Houston’s NRG Arena has been a Mecum venue since 2012 with an April date … except for 2020 when everyone’s regular dates seemed to go out the window.
It’s been a steady Mecum performer with consignments of 700-1,000 lots, solid sell through rates around 70% and total transactions running into the $20 million range (ignoring the special case of 2020.)
Barrett-Jackson seems to have been watching and this year secured the venue for the weekend of September 16-18. It was B-J’s first foray into the Lone Star State and their all no reserve “event” format struck a chord with Texans, putting up impressive numbers and creating the excitement and enthusiasm that makes B-J’s headline sale at WestWorld in Scottsdale a bucket list event.
Andrew Newton, who attended this sale and has been at all of the Mecum Houston auctions since 2015, observed, “Even though Mecum has been coming here for years, there was a lot more promotion for this B-J sale and a lot more excitement from both buyers/sellers and normal car folks.”
That was reflected in some of the transaction results as well as the overall sale total which was 9.5% more than Mecum’s highest-ever Houston sale total (back in 2014). This isn’t to denigrate how consistently well Mecum Auctions does with its consignment sale format here in Houston, only to point out that, well, Barrett-Jackson is an event unto itself.
There were some loopy results, like the $1,980,000 Porsche 928 from the movie Risky Business, the $110,000 Ford F-1 pickup and the $110,000 Ferrari 348ts, but that kind of irrationality has become somewhat commonplace in recent months.
It’s also noteworthy that two lots at B-J Houston were not cars, but Non-Fungible Tokens from the sale of a Ghostbusters Ectomobile re-creation at this year’s B-J Las Vegas auction and the 1994 Toyota Supra “Fast & Furious” movie car also sold at Las Vegas. For $8,800 and $6,600 respectively the NFTs consisted of a video, an illustration and three still images of the on-the-block sales of the real (or sorta real in the case of the Ectomobile) vehicles and two Muscle Lounge passes for a 2022 Barrett-Jackson event. Why an NFT is collectible, let alone worth $6,600 or $8,800, escapes me, particularly when the NFTs commemorate transactions in a fake Ghostbusters Ectomobile and a movie car.
Readers’ observations on NFTs are welcome.
Here are the numbers:
| Cars Sold/ Offered | Sale % | Average Sale | Median Sale | Total $ |
| 470/470 | 100% | $77,200 | $49,500
[64.1%] |
$36,284,150 |
| Numbers do not include motorcycles | ||||
Andrew Newton wrote full descriptions for 49 of the 470 lots and took the photos.
Lot # 19 1969 Fiat 600 D 2-Dr. Sedan; S/N 100D2409995; Azure Blue/Brown vinyl piped in Black; Enthusiast restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $13,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $14,850 – 767/32hp, 4-speed, Minilite-style wheels, Falken tires. – Very good recent paint and chrome. Brand new wheels. Very good upholstery and dash but there is a crack in the steering wheel. Looks older restored underneath. A lovely little 600 with money put into it recently. – A lot of charm for the money but still a strong price practically double the $7,700 it sold for in Scottsdale last year although that was before the new paint, chrome and wheels.
Lot # 59 1984 Tiffany Classic Elite Coupe; S/N 1MEBP92F3EH702203; White, Gold pinstripes/Tan leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $13,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $14,850 – 302, automatic, wire wheels, dual enclosed sidemount spares, chrome horns, landau bars, wood dash, cassette stereo, power seats, climate control, digital dash, amber fog lights. – Sound paint and brightwork other than pitting around the fog lights. Tattered leather straps on the trunk. Very good, lightly worn interior. CARFAX shows a minor accident. There is gold “Supercharged” script on the side of the hood, but there is just a standard mid-1980s 302 under there. Mild age takes little away from one of the most shouty, in-your-face cars ever made. – The Tiffany was built by Classic Motor Carriages in (of course) Florida, using Mercury Cougar underpinnings. Prices started at around $33,000, and about 500 sold before the company went under. Today, neoclassics have a limited appeal. Few people took them seriously in the ’80s and even fewer take them seriously today, but their gaudy charm is all part of the fun. This one could have sold for more given the attention it got from onlookers and the strong prices seen elsewhere in this auction, but the result is in line with what other neoclassics have sold for recently.
