Bring a Trailer Podcast

Alex, Randy, and Robert enjoy the surfeit of hot rod action currently on BaT, compare their various top speed experiences and give a preview of an upcoming discussion about the movie Ronin before moving on to rehash two rallies they drove in last weekend. Randy and Alex participated with their fathers (and Randy's son) in the Genau Rally, in which all had a great time despite experiencing various levels of old-English-car drama; they discuss "limping it" vs. "nursing it" home. Bobbo, meanwhile, partook of the much more intense Overcrest Lost Coast rally in Northern California, wherein drivers negotiated tarmac and dirt stages, long days, temporary failures to proceed, and their inferiority to a superstar Citroen SM. We discover Randy's favorite sentence and hear about regions of California somehow never explored by our three natives.Alex employs an artful segue into what cars, contrary to the current "everything is getting more expensive" narrative, can be had as relative bargains these days on BaT (the cars that are coming to you instead of getting away from you). The cover vintage Jags, modified 914s, a  jujitsu-based Steve McQueen connection, a drum-brake-swapped Zanardi NSX, jumping "industry" BMWs, and when a V8 doesn't even count. Randy insists that he's normal.Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode:0:29  Hot Rods category page1:14  Olds 324 Rocket-Powered 1940 Ford Coupe 5-Speed w/Tri-Power Intake1:35  210+ MPH, Supercharged 302 Chevy-Powered ’32 Ford Roadster Bonneville Land Speed Record Car12:30 Mid-Engined Masterpiece: Justin Cashmore’s 1960 Renault Dauphine Avants website23:30  Citroen SM model page28:36  1938 Ford Standard Coupe31:08  Porsche 914 model page33:56  1964.5 Ford Mustang Coupe D-Code 289 4-Speed45:24  1984 Pontiac Fiero 2M4 4-Speed48:25  Ford Bronco U725 model page

Alex, Randy, and Beck welcome Robert, returning BaT staffer/podcast first-timer/one of our favorite people to the table to talk about the best cars of 1989. They first discuss recreational test drives and Loma Prieta memories (for those alive at the time, anyway) as well as embarking on a bit of cultural scene-setting, and then dive right into their picks.Alex sets an unusual stage by going Wild Card first, throwing everyone for a loop and sending them scrambling for essentially the weirdest picks they can think of. No one takes some of the most obvious choices, because who needs another F40, after all? The crew wraps up with a frankly embarrassing array of honorable mentions, heavily weighted toward (but in no way limited to) offerings from the Blue Oval and the other American carmakers struggling for relevance as the '90s loomed in the near distance.What are your top five picks from 1989? Tell us how far off the mark we were, and get us thinking right!Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode:13:57  Mazda 767 on Wikipedia16:45  Pristine 69k-Mile 1990 BMW M317:11  1990 BMW 325iX Touring 5-Speed19:17  Ex–Mark Martin 1989 Ford Thunderbird NASCAR Race Car21:14  1989 Ferrari 328 GTB23:01  35-Years-Owned 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup25:22  18k-Mile 1988 Mazda RX-7 Turbo 10th Anniversary 5-Speed26:44  2,200-Mile 1989 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II 5-Speed30:05  19k-Mile 1989 Ford Taurus SHO31:20  Second-gen Nissan Maximas on BaT33:31  Volvo 740 Turbo Wagons on BaT36:26  1989 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution Is on BaT38:44  1989 Saleen Mustangs on BaT40:17  Ex–Jim Farley, Supercharged 1989 Ford Mustang Saleen LX Hatchback 5-Speed41:05 Saab 9000 Turbos on BaT42:11  Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977-1989) Model Page44:00  Dodge Shelby Dakotas on BaT47:02  LS3-Powered 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ6248:22  1990 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer 4×450:57  1983 Mercedes-Benz 280GE Cabriolet1.57:59 1989 Plymouth Voyager SE Turbo 5-Speed59:04  Ford Escort GTs on BaT

