Monterey Car Week is a pretty incredible event, full of incredible cars and fancy clothes and fish eggs smeared on crackers and beautiful surroundings that my presence only devalues. Significantly. It’s also a place where a remarkable concentration of huge car auctions take place in a short span of time, and I don’t think I’ve fully appreciated just how much of a spectator sport those auctions are.
I’m not kidding; it’s genuinely fun to go to these auctions and make a game of it, trying to guess what the cars will eventually sell for, watching the crowd and trying to figure out who’s likely to bid or who isn’t, enjoying the drama of bidding wars that erupt for some of the lots – there’s a lot more going on there than you might think.
It’s a game of trying to understand the overall car market, which is in itself a complex minestrone of factors: what’s the economy like, what cars are currently desirable and why; what factors in other parts of the culture are affecting what people find desirable? Are there subtle trends happening? And if so, what are they, and how do they affect what’s being sold? It’s strangely compelling.
Going with the whole Co-founder Crew is fun, because David is a cheap bastard who pays for Arby’s sandwiches on installments, and I’m no better at all, plus I have the tastes of a Soviet-era grandma with a hoarding problem. Beau is the only one with any sense, and he gets into all the auctions. He’s the MVP here, and if you watch this video of us at this supercar auction, I think you’ll see why:
As you can see in that video, we like to play a Price Is Right type of game at these auctions, where we look at the cars beforehand, scrutinize and evaluate and process and, yes, guess, all to try and come up with our best prediction of the final selling price. Then we go to the auction, and see who was right and who was wrong.
In this case, we were focused on this incredible array of ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s supercars, exotic and strange wedge-shaped things, from companies like Mercedes-Benz, Cizeta, Bugatti, and, yes, Vector.
This video has a bit of a surprise ending, because Beau actually won the auction for the Vector M12, number five of only 14, the only purple one, powered by a Lamborghini seven-liter V12 engine. It’s a fantastic, ridiculous car, and we’ll have more about this thing soon.
Here’s the takeaway: car auctions can be a blast. And they can be even better if you show up with someone who actually buys one of these crazy things.
“Supercar” “One of us bought one”
Gee, I wonder which one of you bought a supercar at auction.
(No Supercar is weird enough for Jason, David thinks a Supercar is some rarely-ordered option combo on an old Jeep and Mercedes won’t pay for a CarFax report)
Love it! Let’s see some interesting and quirky content about this unique car, looking forward to that! Do hope this doesn’t turn into a super car big money flex… too much of that out there (always a fear I have in the journalism or YouTube world).
Unless they get a new writer just to be that super car money flexer, you shouldn’t worry. Neither Jason nor David are the type to buy in to any of that and they have built a successful website without playing those games.
Love the video, guys, and I can’t wait to see more of the Vector!
Too bad you didn’t write this out as an article with photos and it is only video.
I much prefer reading to listening and watching at the same time.
While I like both, it is a lot easier to read than watch videos while at work or on the phone.
This is hilarious and very spot-on. And hilarious.
Now that I’ve watched the video, I recognize some of the Vectors from the late and great Cars and Coffee Irvine. Years ago Jerry Wiegart himself would bring cars there, including the WX3 prototype.
https://www.reddit.com/r/carspotting/comments/1izz79o/i_miss_cars_and_coffee_irvine_vector_w8/
So, lemme get this straight: Beau buys a Vector, but you guys made Torch drive a VERY used Nissan taxi cross country?
If you gave Torch the choice of that Vector or Nissan taxi he’d take the Nissan.
Such is the power of a Jatco Xtronic CVT!
Are you Jatco posting under a pseudonym?
Merely a humble disciple.
I’m pretty sure you could offer David literally any other vehicle, or a rusty Jeep, and he’d go for the Jeep.
Damn, a W8 in purple! It looks older because I think it’s pretty much the “production” version of the W2, which was designed in the ’70s.
That Cizeta is awesome, too. I have no idea how you get them serviced, as I think the guy who knew them died (though he was in CA). The power takeoff for the V16 is in the center of the block for anyone curious about how a transverse V16 would do so with obvious packaging (and maybe some crank torsion) issues.
Love Imperators, too, though that one looks weird. They seemed to vary a bit in detailing, but it seems like more than that. I’ve never seen one in person, so maybe it’s a car that’s very viewing-angle dependent.
Those Artioli Bugattis have grown on me. I’m not so sure I’d quite call them ugly, but the awkward front is definitely the part that needed to grow on me. Gandini’s original design was much better, though nothing about it really said “Bugatti”, so the factory’s architect defaced the front and shoehorned the horseshoe.
