If you are in the market to sell or buy your next vehicle through an online car auction, then you are one of the many that have found they can easily access both new and used cars, as well as salvage cars with the whole process from beginning to end being completed online.
In fact, many auctions are available to the general public, regardless of what state they are in. Dealerships that will have great vehicles and good prices are very likely purchasing them from the the biggest car auction houses in the USA. But you can too!
Lots of individuals are not aware that as a buyer or seller you are not limited to car inventory from different car dealerships or private sellers. You can bid online and from afar, as you can always get auctions cars shipped to you, right to your door. Even salvage cars can be shipped. This makes it very simple, safe, and convenient instead of going to bid in person. So that's why so many auctions are now online.
Sit back as we guide you through the 13 best online car auctions sites of 2024!
Online car auction sites typically feature a variety of vehicles, including:
Also find at online car auctions:
Without further delay, here are the best car auctions to bid online in the country.
No doubt, Copart is the heavy hitter auction on this list, having over 200 locations and thousands upon thousands of vehicles on hand.
Specializing in the sale of vehicles on behalf of various entities like insurance companies, banks, finance companies, fleet operators, and individuals. They are the self proclaimed leader in this space, and they very well may be.
These guys have over 150,000 vehicles sitting on over 8,000 acres of land in 200 locations across 11 countries. Copart is accessible for dealers, dismantlers, rebuilders, exporters, and the yes, the general public too, offering a diverse range of vehicles every day. They have been at it for 42 years.
The name says it all. Focused Though it's in their name, the are not exclusively focused on insurance auctions. IAAI sells plenty of undamaged vehicles, lightly
Catering to a diverse range of buyer preferences and needs, their inventory is top notch with even plenty of vehicles that run and drive off the lot .IAA takes advantage of their highly technical platform to bring live bidding right to your fingertips, making it one of the best online auto auction sites.
They also have a ton of locations. As of 2024, they have 190 auction centers throughout the USA hosting hundreds of live online auctions every week.
As you may already know, Cars and Bids are the self proclaimed "modern enthusiast car" auction. However, they do live up to the name with fun and exciting cars from 1980 and up. They also have low fees. There is no charge for sellers to list cars. Buyers pay a 4.5% commission, minimum $225, but the fee is capped at $4,500. Great if purchasing that Bugatti Chiron this week.
They provide vehicle history reports on every car they list and they don't take a very long time to get your car on the site as a seller, as they have super streamlined process.
Founded by automotive enthusiast and reviewer Doug DeMuro, the platform offers an excellent selection of vehicles that appeal to the pickiest auto enthusiasts.
If looking to tap into exclusive auctions meant strictly for dealers, AutoBidMaster‘s online auto auctions have a wide range of online vehicle auctions featuring many repairable vehicles, including luxury, sports, classic, and even exotic cars that the general public would normally find out of reach.
How do they do this? AutoBidMaster is a Copart broker. One of the few that are approved by the auction house. Once you set up a quick account, you instantly have access and since they are licensed in various states, you can get nearly any dealer only auction car through them for a modest fee.
AutoBidMaster online auto auctions provide access to over 150,000 potential vehicles for you to choose from. They specialize in providing exclusive dealer-only auctions throughout North America. Customers can purchase both clean and salvaged vehicles.
A Better Bid has around 300,000+ repairable, wrecked & salvage title vehicles This auction also provides access to exclusive dealer auctions to regular buyers as they are also a Copart broker. So that means you do not need a dealer license.
The standard transaction fee is $299 or 7% of the purchase price, whichever is greater. But if you are a premium member (which would be good to do if you buy often) pays $250 or 5% of the purchase price, whichever is greater. Pro is $199 or 2.5% of the purchase price, whichever is greater. The Premium Membership for example, is $150 a year .
Buy vehicles from insurance companies, rental agencies, repossessed cars from lenders, fleet cars, dealer overstock, and even abandoned vehicles.