Alex and Randy, fresh off our recent gathering and film screening of  the forthcoming documentary series Route 66: The Main Street of America in Flagstaff, Arizona, discuss Randy's father-daughter trip from Riverside to Flagstaff in his red Chrysler 300B; learning the Chuck Berry version of Get Your Kicks on Route 66 backward and forward; swimming against the stream on the notoriously east-to-west road; the first post-prohibition liquor license in Chicago; the captivating documentary and the great, historic Orpheum Theater in which we got to see it; giving cars a reason to live; the temptation of the vintage motel and gas station business; love for the desert Googie diner; a brief "stroad" explainer; teaching kids patience and flexibility on the road; and that most elusive and necessary part of any good road trip: time.They move on to a game of picking their top five ideal cars to do the whole route in, along the way discussing aesthetic over speed; candidates from a stakebed farm truck to a Duesenberg; if one could make the drive appropriately in a non-American car; whether a convertible is really a good idea; a Swiss tourist who had Randy pegged within seconds; and specific instances in which roll-up windows prove important.What are your top five rides for the Mother Road?Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode:12:55 Route 66 BaT Gathering at the Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff, Arizona35:05  347-Powered 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 4-Speed35:42  Lot 1: 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 30238:25 Ford F-Series 1953-1956 model page41:26  1926 Duesenberg Model A Opera Coupe45:53  Volkswagen Beetle (1958-1979) model page47:53  1957 Chevrolet Nomads on BaT48:46  1957 Chevrolet 150 2-Door Sedan Fuelie 3-Speed50:29  1950 Buick Super Estate Wagon53:32  Supercharged 1956 Ford Country Squire Wagon54:18 239 Flathead-Powered ’31 Ford 5-Window Coupe 4-Speed1:00:06  54-Years-Owned 1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe1:01:31  1963.5 Ford Galaxie 500XL Hardtop Fastback R-Code 4-Speed1:05:58  1961 Chrysler New Yorkers on BaT

This week, we have something a bit different for you: a guest episode from our esteemed partners and pals over at The Intercooler Magazine in the UK. Episode 334 of The Intercooler Podcast was recorded this past Sunday at the final Bicester Scramble of 2026, during which BaT took over the massive Hangar 113 with the help of our Local Partners Sports Purpose and Chase Classics. Alex Porter, your regular BaT podcast host, joined Andrew Frankel and Gez Medinger in front of a live audience to talk about what made Alex happy this week (spoiler: it's his recent mastery of the British roundabout), play a Porsche-themed version of their popular Buy, Borrow, Burn segment, and reveal the Bring a Trailer Car of the Week.The latter leads into a discussion about the context for and reception of the first-generation Boxster, one of the unsung (at least less-sung) heroes of the modern Porsche era. They then cover the early history of BaT, which is less familiar to our friends in the UK than to our US community; the similarities between US and UK car culture; and a frank overview of not only how, but why BaT works as well as it does.

Alex, Tyler and Beck welcome first-timer Christian, the head of our Customer Service team and one of the people at BaT who is most observant of the human personality (even if he can't ever remember the customer service number, which is 415-787-0961 for anyone looking). Christian gives a quick description of the Customer Service landscape before the crew get down to a couple vintage Questions of the Week, covering phantom old car sounds; a seized Alfa V6; the automotive form of ignorance=bliss; a sudden nosedive in a '90s Honda; why they tell you to check your torque settings after 500 miles; stuck-open throttles; cars that left big impressions; and what model year they'd choose to get stuck with forever.The group then moves on to the somewhat more intense subject of where modern internet freakout culture and confirmation bias collide with conspicuous wealth and discomfort with change, most commonly exemplified by something along the lines of "There's no way that [insert an auction result you don't like or understand here] is real!" Our wise and experienced staffers, who are closer to the realities of the car auction market than anyone, offer up the reasons that yes—it is real.Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode:20:43  Question of the Week archive34:05  758-Mile 2004 Honda Element EX 4WD Sold for USD $42,750 on 3/06/202539:49  One-Owner, 23k-Mile 1999 Acura NSX Zanardi Edition #22 Sold for USD $628,000 on 9/23/202640:11  @speedman9000 Member since February 202444:23  1952 Jaguar XK120 Roadster Sold for USD $64,507 on 9/18/202645:32  8-Mile, One-Owner 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition Sold for USD $2,101,000 on 8/04/202647:56 Acura NSX NA2 Auction Results and Ferrari F430 Auction Results48:11  Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Auction Results51:55  251-Mile 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Sold for USD $775,000 on 7/8/202655:03  1973 Fiat 850 Sport Spider Sold for USD $4,058 on 9/17/2026

