Manheim Auto Auction's Xtreme Spring 2025

Project Spotlight

Manheim Auto Auction has been a long-time SPDT client, and we’ve had the pleasure of working alongside their marketing team to produce the annual Xtreme Spring Charity Sale and Gala. Over the years, this signature sales event for the auction has embraced a wide range of themes from high-energy and bombastic to more genteel and sophisticated. Manheim Pennsylvania has been hosting its Xtreme Spring Sale – their single largest sales event – for more than fifteen years. The 2025 event hosted 2,931 dealers onsite and via Simulcast and sold 1,025 vehicles, raising $105,679 (a 22% increase over 2024) for Aaron’s Acres, a local nonprofit that provides recreational opportunities for young people with disabilities.

The gala portion of the evening raised funds via guest donations and a live auction that included five pieces of unique artwork from Aaron’s Acres campers, a guitar signed by Melissa Etheridge, and a 2021 “Little Red Corvette” to fit with this year’s 80s theme.

Thematically, this year’s event leaned into the 1980s to celebrate the Auction’s 80th anniversary. Think Rubik’s Cubes, lots of Aquanet, BMX bikes, and loads of day-glo neon.

Over 400 dealer clients, auction leadership, and executive leadership for Cox Automotive were in attendance, including Grace Huang, President of Inventory Solutions; Alan Lang, SVP Manheim; Jessica Lanier, VP Marketing, Inventory & NGC; Dana Lowenthal, VP Client & Business Services.

A key moment of the evening’s festivities was Grace Huang’s ride down the “tunnel of time travel” in a fully restored DeLorean (and perfectly on theme!). Shumaker PDT provided dramatic crytojet and strobe effects to add some pop to this celebratory moment. Following her entrance, Huang celebrated the Auction’s 80-year history and spoke about future innovations.