Affordable 21st-Century Performance, Revisited

Alex, Randy, and Beck welcome Robert, returning BaT staffer/podcast first-timer/one of our favorite people to the table to talk about the best cars of 1989. They first discuss recreational test drives and Loma Prieta memories (for those alive at the time, anyway) as well as embarking on a bit of cultural scene-setting, and then dive right into their picks. Alex sets an unusual stage by going Wild Card first, throwing everyone for a loop and sending them scrambling for essentially the weirdest picks they can think of. No one takes some of the most obvious choices, because who needs another F40, after all? The crew wraps up with a frankly embarrassing array of honorable mentions, heavily weighted toward (but in no way limited to) offerings from the Blue Oval and the other American carmakers struggling for relevance as the '90s loomed in the near distance. What are your top five picks from 1989? Tell us how far off the mark we were, and get us thinking right! Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode: 13:57  Mazda 767 on Wikipedia 16:45  Pristine 69k-Mile 1990 BMW M3 17:11  1990 BMW 325iX Touring 5-Speed 19:17  Ex–Mark Martin 1989 Ford Thunderbird NASCAR Race Car 21:14  1989 Ferrari 328 GTB 23:01  35-Years-Owned 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup 25:22  18k-Mile 1988 Mazda RX-7 Turbo 10th Anniversary 5-Speed 26:44  2,200-Mile 1989 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II 5-Speed 30:05  19k-Mile 1989 Ford Taurus SHO 31:20  Second-gen Nissan Maximas on BaT 33:31  Volvo 740 Turbo Wagons on BaT 36:26  1989 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution Is on BaT 38:44  1989 Saleen Mustangs on BaT 40:17  Ex–Jim Farley, Supercharged 1989 Ford Mustang Saleen LX Hatchback 5-Speed 41:05 Saab 9000 Turbos on BaT 42:11  Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977-1989) Model Page 44:00  Dodge Shelby Dakotas on BaT 47:02  LS3-Powered 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ62 48:22  1990 Jeep Cherokee Pioneer 4×4 50:57  1983 Mercedes-Benz 280GE Cabriolet 1.57:59 1989 Plymouth Voyager SE Turbo 5-Speed 59:04  Ford Escort GTs on BaT

Alex and Randy, fresh off our recent gathering and film screening of  the forthcoming documentary series Route 66: The Main Street of America in Flagstaff, Arizona, discuss Randy's father-daughter trip from Riverside to Flagstaff in his red Chrysler 300B; learning the Chuck Berry version of Get Your Kicks on Route 66 backward and forward; swimming against the stream on the notoriously east-to-west road; the first post-prohibition liquor license in Chicago; the captivating documentary and the great, historic Orpheum Theater in which we got to see it; giving cars a reason to live; the temptation of the vintage motel and gas station business; love for the desert Googie diner; a brief "stroad" explainer; teaching kids patience and flexibility on the road; and that most elusive and necessary part of any good road trip: time. They move on to a game of picking their top five ideal cars to do the whole route in, along the way discussing aesthetic over speed; candidates from a stakebed farm truck to a Duesenberg; if one could make the drive appropriately in a non-American car; whether a convertible is really a good idea; a Swiss tourist who had Randy pegged within seconds; and specific instances in which roll-up windows prove important. What are your top five rides for the Mother Road? Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode: 12:55 Route 66 BaT Gathering at the Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff, Arizona 35:05  347-Powered 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 4-Speed 35:42  Lot 1: 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 38:25 Ford F-Series 1953-1956 model page 41:26  1926 Duesenberg Model A Opera Coupe 45:53  Volkswagen Beetle (1958-1979) model page 47:53  1957 Chevrolet Nomads on BaT 48:46  1957 Chevrolet 150 2-Door Sedan Fuelie 3-Speed 50:29  1950 Buick Super Estate Wagon 53:32  Supercharged 1956 Ford Country Squire Wagon 54:18 239 Flathead-Powered ’31 Ford 5-Window Coupe 4-Speed 1:00:06  54-Years-Owned 1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe 1:01:31  1963.5 Ford Galaxie 500XL Hardtop Fastback R-Code 4-Speed 1:05:58  1961 Chrysler New Yorkers on BaT