Randy interviews none other than Bruce Trenery, founder of the famed collector car dealership Fantasy Junction in Emeryville, California. They talk about growing up in the Berkeley hills, littered with the discarded but interesting cars of avid travelers; opening the first version of the shop with a partner in Berkeley before taking it solo in 1978; buying an all-star collection in 1982 and just about breaking even; how the fickle Euro impacts the company's overseas business; Bruce's appreciation for Bring a Trailer and specifically the expert commentary; Aurelias growing on trees; and how his son Spencer, a big name in his own right, grew up at the dealership and only occasionally torpedoed sales as a toddler.In his trademark quiet and humble way, Bruce drops bombs about driving a vintage Bentley across Europe with no preparation during the Chernobyl disaster, running the Mille Miglia in six spectacular cars, buying a Horch from Robin Hood, and purchasing a Delahaye from a Texas palm reader with good advice about airplanes. He talks about the infamous FJ photo wall, gives sage words about honesty in the car business and how nice a car it truly makes sense to own, makes a tongue-in-cheek (or is it?) prediction regarding the '34 Packard, and describes a harrowing attempt at La Carrera Panamericana in a Hudson.Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode:0:52  FantasyJunction BaT seller page14:52 Lancia Aurelia model page27:14  32-Years-Owned 1931 Chrysler CD-8 Sport Roadster28:52  Bristol make page30:30 1987 Porsche 962 IMSA GTP

Randy, Alex, and Beck attempt to talk about British cars. Instead, they cover vigilante gardening; the new Grand Tour; getting to know The Intercooler; an oddly aggressive door handle issue; a very hard-working girlfriend; terrifying death traps; and R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion three-wheeler at the  National Automobile Museum.But there's room for the Brits yet! The trio go on to discuss Allard vs. Healey Silverstone; BaT's overall favorite Bugeye; which carmakers are actually still British; love for '90s Land Rovers; sailing an M100 Elan into a cow pasture; what car traits and accomplishments are the most quintessentially British; the best car to stick a Buick/Rover V8 into; a philosophical question about the TR7 and TR8; an uninformed question about the Lotus Esprit V8; our upcoming appearance in Hangar 113 at the Bicester Scramble on October 4; and their favorite Brit car listings ever on BaT.Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode:7:58 The new Grand Tour hosts on replacing Clarkson, Hammond & May The Intercooler Podcast8:35 The light fantastic The Intercooler  Volkswagen XL1 article14:36  Vortec-Powered 1962 Land Rover 109 Series IIA20:13  Dymaxion Car at the National Automobile Museum24:17  1950 Healey Silverstone26:52  1951 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage and 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Saloon 5-Speed28:53  1960 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite 5-Speed32:52  Morgan Plus 433:11  1,275cc-Powered 1959 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite37:11  46k-Mile 1999 Lotus Elise42:04 35k-Mile 2006 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Coupe 6-Speed49:56  Small-Block-Powered 1964 Jaguar Mk II57:04  59-Years-Owned 1950 Allard J257:49  46-Years-Family-Owned 1961 Aston Martin DB457:56  1960 Jaguar XK150 FHC 3.8L w/ Overdrive59:59 1969 Lola T70 Mk.3B Coupe1:00:50  Ex–Mario Andretti 1985 Lola-Cosworth T900