Also known as BAT makes a couple of our lists including classics, but they have a lot going on. They are so diverse in inventory, pricing, and quality. The site launched in 2007 and was brought to life thanks to co-founder's Randy Nonnenberg's hobby of sifting through classified car listings that has grown to 50-plus a day, sold Monday-Friday.
They feature all kinds of vehicles, and their daily features are a cool mix of not only some rare vehicles, but quite a bit of nostalgic cars that have rules the over the decades. Great for classics and just cool stuff in general.
This one really needs no introduction. eBay is the ultimate vehicle site for the private seller but a dealer can easily market cars here as well. eBay Motors does not offer the same kinds of vehicle inventory found on other online auction sites because the sellers are individuals putting up their personal vehicles or dealers who already are looking a sale.
eBay has a lot of reach, so, as a result finding that hidden gem of a deal is not possible like it was in the early days. Still, it makes the list because of it's easy point of entry and buyer protections.
This is another venue open to the public for anyone to bid. Everyone is welcome. Capital Auto Auction is considered a safe consumer auction in business since February 4, 1989.
By 1999, they had three locations. Their selection is frequently updated to their Auto Auction Inventory page for which they have vehicles for every budget .
They take inventory that is in great shape, and by hand picking the vehicles they choose to have you bid on. Capital Auto Auction has auctions every week, every Saturday. They also take vehicles on consignment.
Aside from being a great online car auction, they do a lot for charity, which gives them a bump up in our book.
When it comes to online bidding, Manheim is the more refined of the bunch, providing high quality vehicles dealers are looking for, such as selling off undesired trade-ins, power sport vehicles, recreational vehicles, boats, and more.
This auction is a one-stop-shop for a range of services and even offer reconditioning vehicles for resale. This includes detailing to light mechanical repairs.
Many big corporate dealers use Manheim, but smaller ones find deals here as well.
Adesa also boasts a full range of services and caters themselves to dealers needing a full range of services. To join, you must be a licensed dealer.
They cater to Manufacturers, Banks, rental companies, fleet companies, insurance companies. Their platform caters primarily dealer consignments.
Adesa has great inventory and expansive reach. ADESA has great resources to help market older cars and other vehicles that are considered high-mileage.
Salvage Bid is your stop for collision, fire damage, recovered-theft, repossession, clean title, and other types of vehicles. They are an approved broker for Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA)
They don't disappoint as they have direct access to this inventory since everyone gets the same advantages as fully licensed dealers. Check out our full review on Salvage Bid.
Salvage Bid offers a few membership options, including a limited guest membership. It is then followed by the Starter membership, and finally, Premium,and VIP membership, with the lowest fees.
ACV Auctions is an online car auction site specifically designed for auto dealers. It offers a range of services for buying and selling preowned vehcles through its platform
Dealers can access a diverse range of vehicles through the platform, and the auction process is designed to be transparent and fast.
ACV Auctions works a hard to make the process of buying and selling used vehicles far more efficient and profitable for dealers by providing an online auction that is focused on trust, being transparent, and boldstered by data-driven insights.
Purple Wave is an online auction site that specialized more on heavy equipment, focusing primarily on construction, agriculture, and fleet vehicles. They operate through a no-reserve auction, which is attracts buyers. This approach makes Purple Wave unique in the field of online equipment auctions.
In October 2023, Purple Wave announced a strategic investment and partnership with Copart. This is aimed at expanding Purple Wave's reach from a regional business to a global one.
The buyer's premium is approximately 10%, and sellers are charged 5%. For this reason, it's a little lower on the list. However, according to customers their customer service is excellent. For more information on Purple Wave's auctions and services, you can visit thtm at Purple Wave.
Auto auction is closed. This site was a powerhouse of vehicle inventory. Auto Auction Mall allowed people without dealer licenses to bid on vehicles, considered brokers. They had access to a multitude of auctions. However, due to financial hardships, they are temporarily closed, as per their website.
There are many times we've had customers that bid at an auction that's far from home, only to find out the shipping slashed their profits. Be sure to use our car shipping calculator before bidding.