What makes Bring a Trailer work, and what changes in Europe
Bring a Trailer (BaT) is an American online auction and enthusiast community. Its format is what buyers copy across platforms: an editorial listing, a seven-day auction, a comment section where the seller and other enthusiasts discuss the car in public, and sniping protection that extends the clock after a late bid. BaT reports more than 750,000 registered bidders; it does not publish how many of them live in Europe.
For a European buyer two things change. First, the fee: on a car located in the EU, BaT charges 5% of the winning bid, minimum €250 and maximum €7,500, excluding VAT, and EU buyers pay VAT on top. Second, the car and the other bidders: BaT’s audience is centred on the United States, and a car from outside the EU can bring import duty and VAT on top of the price.
The European platforms in the same format
Octane
Online auction for enthusiast cars
Western Europe: the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden and Finland
Buyer’s fee3%, min €350, max €3,600, incl. VAT
Bring a Trailer
American online auction platform and enthusiast community for classic, collector and enthusiast vehicles
International from the United States, with cars from anywhere in the world, the Netherlands included. Cars in the EU are auctioned in euros, in the United Kingdom in pounds, elsewhere in dollars. More than 750,000 registered bidders according to BaT, which does not publish how many of them live in Europe
Buyer’s fee5%, min €250, max €7,500, excl. VAT
Collecting Cars
Online auction for enthusiast cars
International, with a clear focus on the United Kingdom and Australia
Buyer’s fee6%, min €1,000, max €7,000, VAT varies
Car & Classic
Online marketplace for classic and special vehicles with listings, a separate auction product and Make an Offer
International with British roots; auctions for cars across Europe, in pounds or euros, with local sites for the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy among others
Buyer’s feeSet per car, max €5,000, incl. VAT
Classic Trader
International online marketplace for classic vehicles: classified listings and, since July 2024, online auctions. Also fixed-price and make-an-offer sales
International, from Berlin: by Classic Trader’s account, listings from more than 35 countries and buyers worldwide, with the site in ten language and country versions. Not available in the United States; an auction usually runs in the seller’s currency
Buyer’s fee8.5%, min €500, no maximum, incl. VAT
What each one charges the buyer
| Platform | Buyer’s fee | €25kOn €25,000 | €50kOn €50,000 | €100kOn €100,000 | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octane | 3%, min €350, max €3,600, incl. VAT | €750 | €1,500 | €3,000 | Our own rate |
| Bring a Trailer | 5%, min €250, max €7,500, excl. VAT |
Where Octane fits
Octane uses the format BaT made popular, for enthusiast cars from sellers in Western Europe: the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France and their neighbours. The listing is written by Octane from the seller’s information and photos, the auction runs seven days, and bidders ask their questions in the comments, where the seller answers for everyone to read.
The difference is the cost and the reach. Octane’s buyer’s fee is 3% including VAT, minimum €350 and maximum €3,600, against BaT’s 5% plus VAT and Collecting Cars’ 6%. And every car gets its own campaign aimed at buyers in Western Europe, so most bidders are close enough to view the car and collect it, without shipping it across an ocean.
- Bid with a credit card (a temporary hold covers your bids) or verify your identity and pay the fee only if you win.
- A bid in the last five minutes gives every bidder five more minutes.
- After the auction you and the seller get a private chat with each other’s details. On request, Octane puts you in touch with specialists for inspection and transport.
Recent Auctions
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single one. Collecting Cars is the closest in format and size, with its strongest audience in the United Kingdom and Australia. Car & Classic, Classic Trader and Octane also run timed online auctions with public comments. Octane focuses on Western Europe and charges buyers 3% including VAT, the lowest published rate of the group.
Yes. BaT accepts bidders from Europe and also auctions cars located in the EU, in euros, with a buyer’s fee of 5% plus VAT (minimum €250, maximum €7,500). For a car in the United States, add shipping, import duty and VAT to the price.
Not for buyers. Collecting Cars charges buyers outside the United Kingdom and Australia 6% of the winning bid, minimum €1,000 and maximum €7,000; BaT charges 5% on cars in the EU, minimum €250 and maximum €7,500, plus VAT. Octane charges 3% including VAT, maximum €3,600.
Yes. Every Octane auction has a public comment section under the listing. Bidders ask questions there and the seller answers them, so every bidder sees the same information.
More for buyers
Where to buy an enthusiast car at auction in Europe
The European online car auctions compared for buyers: Collecting Cars, Car & Classic, Bring a Trailer, Catawiki, Classic Trader, Dutch auction houses and Octane. Buyer's fees at €25,000 to €100,000, where the cars are, and what to check before you bid.
How buying on Octane works
Bidding, the buyer’s fee, the card hold and what happens after you win, step by step.
See what is on auction now
Seven-day auctions of enthusiast cars from sellers in Western Europe, with a buyer’s fee of 3% including VAT, capped at €3,600.
