Exclusive: Richard Rawlings' Love For Cars and Why He's Selling His Collection

Richard Rawlings, the founder of Gas Monkey Garage, has decided to sell his entire car collection. Yet, this online auction will be unlike any other one before it. Rawlings is working in collaboration with popular auction site Bring A Trailer to bring something special. This is in fact, the largest single-owner collection ever featured on the site. It’s actually the first of its kind.

On September 7th, the auction began featuring over 29 different cars. This is an eclectic collection of classics and customs. So whether your interest is pre-war or 2022, you'll find it in this extensive listing. On September 14th, all the auctions will close, one after the other. Exactly how it would be if you went down to a live auto auction yourself. Yet, every car must go and has been set to sell with no reserve.

The Definitive Hot-Rodder

We got a chance to speak to Richard about this unprecedented collaboration. The entire Gas Monkey Garage Collection is set to find new homes. Why? Richard plans to clear out his garage space to make room for bigger and better things. Some of which he had only finished buying when we spoke to him.

We found him enjoying a margarita after attending Mecum Dallas. He had just bought four new cars at the well-known collectible auction. Even before his own epic auction is over, he already begins to create a new line-up to grace the garage.

Let's clarify that Richard is not new to the auto sales business. When he was in high school, he had already owned and sold dozens of cars. He frequented auto shows with his father, who also showed him how to build cars in his youth. He bought his first car at the age of 14.

Decades later, this savvy business mindset followed him into his next automotive venue. In 2002, Rawlings would start Gas Monkey Garage in Dallas, Texas. A shop dedicated to customizing classic cars and hot-rods. It became the forefront of a Discovery Channel show called Fast N' Loud. The show had a successful 16 seasons, which helped him expand his own business and collection.

Even then, Richard has been a man of many entrepreneurial ventures through the years. Yet, he is especially excited for this latest auction with Bring a Trailer. His announcement via his popular YouTube channel has almost reached a million views. Let's dive into how this unique collaboration came to be.

Redefining the car auction experience

Let's say you had a collection of 30 unique and rare cars and you wanted to sell them all. How exactly would you go about that? The standard procedure would be first to ship the entire collection to an auction house. For about 30 cars, this may cost in the range of $30,000 to $40,000 to ship.

For the cars that do sell, you'll have to pay 12 to 18 percent to the auction house in fees. Not to mention, you'll have to put your full trust in a transportation company to get them there safely. Accidents can happen and do happen across thousands of miles. Let's not forget about the plane trip to the auction, hotels, you name it.

What about cars you don't sell? You have to transport them back and that becomes an ordeal in itself. As we can begin to understand, this is far from the most optimal experience for both buyers and sellers.

Richard's full 29-car collection is set to sell in the range of $1.5m to $3m. If he were to use the conventional method found in the auction business, he'd end up paying over $300,000 in costs. Using Bring A Trailer's system, he will be able to reduce that down to only about $60,000. That is a staggering difference, but how exactly is it achievable?

Bring A Trailer Breaks Boundaries

Thus no matter the price of the car sold, the highest fee is always $5k. Before you would have to take a massive hit on a six-figure car. Bring A Trailer is changing the way the whole system works. This system has been an integral part of making this amazing auction a reality.

The BaT team had already been hard at work getting the cars ready a week before the auction went live. It is set to be an absolute spectacle. The event is a farewell party of sorts. The end of something to start a new beginning.

The auction end will begin at 10 A.M. Central Time on September 14th and will have a live stream. It will be like you were watching an auction on TV. Two cameras: one for the cars and the other for Richard doing the auction live with bids on display will facilitate the live streaming.

The plan is to set each vehicle on the block for a 10-minute duration and knock one out after the other. High-profile buyers will be on-site in the garage and can place bids in real-time. Appointments are available for bidders to check out the cars before the auction ends.

There is a full team on live support for each of the individual auctions. Richard understands how important it is to be transparent with prospective buyers. He himself is answering both comments and questions on a minute-to-minute basis.

Gas Monkey Always Does It Big

As you have come to understand, this is far from your average collection. Yet, Richard still wants to do it even bigger next time around. Even with several days left, there are already cars that are surpassing expectations. Others he thinks are still very undervalued at their current price.

Richard believes that we are nowhere near the height of the used car market and right now is a great time to sell. With his newfound resources, he plans to reinvest into cars with even more pedigree. When we asked him what was at the top of his list, he told us "80s and 90s American hot rods". A particular interest is a Chevrolet Camaro Z28 IROC with a 350ci engine and a 5-speed manual.

When we asked Richard what was the first car that made him fall in love with automobiles, he fondly recalls the Lamborghini Countach. He had the iconic poster of Catherine Bach and Susan Anton posted on the hood of Red Countach on the set of Cannonball Run II. Since then, he has owned a couple. Now he is "embarrassed" about selling them because of their recent increase in price.

Richard has bought and sold hundreds of cars for decades. Yet, five cars will always find a home in Richard's garage. All five are 1932-36 Ford Customs. A true hot rodder to the teeth, Richard knows that the origins of the movement began with these prewar Fords. As such, he holds them close to his heart and doesn’t plan to ever let them go.

Crown Jewels and What the Future Holds

In an expansive set of 29 different cars, there is one standout car that pains Richard to part ways with the most: the "King T". This custom Ford has built by hotrod icon Gene Winfield back in the 1960s. Winfield restored the car in 2007 before Gas Monkey purchased it in 2016.

A legend within the world of hot-rodding, the King T is the most precious model of the entire collection. Richard also believes it will likely fetch the highest price of all the cars available. It has everything from gorgeous paint to undeniable pedigree. Immortalized with a Hot Wheels toy, you know it's timeless.

Yet, the collection is far from limited to hot rods. You'll find an array of custom choppers. A pair of C1 Corvettes and a handful of 60s Mustangs. JDM classics like the Mark IV Toyota Supra Turbo. and Nissan 300ZX. Even a 500-mile 1986 Zimmer Quicksilver. That is a car we have for sure never seen before.

One of the unique items for auction is Gas Monkey Garage Experience. The winning bidder will receive a trip for four to visit and check out the cars and the garage. As the garage is not open to the public, this may be the only way to get in. All the proceeds will go to the Gas Monkey Foundation to help youth, the elderly, and veterans.

When, Where, and How to Watch

The entertainment has already begun, with the auction now LIVE for the past three days. The auction end will be available to watch via the Gas Monkey website starting at 10 AM Central Time on September 14th. It is sure to be a hell of an atmosphere as cars are sold one after the other. A full listing of the entire collection is available on Bring a Trailer.

Stay sure to keep updated with upcoming news about the auction on the Gas Monkey Garage website. Right now there is a raffle to win Richard's 1968 "Thomas Crown Affair" Mustang replica. Not to mention, a $25k cash prize besides the stunning Pony car. The raffle will end on September 15th, the day after the auction. Don't miss out on this auction, it is the first of its kind and may change the game altogether.