Corporate Overview
Auctions America was established in July 2010, following the purchase of the Auburn Auction Park in Auburn, Indiana, by RM Auctions. Backed by RM, the world’s largest collector car auction house, Auctions America specializes in the sale of American classics, European sports cars, Detroit muscle, hot rods and customs at auction. Each year, the company hosts an established calendar of events in some of the country’s leading automotive destinations, including Auburn, Indiana, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to name a few.
Led by collector car expert Donnie Gould, Auctions America is founded on the principles of providing the best service, prompt payment, honesty and integrity in all areas of the auction process. The company boasts an expert team of full-time car specialists offering more than 140 years of combined experience buying, selling, racing and restoring collector vehicles, making them uniquely qualified to advise on all aspects of the hobby. Auctions America’s specialists are joined by a skilled and dedicated client services team that assists with other arrangements, from bidder registration to accommodations, vehicle titles and transportation. This attention to clients’ needs delivers an unparalleled experience from start to finish.
The company’s corporate headquarters in Auburn is steeped in tradition. Regarded as the “classic car capital of America,” Auburn is home to the world-famous Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and annual Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival, which welcome tens of thousands of collector car enthusiasts each year. The historic 235-acre Auburn Auction Park, one of the largest venues of its kind in the United States, is also well-known among enthusiasts for hosting two events per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The fall event coincides with the celebrated ACD Festival, making for an ultimate collector car weekend for motoring enthusiasts. Since purchasing the Auburn Auction Park, Auctions America has invested more than $1.65 million in renovations and upgrades to enhance facilities and restore the park to its former glory.
Agreement with Carlisle Events
In January 2011, Auctions America entered into a joint marketing and corporate agreement with Carlisle Events to stage co-branded events in Auburn, Indiana, and Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The relationship was designed to leverage both companies’ core competencies and provide automotive enthusiasts and their families with an unmatched event experience and level of service. Under the agreement, Carlisle Events exclusively presents the swap meet and car corral components of the annual Auburn Spring and Fall events, while Auctions America hosts the two collector car auctions held annually at the Carlisle Expo Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.Private and Estate Sales
Following in the footsteps of its parent company RM Auctions, Auctions America is quickly carving a reputation as the auction house of choice for private and estate collection sales. During the 2011 auction season, the company presented the highly publicized Lee Roy Hartung Collection, in November. Regarded as one of the world’s most eclectic automotive and memorabilia collections, the Hartung sale presented nearly 1,600 lots at ”no reserve”, generating almost $4 million in sales and capturing the attention of collectors from nine countries around the world and 45 states across the U.S.Auctions America continued to demonstrate its expertise in the handling of private and estate collections in 2012, hosting two stand-alone single-vendor sales in addition to presenting a number of collections as featured attractions at its mainstream events. The Terry Bennett Collection, a multi-day sale held in New Hampshire, and the National Military History Museum sale in Auburn, Indiana, both enjoyed 100 percent sell-through rates with more than 50 percent of bidders at each event representing first-time participants.
2012 Auction Success
Auctions America enjoyed its best performance to date in 2012, generating more than $52 million in auction sales. Unit volume was in excess of 2,100 vehicles and select memorabilia, sold at eight separate auctions across the country. Growth also extended to the company’s global client base, with registered bidders representing 28 countries around the world. On a national level, bidders at Auctions America events in 2012 hailed from all 50 states across the U.S.Headlining Auctions America’s 2012 season was the highly successful Auburn Fall Collector Car Weekend, held during the famed Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival. The 2012 Labor Day weekend sale marked Auctions America’s largest event to date, with total sales exceeding $18.6 million with 76 percent of all lots sold. Reflecting the event’s steady and consistent growth over the past three years, more than 52,500 enthusiasts turned out to the 2012 event, helping put Auburn “back on the map” as the “classic car capital of America.” More than one-third of registered bidders represented new clientele.
