Collector car market being reshaped by new generation as online auctions surge

The collector car market is evolving, with recent trends reshaping how enthusiasts buy and sell classic cars.

Purchasing habits, auction formats, even the types of cars commanding top prices are shifting, recent data shows.

New analysis by Michigan-based automotive data and insurance company Hagerty examined auction sales, buyer demographics and high-end transactions across global markets over the past year.

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Online auctions extended their advantage in 2025, selling more than 50,000 collector vehicles, up 6% from a year earlier. 

Live auction volume remained flat, at roughly 21,000 vehicles, the same analysis said.

The highest-priced transaction in the United States involved a 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 at $26 million, followed by a 1961 Ferrari 250 California SWB at $25.3 million.

The shift goes beyond where cars are sold; it also reflects those who are buying them.

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Kenneth Ahn, president of Hagerty Marketplace, told Fox News Digital the collector car world is undergoing a generational handoff as younger buyers enter the market.

"While the overall global collector car auction market - live and online combined - has remained relatively flat in terms of total transaction value since 2022, we have been closely following several interesting changes occurring within that market," Ahn said.

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One of the biggest changes, he said, is the growing demand for newer collectible vehicles, particularly modern supercars and so-called "youngtimer" models from the 1980s through early 2000s.

That trend is increasingly visible in top sales, with newer supercars taking more high-dollar spots than before.

Models like the Ferrari F40 and F50, the Maserati MC12 and the Pagani Huayra are among the modern-era vehicles drawing strong interest from collectors.

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Hagerty data shows that while modern cars are gaining momentum, top-tier classic cars continue to command strong prices when rarity and condition align.

"Over the past five years, the average age of seven-figure ($1M+) cars sold at auction has become nearly 12 years newer," Ahn said.

Looking ahead, long-term shifts in ownership and wealth expected to unfold through 2048 are likely to shape the next era of collector cars, Ahn said.