We’re halfway through 2025, and so far the classic and exotic car market is holding steady.
Auction sales totaled $2.3B in the first half of the year, up 4% over 2024, with more cars sold, stronger sell-through (70%), and average prices holding around $60K. Compared to 2024, the market feels more balanced: stable pricing, better conversion, and signs of growing confidence as we head into the Monterey Auctions in Q3.
In this report, we’ll highlight the high-level trends and dig into how the trends shift as the average value of sales change – comparing 5 “value tiers” of markets: Under $50K, $50K-100K, $100-500K, $500K-1M, and Over $1M.
2025 is Pacing Toward Records, Without Price Inflation
Auction sales climbed to $2.3B so far in 2025, up 4% year-over-year, even as average prices held flat around $60K. It’s the third straight year of pricing stability, with growth driven by an increase in volume, not inflation.
More cars sold, fewer went unsold. Even with a slightly smaller catalog, total sales were up 4% to 38,280. That’s how we got to a 70% sell-through rate – the strongest we’ve seen since 2022.
Growth Driven by Online Activity
Split the numbers between online and live auctions, and the story gets clearer: most of the market’s growth is coming from online sales – especially in the lower and mid-tier segments. It’s an extension of the shift we saw kick off in 2020, and at this point, it’s nothing short of a reset.
Before COVID, the collector car world moved with the seasons – driven by big live events in January, March, and August. And while we still use those events as a gauge of the market, daily online auctions have flipped that script. Today, cars are selling year-round from garages and driveways around the world. The market is faster, more transparent, and far more accessible for both buyers and sellers.
That’s not a trend anymore – it’s the new normal.
Top Sales in 2025 so far
Even though we have seen more seven-figure activity at the online auctions this year than ever before, the Top 10 is still dominated by live auctions. The two biggest sales this year pulled in $89 million combined – ranking as the #2 and #6 sales in history. But the 2025 market is running on steady volume and more realistic reserves, not sky-high prices.
Notably, almost all of the Top 10 sales (nine out of ten) are cars made before 1970, and every one is either a race car or a street-ready version of one.
In contrast, when we look at the top online sales, we find road cars produced within the past 10 years (even the Singer, which is a 1991 model year – but in reality is a modern interpretation of a 90s car).
#1 Online / #30 Overall
#2 Online / #33 Overall
#3 Online / #35 Overall
Comparing Activity in 5 Value Tiers
There’s more to the story than just big-picture numbers. Break things down by price tier, and you start to see where the real action is – what’s heating up, what’s cooling off, and what’s holding steady. Each slice of the market has its own rhythm, and looking at them separately gives us a much sharper view.
Under $50K
Entry-level classics set records for both dollar volume and sold listings so far in 2025, even with fewer cars crossing the block compared to last year.
Prices held steady around $20K, but sell-through climbed to 68%, showing that aligned expectations between buyers and sellers, not price hikes, are driving the action.
With two-thirds of sales online, this remains the market’s busiest, most liquid tier.
Between $50K-100K
In H1 2025, the $50–100k bracket proved that momentum comes from volume, not price jumps. Dollar volume hit a new high even as catalogs shrank, thanks to a rebound in sell-through to 75% and steady average prices around $71k. The biggest cash gains came from early-season live events, but it was online platforms that quietly moved the most cars overall. With more realistic reserves and strong digital traction, this tier is emerging as one of the market’s most liquid sweet spot heading into Monterey.
Between $100K-500K
Middle-market momentum is real: in H1 2025, cars hammered Middle-market momentum is real: In H1 2025, $100k–$500k cars hit record dollar volume despite smaller catalogs. Over 4,000 sales and a near-80% STR show strong, steady demand. Realistic pricing met eager bidders, making this tier’s liquidity the best since the pandemic boom.
Between $500K-1M
Liquidity in the $500 K–$1 M bracket just set a five-year high: dollar volume and sold listings both surpassed the 2023 peak on 22 % more inventory, yet the average price edged up only 1 %. One-third of the 227 cars sold—and every net new sale—moved online, with digital platforms nearly doubling both unit count and dollar volume. With Monterey still to come, this tier seems poised to close 2025 at its strongest level in half a decade.
Over $1M
A single $53 M hammer kept the $1 M-plus tier in growth mode for H1 2025—dollar volume rose 6 % while sell-through slipped to 73 %. Most of the money (61 %) came from smaller, non-marquee live sales, and online platforms quietly doubled their seven-figure results to $41 M. Big headlines still sway totals, but thinner catalogues and pickier bidding point to a selective market heading into Monterey.
At CLASSIC.COM, we track specialty and enthusiast cars for sale from auctions, dealers, and private sellers to help you find your dream car, and know what it’s worth.
Search Cars For Sale
Find classic and exotic cars for sale from auctions, dealers, and private sellers all in one place.
Get Listing Alerts
Get notified when we detect new listings and/or sale prices for your favorite makes and models.
Sell Your Car
Collectors and enthusiasts are searching for cars like yours. We’ll help you price it right and showcase it to the right audience.
Auctions & Dealers: Include your inventory on CLASSIC.COM
*The CLASSIC.COM Market Benchmark (CMB) is a benchmark value for vehicles in a given Market based on data accumulated by CLASSIC.COM and calculated by a proprietary algorithm that takes into account volume and recency of each data point. CMB can be used to assess the performance of a market over a given time period. However, it does not represent the value of a specific vehicle.
** A Market on CLASSIC.COM is a grouping of comparable vehicles that have, at a minimum, the same Make, Model, and Model Generation. When relevant for purposes of valuation, a Market may be further segmented by Model Variant, Trim, Transmission Type, Body Style, and other factors.