What makes a car auction the “largest”?
That’s the problem. Mecum might bring in the most cars on a lot, but a massive network like Barret-Jackson or Manheim can mean more of a specific car, value type, or model.
What are the most well-known large car auction companies?
The most well-known will be Barrett-Jackson, Mecum, and Sotheby's. Those are the ones most featured in film, TV, and local media outlets.
Are the biggest car auctions open to the public?
Yes, but some have limited bidding slots or require an upfront fee or bid deposit. Even if they are private, they sometimes offer “buy-in” slots for those new to the industry.
What types of vehicles are sold at the largest car auctions?
The largest auctions tend to have vehicles for the most diverse crowds. That includes sedans, SUVs, and trucks, with a smattering of specialty models, luxury cars, or collector pieces.
How much does it cost to bid at the world's largest car auctions?
Just placing a bid at the largest auctions doesn’t cost anything. When you secure your car, you do pay a fee to the auction house based on the car’s value. Some larger auctions also have flat-rate “listing” fees instead of a percentage.
How many cars are sold at the biggest car auctions?
A Mecum car auction can feature anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 lots. It gets confusing because larger auctions may include used cars for sale, dealer booths, and historic offers, which can mix the final total listing number.