Lot # 60 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe; S/N 1FABP64TXJH132025; Red/Red cloth; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $10,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $11,550 – 140/190hp turbo four, 5-speed, alloy wheels, Goodyear Eagle GT tires, factory cassette stereo, power windows, climate control, power seats. – Represented as 42,038 original and believable miles, and supposedly just 1,600 of them were added in the last 21 years. Lots of chips and scratches on the nose, hood, and A-pillars but the finish is still sound and shiny. Nearly like new interior. Clean wheels and new-looking tires. Light road wear underneath. A very clean turbo T-Bird, but not so clean that you’d feel guilty driving it. – In some sense the Thunderbird Turbo was way ahead of its time, utilizing a turbocharged, intercooled Pinto engine to power a full size personal luxury car and a forerunner of today’s EcoBoost technology. 1988 was the final year for the T-Bird Turbo and the whole 80’s Thunderbird concept was a stretch for those who remembered the 2-seaters and the Square Birds that followed. They’re still not highly regarded as this result for a low miles, known history, well-preserved example shows.
Lot # 63.1 1925 Rickenbacker D6 Pickup; S/N D40705; Green, Dark Green, Black vinyl roof and Black fenders/Brown cloth; Visually maintained, largely original 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $10,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $11,000 – 218 cubic inch six, 3-speed, disc wheels, Boyce MotoMeter, windshield sun visor, woodrim steering wheel, wood bed. – Dull, blistered paint. Old wheels and dry rotted tires. Dry, cracked wood. Rip in the cloth door panel on the passenger’s side. No major rust underneath, but dirty and grimy. An interesting, rarely seen pickup but it has no real history represented and it is too tired to do much with it. – An interesting but rough condition pickup built by Rickenbacker, the company founded by racer and WWI fighter ace Eddie Rickenbacker that operated for only a few short years in the 1920s. This pickup sold for $14,300 at Mecum Indy earlier this year, but instead of tackling the project the seller here instead passed it on to the next person at a loss of a few grand, who hopefully will actually restore it. Sometimes a project car is expensive even if you never even get started on it.
Lot # 65 1965 Oldsmobile 98 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 386695M280945; Provincial White/Dark Blue vinyl and cloth; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $8,600 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $9,460 – 425/360, automatic, narrow whitewalls, fender skirts, factory air conditioning, power windows, power seats, factory AM radio, power steering, power brakes. – Good older paint and chrome with some chips around the panel edges and some microblisters in spots. Cracks in the left taillight lens. Very good interior other than a long crack in the top of the dash. Older restored underneath. Redone to appropriate standards for a four-door, and really any Olds sedan from this period is an uncommon sight these days. – An unusual survivor that doesn’t appear ever to have been neglected or abused before being given a modest but competent restoration. As a family car for tours or weekend jaunts it is a modest expense that should be fun to drive.
Lot # 69.1 1969 Opel GT Coupe; S/N 941732979; Red/Black vinyl; Enthusiast restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $25,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $27,500 – 1,897/102hp, 4-speed, alloy wheels, Sumitumo tires. – Good older paint and chrome with some detail scratching but no major flaws. The doors stick out slightly at the bottom. Good, mostly original interior with several large cracks in the steering wheel rim. Unrestored but consistently maintained underneath and has a new muffler. An honest, solid Opel GT to drive and enjoy. – Opel is one of the biggest and oldest carmakers in the world, and about 70,000 GTs sold in this country (through Buick dealerships) from 1968-73. Performance from the 1.9-liter “cam-in-head” engine wasn’t groundbreaking (one ad read “it’s great if you just want to have some fun”) but an Opel could keep up with an MGB GT all day long. And for years they’ve been just as cheap as an MGB GT. Father time and rust weren’t kind to these German GM oddballs but the survivors don’t have much larger than a cult following. Both Opel GTs in Houston this year, however, sold extremely well. A green example (Lot 621) sold for $20,900 and this red car brought even more and well above the $15,660 it sold for at Mecum Houston in 2014. It’s not a world record price but it isn’t far off, and was surprisingly high given the car’s imperfections and the fact that it crossed the block relatively early on day one of the auction.
