Mecum Auctions

Name

Mecum Auctions

Legal name

Mecum Auctions Inc.

Website

https://mecum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collector Car Auctions

NAICS

Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441), Used Car Dealers (441120)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Collector car auctions
• Classic car auctions
• Motorcycle auctions
• Live auction events
• Online vehicle bidding

Headquarters

HQ city

Walworth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Buyer Premium: Percentage added to hammer price paid by buyers. Collector Cars/Motorcycles: 10% in-person, 12% telephone/internet. Minimum premiums: $1,000 for vehicles, $500 for motorcycles. Road Art: 20% in-person, 22% telephone/internet.
2. Seller Commission: Commission charged to sellers when vehicles are sold. Rates: 6% for no-reserve listings, 10% for reserve listings.
3. Consignment Entry Fees: Non-refundable fees for listing vehicles. Collector Car/Motorcycle: $350-$1,000. Road Art: $100 (no reserve) to $250 (reserve). No-reserve listings receive 50% discount on entry fee.
4. Spectator Tickets: Admission tickets for auction spectators. 1-day ticket: $30, 3-day ticket: $75 (prices exclude taxes and fees).
5. ESPN+ Broadcast Rights: Mecum auctions are broadcast on ESPN+ with professional commentary, generating revenue through broadcast licensing and driving paid subscription viewership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mecum Auctions operates one of the world's largest collector car auction companies, conducting live in-person auction events and online timed auctions for classic and collector cars, motorcycles, tractors, and road art. The company also provides an integrated ecosystem of ancillary services including consignment, in-house financing, vehicle transport, restoration and detailing, automotive photography, and broadcast coverage through partnerships with ESPN+ and Mecum TV to reach a global bidder base.

Product overview

Mecum Auctions operates as a diversified auction platform offering multiple collector vehicle and memorabilia categories. The core offering consists of Collector Cars, Motorcycles, Road Art (automotive memorabilia), Tractors, and On Time (online timed) Auctions. These are complemented by a suite of ancillary services including Mecum Financial Services for financing, Mecum Auto Transport for logistics, Estate Services for collection sales, Bid Goes On for post-auction sales continuation, and Auction Detailing and Photography services. The company also provides broadcast viewing options through Live Block Cam, ESPN+ streaming, and Mecum TV on streaming platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mecum Financial Services: In-house financing services for collector car and motorcycle purchases through partner lenders, offering pre-approved lines of credit for auction bidders.
• Mecum Auto Transport
• On Time Auctions
• Gone Farmin' (Tractors)

Products and services

• Collector Car Auctions

Quantifiable outcome

• Average sale price of $144,161 at January 2026 auctions, up 71%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Curing Kids CancercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2012Mecum partnership with Curing Kids Cancer began August 2012. Dana Mecum and family adopted CKC as their charity of choice. Mecum customers have raised more than $15 million over 11 years through auction consignments and donations. Mecum sells vehicles for CKC without charging usual fees.
• NHRA (National Hot Rod Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMecum Mobile Experience participates at NHRA events including the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, OH. Provides brand visibility at drag racing events.
• SEMA ShowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMecum Mobile Experience trailer activates at SEMA Show, the premier automotive specialty products trade show.
• Wellborn Musclecar MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Friend of Mecum - an automotive museum partner that Mecum supports through the Mobile Experience program.
• Bloomington Gold Corvettes USAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Friend of Mecum - premier Corvette certification and show organization.
• Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals (MCACN)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Friend of Mecum - major muscle car and Corvette national show event.
• National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Friend of Mecum - Corvette restoration community organization.
• NHRA Motorsports MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Friend of Mecum - motorsports museum preserving drag racing history.
• Millers at Milwaukee Vintage Indy Car EventminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as Friend of Mecum - vintage Indy car racing event.
• Northville Concours d'EleganceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMecum Mobile Experience attends this Michigan concours event.
• Roush Racing / Jack RoushcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoush Automotive Collection being auctioned exclusively at Mecum Nashville 2026. Collection includes 32 vehicles spanning racing legends, Roush-built performance vehicles, and Ford heritage cars. Celebrates 50 years of race-inspired innovation from Roush Performance and RFK Racing.
• ESPN/ESPN+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorESPN+ broadcasts select Mecum auction coverage with full commentary and professional hosts. Separate paid subscription required. Part of Mecum's broadcast media strategy.
• YouTubecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMecum's YouTube channel provides Live Block Cam streaming of auctions and on-demand replays 72 hours after broadcast. Free access platform for auction content.
• Roku/Prime VideominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMecum TV channel streams 24/7 on Roku and Amazon Prime Video with auction replays and featured content.
• Hyatt RegencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial hotel partner for Mecum Monterey auction, offering elevated experience for attendees.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RM Sotheby's: RM Sotheby's is a leading global collector car auction house that competes head-to-head with Mecum on marquee consignments and trophy sales. Comparable transaction-fee revenue model, premium positioning, and global bidder base.
• Barrett-Jackson: Barrett-Jackson is one of the largest US collector and classic car auction operators, with a televised event-driven model (live auctions broadcast on TV) directly comparable to Mecum's ESPN+ broadcast approach and large multi-day event footprint.
• Gooding & Company: Gooding & Company is a high-end collector car auction house specializing in blue-chip consignments at events like Pebble Beach. Overlaps directly with Mecum's premium-tier auctions and supplier of similar trophy-lot consignors.
• Bonhams: Bonhams is a global traditional auction house with a substantial car department running collector car sales. Same transaction-fee model, same consignor/buyer pool, and direct overlap in high-end vintage and competition car categories.

Emerging players

• Bring a Trailer: Bring a Trailer is an online collector car auction platform that has rapidly grown into a major competitor for enthusiast-grade vehicles. Overlaps with Mecum's On Time and BidNow offerings and targets similar individual collector buyers, but operates purely online at lower scale per lot.
• Cars & Bids: Cars & Bids is an online auction platform focused on modern enthusiast vehicles (1980s-2000s). Competes with Mecum for a subset of younger-generation buyers and consignors and represents the digital-native threat to traditional live auction houses.

Broad incumbents

• Copart: Copart is the largest US online vehicle auction platform, primarily for salvage and used vehicles. Differs in segment (salvage vs. collector) but uses the same online auction infrastructure and buyer-premium model and competes for adjacent vehicle remarketing share.
• Sotheby's (parent automotive auctions): Sotheby's is a traditional global auction house with a substantial motoring department. Indirectly competes for high-end consignments and is closely tied to RM Sotheby's through ownership/operational links.
• Christie's (motoring division): Christie's runs collector car auctions as part of its broader luxury auction portfolio. Overlaps with Mecum in luxury/blue-chip collector vehicles but competes as a wide-portfolio incumbent rather than a specialized auction house.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): IAA is a large vehicle auction platform focused on insurance total-loss and used vehicles. Different segment (salvage vs. collector) but uses an analogous physical/online wholesale auction infrastructure and competes for share of vehicle remarketing demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights9 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mecum
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/mecumauction
• Facebookfacebook.com/mecumauction
• Instagraminstagram.com/mecum_auctions
• Pinterestpinterest.com/mecumauctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mecum-auctions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mecum Auctions