Norm,
I'm not familiar with Alabama, but next door in Georgia they don't use titles. Walk into Georgia with a bill of sale (which the auction provides) and a VIN and they will issue you a registration for a car. That's all Georgia provides. Now take the same registration with VIN and bill of sale to another state and that state will issue you a clear title. Since that's all Georgia provides, the other states honor that and thus you have a title.
Verne