Lot # 77.1 1963 Ford Falcon Ranchero Pickup; S/N 3H27S188689; Red/White vinyl, Tan cloth; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $24,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $26,400 – 144/85hp six, column shift 3-speed, hub caps and trim rings, narrow whitewalls, pushbutton radio. – Good older paint and chrome. Clean, straight bed. A few small, odd dents in the windshield frame. Very good interior. Clean and fully redone underneath. A surprisingly thorough restoration finished a while ago on this charming little pickup. – Ford built its Ranchero car-truck on the Falcon platform only 1960-1965 before migrating to the Fairlane chassis in 1966. They may have been rated half a ton but the 6-foot by 4 1/2-foot bed didn’t offer much cargo capacity making them mostly a useful utility vehicle. The restoration of this Falcon Ranchero is surprisingly good and well-maintained and the bidders were generous in their assessment of value.
Lot # 89.1 1940 Chrysler New Yorker 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 6623469; Black/Blue cloth; Visually maintained, largely original 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $10,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $11,550 – 323/135hp straight-eight, column shift 3-speed, hub caps and trim rings, Firestone wide whitewalls, suicide rear doors, amber fog lights, pushbutton radio. – Represented as all-original with 21,936 miles. Paint looks a little too good to be original, but it is tired and there is a small scrape across the roof. Good brightwork with no pitting. Oxidized, surface rusty frame but surprisingly clean engine compartment. Good upholstery, but severely cracked steering wheel and shifter. A mostly basic car given basic care but in good shape considering the age. – This car sold for $14,850 at RM Auburn Fall 2015 and doesn’t appear to have had any major attention since. The difference between the two results is indicative of the softer market for basic American sedans from this period.
Lot # 91 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon Van; S/N WV2YB0256MG002128; White/Gray cloth; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $15,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $16,500 – 2,109/90hp diesel, hub caps and trim rings, narrow whitewalls, pull-out awning with canopy, driver’s front electric swivel seat, cassette stereo. – Generally faded paint with a few cracks and a few light scuffs on the front bumper but it’s generally presentable. Cracked weather stripping. Very light wear on the seats. Unrestored but maintained underneath with newer exhaust, suspension, etc. A sharp-looking Vanagon that presents much, much better than the 101,574 miles on the odometer would suggest. – But still bought reasonably. It sold for $13,770 at GAA’s July 2021 auction, but had more publicity and eyes on it at Barrett-Jackson Houston, which goes a long way in explaining the higher price.
Lot # 337.1 1966 Buick Skylark Gran Sport Convertible; S/N 446676H199950; Black, Red pinstripes/Black vinyl; Black cloth top; Older restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $26,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $28,600 – 401/325hp, floor shift automatic, Radial T/A tires, bucket seats, console, tach, later radio. – Body-off restored 10 years ago. Represented as matching numbers engine and transmission. Mild blistering on the hood and cracks below the passenger’s window. Long scratch on the tail. Good interior but there is pitting around the console and some worn switchgear. Clean wheels, but the underbody is a bit dirty. An aged restoration that was done on a budget to begin with. – It’s a commentary on the perceptions and preferences of muscle car buyers that a ’66 Chevelle SS 396/325hp convertible in comparable condition would be realistically priced at least $10,000 more than this Skylark GS while a ’66 Impala SS 396/325hp convertible would be $13,000 more. The result for this Skylark GS appropriately reflects the market’s prejudices but still represents very good intrinsic value.
