Three days, Incredible cars and one unforgettable weekend at Sonoma Raceway
Velocity Invitational brought together some of the best parts of car culture: historic race cars, modern performance machines, passionate enthusiasts, and a packed paddock.
The event marked a significant milestone for Cars & Bids as we hosted the first ever live, hybrid auction at a major motorsport event. Seventeen cars went to the block in a two-hour window, with bidding open to anyone in the world.
Bringing Online Auctions Into the Real World
One of the highlights of the weekend was seeing the Cars & Bids community experience our auctions in person. Vehicles from our Velocity Collection were staged onsite for all attendees to walk around, inspect, photograph, and bid on throughout the weekend before the hammer dropped live at the event on Saturday. Cars & Bids CEO, Dan Harman, Filippo, our CCO and Matthew Robinson, our CRO and Head of Auctions were also around to chat with attendees and share in the enthusiasm.
The collection brought together 17 of the most exceptional cars that have ever been on the platform in a single window – spanning six decades of automotive history. Vintage race cars, including a 1964 Alfa Romeo Tubulare Zagato from the Petersen Automotive Museum (one of 112 ever built) and period formula cars, sat alongside modern blue-chip hardware: a Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, a Lamborghini Huracan Performante, a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, and a Ferrari 550 Maranello, among others. All of these incredible automobiles sat live in the paddock at Sonoma Raceway with full in-person access and QR codes to facilitate simple bidding.
For many attendees, it was the first time seeing a Cars&Bids auction unfold live in front of them instead of through a phone or laptop screen. Hearing the conversations, reactions, and final moments of in person bidding added an entirely different level of excitement to the experience.
Thanks for Stopping By
To everyone who came out to Sonoma, checked out the Velocity Collection, stopped by the booth, or bid online from home, thank you. Events like Velocity Invitational are a reminder that the enthusiast car community is strongest when people can come together in person around the cars they love.
We’re already looking forward to the next one.
See you at the next event.
