RM Sotheby's closed the first half of its 2026 calendar with a boutique lakeside sale in Bavaria that leaned hard on modern Ferrari, while the broader collector market kept sending the same mixed signal it has for months: plenty of cars are changing hands, the very best are still commanding real money, and the middle of the market is quietly getting cheaper. Here is what sold, what is coming, and what is worth watching online right now.
The big picture
The headline numbers this summer look calmer than the mood underneath them. Hagerty's Market Index actually ticked up again, rising 0.33 points to 172.5 for its third straight monthly gain, a reminder that the blue-chip end of the hobby remains resilient even when sentiment softens. Look one layer down, though, and the cooling is real. Hagerty's broader Market Rating has now trended lower for six consecutive months, and the auction median sale price fell to a fresh all-time low in inflation-adjusted terms. In plain language, more cars are selling, but the typical car is bringing less real money than it used to.
The clearest story of 2026 remains the split between the top and the middle. Hagerty's Blue Chip Index, which tracks the most coveted collectibles, sits at 75.54, while the broader Hagerty Hundred has slipped to 48.32. That gap of nearly 27 points is about as wide as it has been, and it explains why a track-only Ferrari can smash through seven figures in the same month that solid driver-quality classics are getting easier to buy. For enthusiasts with patience and a budget, the softening middle is an opportunity, not a warning.
Results worth noting
The marquee sale of the week was RM Sotheby's return to Lake Tegernsee, held alongside the Concours of Elegance Germany. The single-day auction sold 91 percent of its 24 lots and grossed 10.5 million euros, a strong close to a busy European spring.
Leading the docket was a 2009 Ferrari 599XX Evo, one of roughly 45 built and maintained throughout by Ferrari's factory XX Programme, which sold for 2,536,250 euros. Track-only Ferraris like this remain a genuine bright spot, drawing collectors who want exclusivity and factory support in one package. A 2023 Ferrari 812 Competizione, one of 999 coupes and showing barely 1,587 kilometers, followed at 1,467,500 euros, proof that late-model limited-run Ferraris are already trading as blue-chip assets rather than depreciating exotics.
Third place went to a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT at 1,445,000 euros. This one carried an asterisk collectors will debate: its second owner repainted the car in a matte grey inspired by the Lamborghini Reventon, walking away from the factory silver. That it still cleared 1.4 million euros says a lot about how strongly the Carrera GT market is holding. Further down the results, a 365-kilometer 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale brought 680,000 euros and a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet, one of just 80 built, sold for 657,500 euros. The pattern is hard to miss: low-mileage, limited-production modern cars are where the money went.
The upcoming calendar
The domestic action heats up in about two weeks. Mecum heads to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, July 22 to 25 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, with roughly 1,200 vehicles expected across a broad, approachable mix of muscle, trucks, and drivers. It is the kind of no-pretense sale where the softening middle of the market tends to show up as buyer-friendly pricing.
After that, all roads lead to California. Monterey Car Week runs August 7 to 16, and the auction schedule is stacked. Broad Arrow returns with The Quail sale on August 13 and 14, RM Sotheby's holds its flagship Monterey auction August 13 to 15, Gooding Christie's runs its Pebble Beach sale August 14 and 15, and Bonhams and Mecum fill out the week nearby. Monterey is where the top of the market makes its loudest statement, so it will be the clearest read yet on whether the blue-chip resilience of the first half carries into the fall. For online bidders, RM Sotheby's Sealed July sale also closes July 16.
Live now and on the watch list
If you would rather bid this week than wait for August, the online auctions are where the value hunting is happening, and Hagerty Marketplace has a deep board of no-drama listings ending in the next few days.
A few standouts as of this writing: a numbers-strong 1962 Chevrolet Corvette 327/360 fuel-injected four-speed was bidding at 70,000 dollars, while a no-reserve 455-powered 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible four-speed sat at 75,000 dollars and looked like the kind of honest muscle car this market rewards. On the modern side, a 52-mile Austin Yellow 2017 BMW M2 had climbed to 32,000 dollars and a 5,000-mile 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody was at 40,000 dollars, both examples of late-model performance cars quietly building collector followings. For a lower-budget entry, a 44-years-owned 1965 Ford Mustang convertible with a 289 and a four-speed had reached 35,559 dollars with time left to run. It is a well-rounded slate, and the verified, no-reserve listings make it an easy place to watch price discovery in real time.
Elsewhere online, a 28-year single-family-owned 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 in Daytona Yellow is drawing attention on Bring a Trailer, another sign that documented, long-owned muscle continues to find buyers even in a cooler climate.
The bottom line
This is a market of two speeds. The very best cars, especially low-mileage limited-production Ferraris and Porsches, are still setting strong numbers, while the broad middle keeps drifting toward the buyer. That combination makes right now an unusually good moment to shop with discipline: chase quality if you are investing, and take advantage of the softer median if you are buying to drive. With Harrisburg and then Monterey ahead, the second half of 2026 will tell us whether the top can keep pulling away or whether the middle finally sets a floor.
Results and bid figures reflect publicly listed auction data as of July 9, 2026. Always verify current bids and listing details before participating in any auction.