Lot # 345.1 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Sport Coupe; S/N 138378B160723; Plum, White side stripe/Black vinyl; Older restoration 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $32,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $35,200 – 396/350hp L34, 4-speed with Hurst shifter, Rally wheels, Uniroyal red line tires, 3.73 Positraction, factory radio. – Represented as matching numbers. Looks good from a short distance but up close shows seriously scratched up chrome and dull paint with some prep issues and a large chip on the right side. Clean wheels. Used but reasonably tidy underneath. Very good interior. Fully restored a while ago and in driver condition now. A basic cosmetic refresh with new paint and chrome would do wonders for this Chevelle. – This is a sound car that brought a sound price for what it is. The new owner can enjoy it for a while in its current condition before deciding if it really, really needs paint, chrome and obsessive attention to details to turn it into a $60,000 plus show car.
Lot # 366 2006 Lotus Exige Coupe; S/N SCCPC11186HL81284; Black/Black cloth; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $48,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $52,800 – 1,795/190hp, 6-speed, black wheels, front splitter, rear wing, Yokohama tires, Blaupunkt stereo, clear bra on the nose. – Represented with 19,636 miles, and it doesn’t look like they were all racked up at track days. Good paint with no major blemishes. Clean wheels and fresh-looking tires but aged original brakes. Good interior with clean switches, good seats, and mild wear on those gigantic sills from getting in and out. Lightly used and still looks just as fun as when it left Hethel 15 years ago. – This car is from the first year of the Exige in the US market, so it has the naturally aspirated version of the Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine (same as the Elise) rather than the supercharged 2ZZ that later came in increasingly powerful iterations of the Exige S. No matter, 190hp is still plenty in a car that weighs just a ton. And as modern cars with a driver-focused layout are selling well across the board, late-model Lotuses have benefitted in a big way with prices for the Elise and Exige inching up noticeably over the past year as shown by this car’s $38,500 auction result at Mecum Kansas City in 2017. This one brought a deservedly strong price for its well-kept, unmodified and low-mile condition, but it’s still a lot of fun per dollar even if it doesn’t sound fast on paper.
Lot # 374 1974 Datsun 260Z Coupe; S/N RLS30026809; Red/Black vinyl, cloth; Visually maintained, largely original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $28,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $30,800 – 2,565/162hp, 4-speed, Kumho tires, wood shift knob. – From the Bryan Frank collection. Recently brought out of long-term storage and fully recommissioned for road use then driven on a 20-mile shakedown. Represented as 25,854 miles from new. The bumpers look a little rough but the paint, while it does show some chips and cracks, was wet sanded and polished to a high standard. New wheels and tires. Spotless underbody that almost looks restored. Lightly scratched rear glass. Excellent original interior. A mostly original 260Z that was stored very carefully and then brought back to as close to like new condition as possible without taking apart and restoring it. – There is no noticeable premium for originality in the result for this well-preserved and impressively resuscitated 260Z, a solid value for a Z-car fan. It’s way too good to go drifting but has enough miles on it that a few thousand more won’t meaningfully affect its value as long as it keeps getting quality care.
Lot # 386 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 1G1BL52P0TR185733; Black/Gray leather; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000 – 350/275hp, automatic, alloy wheels, Nitto tires, factory CD stereo. – Showing just 316 miles with plastic still on the seats, but reportedly started up and driven regularly enough to keep everything in working order. A “wrapper car” in every sense. – Derived from the Caprice and built on the B-body platform, the 1994-96 Impala SS was short-lived but nevertheless made an impression as one of the 1990s’ best sleepers. Underneath the bland sedan body are performance goodies like the Caprice’s 9C1 police package and a 275-hp LT1 V-8 (essentially a milder version of the engine in the Corvette), while the only things that give away the Impala’s sporting pretensions were SS badges and alloy wheels. None of this is a secret to enthusiasts, and as cars from the ’90s have gone from used car to collector car, Impala SS prices started creeping up a few years ago. Sure, $33,000 is a lot of money for a ’96 Chevy sedan, but we’ve seen more obscene premiums for like-new delivery-mile cars before, and this same Impala SS brought $40,700 in Scottsdale earlier this year, so by any measure this is a decent buy.
