Acquiring a new car can be an exhilarating experience, particularly when it’s a highly regarded vehicle like the 1998 Acura Integra Type R. Unfortunately, as reported by CarScoops, a bidder named swind74, who recently won this iconic model on Bring a Trailer, received disappointing news shortly after—it had been damaged. Consequently, the sale did not occur.
This incident took place in late May, but news of the accident only spread after a reader tipped off CarScoops. It’s worth noting that while the winning bid of $51,000 likely didn’t go through, only the auction website fees had to be refunded, leaving the buyer understandably frustrated.
The Integra Type R, with 85,000 miles, had sold for $51,000 on May 25. A day later, the damage was reported according to CarFax. A photo shared by vistecrimports on Instagram shows the car with front-end damage. The actual time of the accident remains uncertain.
According to the CarFax report, the vehicle was involved in a sideswipe collision, suffering damage to both the front and rear. Although the airbag deployed, the report classified the damage as minor to moderate, rather than severe.
The buyer, swind74, likely was not charged the $51,000 upfront as Bring a Trailer does not automatically collect the winning bid until the sale is completed between the involved parties. Despite this, auction bidding entails certain fees, which were reportedly refunded promptly.
Excited about the potential to own the Integra Type R, swind74 shared that this model was their first car in high school, and they were looking forward to driving it again. Regrettably, following the collision, they expressed their disappointment, saying, “This kid took out the car and wrecked it tonight so looks like no one is getting it.” Shortly thereafter, Bring a Trailer confirmed with the seller that the car was damaged after the auction concluded.
The auction site reported that no one was injured in the collision, framing it as an unfortunate turn of events. Some details regarding the car’s service history surfaced in the USDM ITR Owners & Enthusiasts Facebook group. While the current owner/seller did not provide comments about the incident, a previous owner expressed surprise at the accident and noted that he was unfamiliar with the current owner. The car was reportedly located in Texas at the time of the mishap, a fact confirmed by the listing.
For those unfamiliar, the Integra Type R stands out as the most coveted variant of the classic Honda/Acura Integra, offering an impressive 195 horsepower and a high-revving driving experience, produced during the mid to late ’90s. Like many high-performance Hondas from that era, these models are now highly sought after and command significant prices in the market. Although it’s regrettable to witness one in a damaged state, given that the reported damage is moderate, it is likely that this vehicle will be repaired and resold, albeit with an updated history on CarFax.
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