Cool buy on the Vector! Looking forward to reading about it and your tow recovery service stories. I hope it doesn’t roll into a tree.
I have always loved the Vector W8 and M12.
I am so jealous.
Another unfulfilled dream bitten by the reality of looking for rare parts at hundreds of swap meets.
You guys are a bunch of goddamn heroes.
And Beau flamboys intergalactic levels of badassery.
Just how do you get treated while looking and then after buying?
Also am I remembering it right Beau bought the purple Vector but didn’t win the estimate on it?
Oh my gosh I just looked at the Sotheby’s photos of this… that GM switchgear is amazing.
Please let me sell you parts for this thing, it will make my year. 😀
Do you have a link to Sotheby’s photos? My admittedly limited search yielded nothing…other than old 2024 auction results.
I just Googled “Vector M12 auction” and it was the first thing to come up.
*Editied* I didn’t realize that was the one from 2024 you were talking about.
https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/mo24/lots/r0198-1996-vector-m12/
Imagine you had access to the Lamborghini parts bin, but instead you went down to the Chevrolet dealer and bought a set of pickup truck switches!
To be fair who knows what sort of terrible FIAT and Chrysler parts bins a pre-Audi Diablo would have pulled from.
Thanks. As only one sold with purple, must be the same car.
The switchgear is rather a choice. (As is only providing the driver’s side window the auto-down function!)
Guess folks paying top dollar for the few Vectors built would be familiar with Mercedes, BMW, etc., so ‘exotic’ means sneaking in previously unseen/unknown GM gear? At least being garage kept reduced the cheap plastics fading from UV and heat.
Given the Vector’s angular exterior, the German’s predilection for rectangular switches would have been more fitting in style.
Holy crap, you guys bought a Vector M12??? This is the best thing ever.
Did he drive it home from the auction?
If you’re going to spend an absurd amount of money on a car a Vector is definitely a gentleman’s choice, or as the kids say it means “you’re a real one”. It’s just such a bizarre and unique vehicle. I look forward to all the content on it, because outside of Doug getting to review one a few years ago there isn’t all that much information on them out there.
Have you guys heard about this thing’s “cousin”, the Timor S515?
Oh you guys totally have to do a deep dive into that Vector.
Each regular drives it an writes up a short commentary.
With a special guest writeup from Fancy Kristen!!!
Beau and I have driven it twice together!
Well… “driven.”
It hasn’t… gone quite as planned. More on this in due time.
oh no, will this be a Trade In Tuesday segment?
Better that than a Shitbox Showdown, I guess.
I look forward to reading it. Interesting thing about the M12… it was built when Vector was owned by Mechatech… who also owned Lamborghini at the time.
And thus, the M12 is based on the Lamborghini Diablo… a car that was developed when Chrysler owned Lamborghini.
One other thing:
“This video has a bit of a surprise ending, because Beau actually won the auction for the Vector M12, number five of only 14, the only purple one, powered by a Lamborghini seven-liter V12 engine. “
A 7L V12?
According to this old Car & Driver review, it had the same 5.7L V12 as the Diablo:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60490044/1996-vector-m12-bring-a-trailer-auction/
Was the one Beau bought a custom one-off?
You tease!
Congrats on your new NA Miata turn signals and ’91-94 Cavalier taillights, Beau!
Well, at least they are not irreplacable boutique parts.
Someone should send Beau the GM “Mark of Excellence” to put on the Vector… LOL
Think he’s a Ford man through and through.
Which is why he bought a Vector?
Vectors over the years used several interesting choices for tail lights: ’80s Buick Century lights on the W8, Nissan Stanza on the WX3, and ’90s Cavalier like you mentioned on the M12.
I always knew the W8 taillights looked familiar!
The real question is, did Torch miss this or was that cut for time?
And now I’m imagining Jason going on about it at length while Beau starts to think that if this were 1991 he could clinch the deal on an Escort just by showing him the hatchbacks’ and wagon’s amber signals.
I’m not sure that’s accurate for the taillights. I was about to post this in one of my Discord chats as a “TIL” thing and I pulled a couple pictures off of BaT for both (they have Cavaliers on BaT!?) and it’s an extremely similar design but they’re not constructed the same way because on the Cavalier most of the taillight is bisected and raises with the trunk.
And you just gave me a TIL. ’91-94 Cavalier coupe and sedan taillights were different. Only the coupes got the lower trunk opening, sedans used the same understructure as ’82-87 and had similar looking taillights that weren’t split. The Vector seems to have used the sedan ones, covered the outer edges and didn’t take advantage of the built-in license plate lights.
