Hagerty forecasts record Monterey auction sales

Hagerty said on August 5 that the collector-car market heading into Monterey Car Week looks stronger than it did a year ago, and the company forecast that 2026 auction sales could approach record territory. In a five-chart preview published by Hagerty Media, the insurer and market-data company said its midpoint estimate for total Monterey auction sales is $470 million, just below the $471.2 million record set in 2022. Hagerty said its optimistic case reaches $496 million, and that strong bidding could push the week above $500 million for the first time. ### How high does Hagerty think Monterey sales can go? Hagerty’s August 5 preview put the center of its forecast at $469.8 million for the 2026 Monterey auctions. The company compared that with estimated total sales of $432.7 million in 2025, $391.6 million in 2024 and the 2022 high-water mark of $471.2 million. Hagerty said consignors and auction companies have responded to a stronger market for the most expensive cars by bringing a more valuable mix of vehicles this year. (hagerty.com) The $500 million figure is not Hagerty’s base case. The company said that threshold would require strong bidding, but added that a similar number of vehicles on offer, combined with a slightly higher share of reserve lots and a richer mix of high-value consignments, could still produce the biggest Monterey total on record. ### Which cars does Hagerty say are driving the forecast? (hagerty.com) Hagerty said modern supercars are expected to account for about 60% of total sales this year. The company contrasted that with earlier Monterey eras dominated first by prewar cars and later by what it called Enzo-era Ferraris, and said the market’s center of gravity has continued moving toward newer high-end vehicles. (hagerty.com) The same preview said prewar greats should also gain share in 2026, while certain eight-figure American consignments sit outside Hagerty’s three main categories. Hagerty cited cars such as a 1964 Shelby Cobra Daytona coupe and a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport as examples of headline lots that could influence the week’s totals. (hagerty.com) ### What changed in Monterey’s auction lineup this year? Hagerty said this year’s event schedule includes venue changes for two major sales. Broad Arrow, which Hagerty owns, moved its Monterey-area auction to Carmel Valley in partnership with The Quail, while Bonhams shifted to Laguna Seca, according to Hagerty’s preview. Broad Arrow announced in February that its Quail auction will run on August 13 and 14 at The Quail Golf Club in Carmel Valley and feature about 175 collector cars. (hagerty.com) Hagerty said the move followed four years at the Monterey Jet Center and made Broad Arrow the official auction partner of The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. ### When do the main Monterey auctions actually start? RM Sotheby’s said its Monterey sale returns for its 29th year to the Portola Hotel and Monterey Conference Center, with preview activity beginning August 12 and auction sessions set for August 13, 14 and 15. RM Sotheby’s describes the sale as its flagship Monterey event. Mecum said its Monterey 2026 auction at Del Monte Golf Course runs August 13 through 15, with 600 vehicles and 100 motorcycles listed on its event page. (newsroom.hagerty.com) The schedule posted by Mecum shows gates opening at 8 a.m. each day and collector-car auction sessions beginning at 10 a.m. ### Why is Hagerty’s market call getting attention now? August 5 was also the date Hagerty posted second-quarter 2026 results on its investor news page, placing the Monterey forecast alongside a week of company and market updates. (rmsothebys.com) The preview itself was published as Monterey Car Week approached and as auction houses finalized catalogs, schedules and bidder logistics. August 13 is the next key date. (mecum.com) RM Sotheby’s, Broad Arrow and Mecum all have auction activity scheduled that day, with sales spread across Monterey and Carmel Valley as the week’s headline consignments come to the block. (rmsothebys.com) (investor.hagerty.com)