This week, we have something a bit different for you: a guest episode from our esteemed partners and pals over at The Intercooler Magazine in the UK. Episode 334 of The Intercooler Podcast was recorded this past Sunday at the final Bicester Scramble of 2026, during which BaT took over the massive Hangar 113 with the help of our Local Partners Sports Purpose and Chase Classics. Alex Porter, your regular BaT podcast host, joined Andrew Frankel and Gez Medinger in front of a live audience to talk about what made Alex happy this week (spoiler: it's his recent mastery of the British roundabout), play a Porsche-themed version of their popular Buy, Borrow, Burn segment, and reveal the Bring a Trailer Car of the Week. The latter leads into a discussion about the context for and reception of the first-generation Boxster, one of the unsung (at least less-sung) heroes of the modern Porsche era. They then cover the early history of BaT, which is less familiar to our friends in the UK than to our US community; the similarities between US and UK car culture; and a frank overview of not only how, but why BaT works as well as it does.

Alex, Tyler and Beck welcome first-timer Christian, the head of our Customer Service team and one of the people at BaT who is most observant of the human personality (even if he can't ever remember the customer service number, which is 415-787-0961 for anyone looking). Christian gives a quick description of the Customer Service landscape before the crew get down to a couple vintage Questions of the Week, covering phantom old car sounds; a seized Alfa V6; the automotive form of ignorance=bliss; a sudden nosedive in a '90s Honda; why they tell you to check your torque settings after 500 miles; stuck-open throttles; cars that left big impressions; and what model year they'd choose to get stuck with forever. The group then moves on to the somewhat more intense subject of where modern internet freakout culture and confirmation bias collide with conspicuous wealth and discomfort with change, most commonly exemplified by something along the lines of "There's no way that [insert an auction result you don't like or understand here] is real!" Our wise and experienced staffers, who are closer to the realities of the car auction market than anyone, offer up the reasons that yes—it is real. Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode: 20:43  Question of the Week archive 34:05  758-Mile 2004 Honda Element EX 4WD Sold for USD $42,750 on 3/06/2025 39:49  One-Owner, 23k-Mile 1999 Acura NSX Zanardi Edition #22 Sold for USD $628,000 on 9/23/2026 40:11  @speedman9000 Member since February 2024 44:23  1952 Jaguar XK120 Roadster Sold for USD $64,507 on 9/18/2026 45:32  8-Mile, One-Owner 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition Sold for USD $2,101,000 on 8/04/2026 47:56 Acura NSX NA2 Auction Results and Ferrari F430 Auction Results 48:11  Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Auction Results 51:55  251-Mile 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Sold for USD $775,000 on 7/8/2026 55:03  1973 Fiat 850 Sport Spider Sold for USD $4,058 on 9/17/2026

Randy interviews none other than Bruce Trenery, founder of the famed collector car dealership Fantasy Junction in Emeryville, California. They talk about growing up in the Berkeley hills, littered with the discarded but interesting cars of avid travelers; opening the first version of the shop with a partner in Berkeley before taking it solo in 1978; buying an all-star collection in 1982 and just about breaking even; how the fickle Euro impacts the company's overseas business; Bruce's appreciation for Bring a Trailer and specifically the expert commentary; Aurelias growing on trees; and how his son Spencer, a big name in his own right, grew up at the dealership and only occasionally torpedoed sales as a toddler. In his trademark quiet and humble way, Bruce drops bombs about driving a vintage Bentley across Europe with no preparation during the Chernobyl disaster, running the Mille Miglia in six spectacular cars, buying a Horch from Robin Hood, and purchasing a Delahaye from a Texas palm reader with good advice about airplanes. He talks about the infamous FJ photo wall, gives sage words about honesty in the car business and how nice a car it truly makes sense to own, makes a tongue-in-cheek (or is it?) prediction regarding the '34 Packard, and describes a harrowing attempt at La Carrera Panamericana in a Hudson. Follow along! Links for the listings discussed in this episode: 0:52  FantasyJunction BaT seller page 14:52 Lancia Aurelia model page 27:14  32-Years-Owned 1931 Chrysler CD-8 Sport Roadster 28:52  Bristol make page 30:30 1987 Porsche 962 IMSA GTP