Lot # 398 1968 Ford Mustang California Special Coupe; S/N 8R01J154029; Gold, White side stripe/Black vinyl; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $50,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $55,000 – 302/230hp, 4-speed, American Racing wheels, Radial T/A tires, Lucas fog lights, aftermarket air conditioning, later radio. – Represented as a true California Special. Very good paint other than some runs around the drip rails and some blisters on the left front fender. Very good partially redone interior. Lightly run and maintained underneath. A straightforward older restoration of a relatively rare Mustang. – The two subsets of ’68 Mustangs, California Special and High Country Special, carry significant premiums to their more ordinary siblings and the engine and transmission of this one add even more. This result is indicative of the value Mustang collectors put on this combination, a full retail price for a desirable car.
Lot # 412 1932 Pierce-Arrow Model 52 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 1051014; Gold, Yellow/Gray cloth; Older restoration 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $35,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $38,500 – 366/125hp eight, 3-speed, overdrive, archer mascot, painted wire wheels with hub caps and trim rings, dual sidemount spares with leather covers and mirrors, dual chrome horns, Dawley headlights, Pilot-Ray lights, wind wings, luggage rack and trunk, suicide rear doors, interior courtesy light, modern air conditioning. – Represented as restored 12 years ago but appears even older than that. Tired paint with big chips, scratches, and cracks throughout. Dull chrome. Good interior. Mild road wear underneath. Even just a repaint would go a long way, but as it sits this Pierce Arrow isn’t much to look at. – It’s probably more rewarding to drive than it is to look at and will earn some envy points from fellow CCCA CARavan travelers when it arrives at the end of a long, hot day with the occupants cool and dry in the air conditioned interior. The dated colors call into question the description’s reference to a 12 year old restoration, as does the condition. Still, it’s a Full Classic ™ at an affordable price with all the quality and style that Pierce-Arrow means even in the early Thirties when its business was failing.
Lot # 441.1 1996 Ferrari F355 Spider, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N ZFFXR48A3T0105369; Rosso Corsa/Tan leather; Black cloth top; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $70,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $77,000 – 3,496/375hp, 6-speed manual, new Tubi exhaust, Pirelli P Zero tires, Alpine stereo. – Showing 16,580 believable miles. Mild wear to the top. A few chips and a minor scuff on the nose. Very good interior other than warped plastic around the switchgear. Recent engine out belt and A/C condenser service, refinished wheels, and new upper dashboard leather. The power top doesn’t work. All good stuff and a mostly clean manual 355, but CARFAX also reports an accident in 2007, and that is a red flag that will follow this car around forever. – This car had a long string of no-sales as it toured the country on the Mecum train in 2019, with most of the unaccepted high bids in the mid-$50,000 range after selling at Kissimmee in 2016 for $57,200, at Chicago in 2018 for $55,000 and at Dallas in 2018 for $52,800. It most recently sold at Mecum Houston in 2019 for $52,800, a reasonable result at the time for a 355 with accident history, but driver’s cars of all types are in higher demand and selling for more since then so this higher number despite the car’s history isn’t a huge surprise. The seller should be satisfied with the result. The buyer may wake up in the morning with a case of buyer’s remorse at this generous price which is almost 50% more than it sold for two years ago.
Lot # 458 1940 Ford Deluxe Convertible; S/N 5691271; Garnet Maroon/Maroon leather; Beige cloth top; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $52,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $57,200 – 221/85hp Flathead, column shift 3-speed, hub caps and trim rings, wide whitewalls, dual mirrors, dash clock, original thumb wheel AM radio. – Formerly in the Charlie Thomas collection. Very good quality but older paint and chrome with light detail scratching. Light smudges in the top as well as some wrinkles from being folded. Imperfect gaps. Excellent interior. Nearly spotless underneath. An older show quality restoration from a prestigious collection that still has no needs. – This handsome Deluxe convertible was a $47,000 no-sale at Mecum Monterey back in 2009, and more recently it sold for $63,800 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2017. Earlier this year it brought $60,500 at Mecum Indy. This result may be lower, but it’s still a healthy price for an older restoration.