This week, Randy welcomes Andrew Frankel, renowned automotive journalist and founder of The Intercooler Car Magazine—BaT's newest partner in the UK. They talk about the beginnings of the magazine during the pandemic; its expansion into a podcast and YouTube channel; their recent event, termed "a concours for cars that get used";  the world's highest-mileage Carrera GT; a shared ethos of "interest in everything" and gaining credibility for the right reasons; the superhero  motoring journalists who inspired Andrew; and the idea of using journalism on Instagram.As one might expect for a man of his background, Mr. Frankel arrives with a healthy collection of great stories. He tells Randy about using editorial privilege to test old racing cars, recounts his experience driving a 1970 Porsche 917K in the late 1990s, and describes ghostwriting for (and racing against!) his good friend Stirling Moss. Frankel wraps things up by determining the "Peak Car" era, ruminating on the dangers of downforce, putting forth the single most important metric of motor racing, and appreciating the privilege of working only with people one chooses.Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode:2:58 8-Mile, One-Owner 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition11:44  The Intercooler website35:21  How two friends changed the way enthusiasts buy cars forever // episode 306 The Intercooler Podcast36:01  October 2026 Scramble at Bicester Motion

Alex and Beck discuss the sudden dissolution of Alex's car cred, the joy of automatic distance control, and some bad habits of highway travel; the CyberCab versus the Volkswagen XL1; why EV companies don't compete in racing series; the downside of a cohesive design language across all models from a brand; a lovely picture of vacationing with children; and "feeling poor" in a Ferrari on the Monterey Peninsula.They move on to answering some Questions of the Week from the popular series in BaT Features, in which they cover such disparate subjects as Inspector Gadget, the Ninja Turtles, and Tail Spin; forced tension on movie characters; a double-wing F40 amongst the Prii; ways to improve a Delorean; tow trucks as bodyguards; Cord pipes, SVO Mustangs, and Autozams; a genius idea for new YouTube content; middle-aged men with nothing better to do; merit badges; a dad's requirement to click tongs; and Tom Sawyering Boy Scouts into maintaining your car.Links for things mentioned in this episode:4:17 The light fantastic The Intercooler article on the Volkswagen XL117:48  Blu Elettrico 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari22:44 The Mohr Imports Monterey Car Week Collection23:44  Question of the Week category on BaT39:04 Modified Twin-Turbo 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 6-Speed39:42  Matt Farah's 4,400-Mile 1983 DeLorean DMC-12 5-Speed49:49 1954 Moretti 750 Gran Sport Vintage RacerGot suggestions for our next guest from the BaT community or One Year Garage episode? Let us know at [email protected]!

Let's get this out of the way: we love this movie, car-guy-detail-nerd complaints or no, and it remains the only film we've ever taken the entire BaT HQ staff to. In this latest installment of (B)at the Movies, we talk about the problem with Cobras; balancing historical accuracy with crowd appeal and ticket sales; a great way to put Boy Scouts to sleep (or apparently, inspired vocal patriotism); the iconic opening scenes of the movie, from Ken Miles' mechanic shop to the production floor at Ford to the paddock at Willow Springs; the dumb downshifts and sudden discovery of extra room under the right foot required in every racing movie; admiration for the charming leads and for Tracy Letts, the character actor playing The Deuce; evil composite characters; 17" wheels that almost ruin everything; doing 218 on the Mulsanne Straight; the sad folder situation at modern-day Ford; teaching the young about Ken Miles; and finally, the movie's ranking in the pantheon of racing films.What details did we miss? What performances did we sail past without so much as a nod? What was going on with that 356, anyway? Tell us in the comments below!Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode:2:39  BaT Podcast Episode 56: AJ Baime on Go Like Hell, The Arsenal of Democracy, and More1:09:49  Porsche 906 Re-Creation1:10:17  1963 Ford Falcon