1200px-1992_Chevrolet_Cavalier_VL_sedan_in_Bright_Aqua_Metallic,_rear_left,_09-05-2021.jpg (1200×726)
Oh, huh. Same here.
Now I can post it in Discord with a clear conscious.
I somehow managed to get through a Gen X young adulthood without ever owning a Cav from those years but my aunt had a sedan and I distinctly remembered those uninterrupted taillights and the high liftover.
Let’s face it, Beau’s pockets are like the Marianna Trenches relative to the rest of you guys.
I don’t care much about the 6-7 figure cars. Just not my thing. For me, the fun and interesting parts of the auctions are (usually Thursday) sales of the <$20k cars. It seems like there a lot of neat but lower-interest cars that sell for fairly reasonable money.
Does anyone ever really win an auction? Just means you paid more than every other bidder was willing to pay.
“You just lose less than the other guy.”
A little more.
I’m beginning to think Beau used the autopian as a writeoff
Exactly!
He just writes it off!
Well, I see it this way. Beau is a good guy, cause he helped his friends start something amazing. Yes, it may or may not make big money, but he didn’t give up on it. That being said, with the way herb and Ai is zombiefing auto journalism, the Autopian may become a goldmine. Only time will tell.
I agree 100%
Laughs it off.
“You don’t even know what a writeoff is!” -Jerry Seinfeld
Oh, we need a full review of the Vector. From David’s analyitical mind, Adrian’s artisitic mind, Thomas’es unabridged joy, Torch’es weirdness.
Sorry I left Mercedes out…
Doesn’t do well towing a 28′ camper, thumbs down?
It can’t pull a trailer so it’s trash. Trailer trash.
I already wrote Torch’s headline six entries up from this.
Did he also win the prediction game? Because that feels like he might have cheated.
“Looks like I’m about $200 over…better bid so one of the cheapskates isn’t the winner!”
If you watch the video, I’d argue he lost the prediction game.
I’m not much of a video person, especially since I’m currently reading/commenting from work, but I’ll try to take a look later. If he lost, then I might retract my cheating accusation.
I can’t believe I correctly called which one of these 3 ended up being the “One Of Us Bought One”!
They should have left Beau out of the picture or added everyone on staff, just to make the game a little more fun.
It’s not hard – unless it is a rotted out hulk being offered for $500 Torch and David are out.
Hey, there might have been a SUPER rusty Countach that needed a transmission rebuild, you don’t know.
Interesting question – given the choice between a junky old LM002 and and old Jeep in the same condition, which would David choose?
Even the sainted Mr Tracy has limits, that said, I happen to have a junky old LM002 in the back shed. Free to anyone who will collect, did not run when parked, but a valuable project none the less, a small and easily overcome snagette, there are one or two things that might need moving, the AEC 6×6 Matador crane with a locked solid transfer box is the easy bit!
Parked up by the Deltic is it?
No, the Deltic and it’s trailer can move, it has been away to Derby, a thing about 200 years of railways, going vrooom vroom the LM002 is in a barn with stuff that are all sort of in the category of “maybe one day” I do not envy the poor sod who has to sort this out when I shuffle off, the road to good intentions excetera, dear piskies there is a lot of crud! The Lambo has two spare engines, both marine and both as old as the car, they need stripping to there component parts, and cleaning up. simple really.
Checking price of 345/60 R 17 Pirelli Scorpions
Hmm, a set of 5 £25,016.22 but nobody has them stock.
Oh well.
The insides just need a bit of freshening-up. I have some bikes like that. 🙂
I’m assuming you are in the UK? If so, I feel like as soon as they SSangyong is gone, we need to convince the Autopian powers that be that Adrian has to come get this thing from you and start working on it to get it up to daily driver status, publishing his hijinx and frustrations along the way.
I would be fun,but Adrian is a designer not a lunatic mechanic, in the barn of bad ideas there are some less (they are probably not) challenging toys. The Sentinel Steam lorry just needs bolting back together, there is a Lomax that just needs, erm everything. A Lime green Bond Bug, (someone tried a Hillman Imp swap) and a Jowett Jupiter, a truly terrible Aston Martin and more. It is the barn where dreams go to sleep.
I got outbid.
It’s not hard when your bid was $50.
You wisely left it to the greater fool, and stuck to your budget.
Adrian was outbid on a Ssangyong Musso Sports.
Yes, it was an absolute shocker!