Lot # 472 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ70 Sport Utility Vehicle 4×4; S/N FJ709003973; Silver/Brown cloth; White vinyl top; Truck restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000 – 4,164/128hp diesel, 5-speed, All Terrain T/A tires, fog lights, snorkel intake, Old Man Emu suspension, air conditioning, power steering. – One-year-only soft top Venezuelan FJ70. Partially restored with new wheels, suspension, lights, clutch, water pump, radiator, brakes, top, and paint. Otherwise very well-maintained and never abused. – An unusual one year only FJ70 but out of the FJ mainstream and valued here mostly on its condition and utility.
Lot # 479 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 10th Anniversary Hardtop Coupe; S/N 2X87Z9L177107; Platinum, Gray graphics/Medium Gray leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $49,500 – 400/220hp, 4-speed, Radial T/A tires, glass T-tops, WS6, air conditioning, red tinted gauges. – Represented as a two-owner car with just 28,434 actual miles. Clearly pampered its whole life, but driven. The decals and bumpers are starting to show their age and there are some chips on the hood, but the paint is very well-preserved for the most part. Some scratches in the T-tops. Some creasing and mild cracking in the leather. Tiny dent in the right front. Has all the options, low miles but not too low, and all forgivable flaws. – Given a serious but not excessive premium for originality, preservation and miles, both the seller and the buyer should be satisfied with this result.
Lot # 620 1990 Yugo GVC Cabrio Convertible; S/N VX1BF2518LK446668; Yellow, Gray/Gray cloth with red piping; Gray top; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $11,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $12,100 – 1,301/61hp, 4-speed manual, glass rear window. – Not much history represented, but a rare late Yugo with soft top and showing just 371 miles which is represented as accurate, judging by how clean this car is. The engine bay is original but hardly run. The paint looks fantastic other than a scrape and some cracks on the right rear. The top is in great shape other than some stains that might come out with serious cleaning. The interior looks close to showroom fresh. – If ever there was a car in which to confidently (but slowly) roll into Radwood or Concours d’Lemons, this is it. The later Yugos were screwed together a little better, but these Eastern European rolling punchlines are only known for falling apart and people will be shocked to see one as nice as this. Most don’t even know there was a cabriolet version. Is this a lot of car for the money? No. Is it fun to drive? Probably not. Is it a good investment? Also no. It last sold in Scottsdale eight years and 20 miles ago for $11,000, and accounting for inflation this price in 2021 is actually lower. But the attention it will get and the conversations it will start can’t be topped by any other $12,100 we can think of.
Lot # 622 1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Coupe; S/N 1G1GZ11G7JP118943; Black, Red/Burgundy vinyl, cloth; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $18,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $19,800 – 305/180hp, automatic, alloy wheels, Radial T/A tires, bucket seats, console, floor shift, aftermarket radio, power windows, tinted glass. – An original, well-kept Monte Carlo that’s all original except for a new headliner and is represented as 23,512 miles from new. The paint is a bit tired and lightly scratched but still impressive. Tidy and maintained underneath. A few scratches on the wheels. The interior looks nearly new. Not usually the kind of car that people pampered, which makes it all the more special. – From the last year for rear-wheel drive Monte Carlos and therefore the end of an era for mustache muscle, this SS isn’t particularly fast but has enough grunt to have fun with and is quite roomy for taller drivers. Nearly 20 grand is about top dollar, which it deserved.
