US online car auction platform Bring a Trailer (BaT) has revealed it will expand into the UK in 2026, marking the first step in its international growth strategy.
Founded in 2007 by Randy Nonnenberg (pictured above) and Gentry Underwood, the San Francisco-based company began as an online blog for sharing collector cars listed on sites such as Craigslist and eBay. Bring a Trailer then grew into a dedicated online auction platform in 2014, before being sold to Hearst, the US publisher behind Road and Track and Car and Driver.
Following a surge during the pandemic, total sales reached $829m in 2021, exceeded $1bn in 2022, and grew to over $1.7bn in 2025 with an 81 percent sell-through rate across 50,000 listings, ranging from accessible enthusiast models to limited-production hypercars.
Bring a Trailer’s UK expansion comes off the back of a handful of standalone UK sales and is being conducted alongside Oxfordshire-based Porsche specialist Sports Purpose and Chase Classics. Further partners are expected to be announced in the coming months. This local partner model mirrors Bring a Trailer’s US strategy, where on-the-ground specialists offer sellers professional inspection, photography and listing support services.
‘We have long been fans of Bring a Trailer’s no-nonsense approach and laudable transparency – and we have successfully listed cars there too,’ said Sports Purpose founder James Turner. ‘The way that enthusiasts, collectors and dealers buy and sell cars is changing fast and so we are excited and proud to have the opportunity to support the Bring a Trailer offering in the UK.’
Every listing is curated by the BaT team to ensure it transparently tells the story of each vehicle being sold. This is supported by an open comments section that allows BaT users to ask questions and bring potential issues to light in real time. Results are permanently published, creating an archive of market data to reference.
Selling fees for Bring a Trailer UK start at £79, with a £239 BaT Plus option that includes on-demand photography at the seller’s convenience. Buyers pay a five per cent fee on the final sale price, capped at £5000 plus VAT.
Auctions run for seven days, and are visible to a global audience. The platform also supports GBP and EUR bidding, with seven-day auctions and an anti-sniping system that resets the clock in the closing minutes.
Further information is available at bringatrailer.com/uk. For a limited time, seller fees are waived and BaT Plus photography is offered at £129.