Lot # 659 1930 Lincoln Model L Convertible Roadster, Body by LeBaron; S/N 65052; Burgundy, Black fenders/Brown leather; Black cloth top; Older restoration 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $39,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $42,900 – 385/90hp V-8, 3-speed, pitted wire wheels, wide whitewalls, dual sidemount spares with mirrors, greyhound mascot, pop-out windshield, landau bars, rumble seat, golf bag door, luggage trunk, wood steering wheel. – Ancient, dull, cracking and crazed paint. Tired brightwork. Tidy engine bay and underbody. Rough-looking top. Good interior with leather that is significantly wrinkled but still soft. Reported to have a stuck intake valve, which is indicative of little attention in recent years. Restored many, many years ago and needs comprehensive attention. – Sold at B-J WestWorld in 2009 for $71,500, then at Worldwide Houston in 2013 for $74,250. It has had little if any attention or use since. The bidders were, despite the rare LeBaron coachwork, notably unimpressed, as they should have been, and bought it for a bargain basement price that it deserved. It is a restoration project, but at least is substantially all here and should be straightforward, if expensive.
Lot # 663 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 242379P310030; Carousel Red, Judge graphics, Black vinyl roof/Black vinyl; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $80,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $88,000 – 400/366hp Ram Air III, automatic, rear spoiler, 3.55 Safe-T-Track, hood tach, Firestone Wide Oval tires, original radio, PHS and GM Canada documents. – Canadian-built car. Represented as the matching numbers engine. Restored in 2015. Good but no longer fresh-looking paint. Lightly scratched window frames and rear glass. Tight, clean roof vinyl. Very good interior. A genuine Judge in straightforward, lightly aged condition. – Sold for $74,250 at Mecum Chicago in 2015, then $110,000 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2020 and a $75,000 no-sale at Mecum Tulsa earlier this year. The Scottsdale result was expensive and the two high bids the car received this year are more realistic to Ram Air III values, which are nevertheless still strong these days. The successful bid in Houston was close enough to the high bid in Tulsa that the car probably should have sold in Oklahoma three months ago.
Lot # 664 1965 Ford Mustang GT Convertible; S/N 5F08K777151; Wimbledon White, Red side stripe/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Older restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $87,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $95,700 – 289/314hp K-code with Cobra kit (triple carbs, aluminum intake, aluminum valve covers), 4-speed, double red line tires, pony interior, Rally-Pac gauges, original radio. – A genuine K-code GT with rare and desirable Cobra upgrades, fully restored to high standards in its original colors. Very clean engine bay and underbody. Older but good paint and chrome. Spotless trunk. The top is stretched and scuffed in a few spots. Excellent interior. Only light general age on a well and fully restored Mustang. With this equipment it’s one of the most desirable 1965 Mustangs that isn’t wearing a Shelby badge. – For the Mustang’s extended debut model year of 1965, Ford sold over 680,000 examples its new pony car. At the year/make/model level it’s the most popular classic car in the country, and the second most is the 1966 Mustang. These are not rare cars by any means, so Mustang freaks love to dig into the options lists in order to distinguish one ’65 from the next. This one ticks most of the right boxes, especially under the hood, and stood out in an auction that had quite a few desirable Fords on offer. It last sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale last year for $77,000, but the collector car market has made serious moves since then and a $95,700 final price for it in 2021 isn’t crazy, just expensive.
Lot # 665 1965 Ford Mustang GT Fastback; S/N 5T09K150593; Caspian Blue, White side stripe/Blue, White vinyl; Older restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 289/271hp, 4-speed, narrow whitewalls, Pony interior, Rally-Pac gauges, woodgrain dash. – AACA National First. Excellent paint and chrome. Mild pitting on the left taillight bezel. Excellent fresh-looking interior. Show-ready engine bay. A seriously well-equipped `65 restored to appropriate standards and even a bit beyond. Gorgeous, but there is no representation the engine in the original. – Another very desirably equipped and impressively restored car that is a major standout among all the ’65 Mustangs out there. It sold for $97,370 at Mecum Indy in 2013 and $90,200 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2019. This higher result is a realistic indication of how much the market has moved over the years.
Lot # 667.1 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy Pace Car Convertible; S/N 124677L153497; Engine # 71153497 VO322M3; White, Pace Car graphics/Blue, White vinyl; White vinyl top; Recent restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $72,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,200 – 350/295hp L48, 4-speed with Hurst shifter, rear spoiler, red line tires, console, original radio. – One of 104 Pace Car Camaros built for the model’s first year of 1967. Long-time California car with a restoration completed earlier this year. Tight newer top with a few light smudges. Fresh engine bay. Very good paint. One small scuff in a decal on the passenger’s door. Even gaps. Very good interior. Described as “powered by a 350ci V8 engine mated to its matching-numbers 4-speed”, not the matching-numbers engine. Not overdone, but a recently finished car that looks just about showroom new. – This is a seriously optimistic result for a replacement engine ’67 Camaro Pace Car convertible, even one restored as well as this is. It’s a premium price for a uniformly attractive Camaro Pace Car, and that is its attraction, not its underlying drivetrain’s originality.
Lot # 673.1 1991 Ferrari 348ts Spider, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N ZFFRG36A1M0090058; Rosso Corsa, Black roof panel/Tan leather; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 3,405/300hp, 5-speed, Sumitomo tires, Scuderia shields, window sticker documented. – Showing 31,855 represented original and believable miles. There are a few chips and touch ups on the nose. The wheel caps are a bit faded. Significant scratching around the shifter. Good leather apart from significant wear on the driver’s side outer bolster. Tidy but aged engine compartment. A used 348. – Sold at Leake Scottsdale 2020 for $49,500. It has done just 41 miles since then, but isn’t represented with any service since and the Ferrari market, while stronger than it was 19 months ago, certainly hasn’t doubled. There are better 348s out there right now with asking prices far less than this, and for $110k there are several objectively better and faster Ferraris that the buyer here could have shopped for instead of paying this irrational price for a well-worn 348ts. For the seller, though, this was one hell of a flip.
Lot # 676 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 9F93R566007; Emerald Metallic, Black vinyl roof/Black vinyl; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $150,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $165,000 – 428/335hp Super Cobra Jet, close-ratio 4-speed, Firestone Wide Oval tires, 3.91 Traction-Lok, hood scoop, hood pins, power front disc brakes, power steering, console, 8-track, tinted glass, Marti Report documented – Nearly spotlessly restored and correct engine bay. Very good paint and chrome. Some wear on the roof vinyl and numerous light scratches on the rear glass. Very good partially restored interior with original dash, gauges, and seat belts. A fully loaded and very attractive Cougar. – This is Eliminator money, but this is not an Eliminator. It’s just (if that qualifier applies to a 428/335hp Ram Air SCJ-powered anything) a sleeper XR-7. It is, according to the ever-meticulous Kevin Marti, a one-of-one based on equipment and colors but that hardly supports a price that’s more than twice what others of its general description bring. This is a stupendous result.
Lot # 685 1955 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible; S/N 556259889; Cream/Tan leather; Black cloth top; Enthusiast restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500 – 331/270hp, automatic, bat wing air cleaner, Kelsey-Hayes Sabre wheel covers, whitewalls, Autronic Eye, boot cover, later radio, dash clock, power windows, power seat, tinted windshield. – Several large chips in older clearcoat on the nose and cracks at the back edge of the hood. Decent, possibly original chrome and brightwork. A few scuffs along the bottom of the driver’s door. Tired finish on the wheels. Light wear and mild cracking in the leather on the driver’s side seat back. Unrestored but maintained underneath. A stylish car even when in somewhat mediocre condition like this. – This Cadillac was a $50,000 no-sale in Kissimmee last year, a $60,000 no-sale at Kissimmee Summer Special last year, and a $48,000 no-sale at Mecum Dallas last year. There were several cars at this auction that had run up a string of no-sales on the Mecum tour only to unexpectedly sell for significantly more at no reserve here at Barrett-Jackson. This car was just one of them, and the price is on the expensive side for an Eldorado in driver condition, but it should be noted that it sold for $108,000 at Mecum Kissimmee in 2015.
Lot # 685.1 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello Coupe, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N ZFFBV55A220126972; Grigio Titanio/Black; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $103,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $113,300 – 5748/515hp, paddle shifters, Scuderia shields, tinted glass, Daytona-style seats, clear bra on the nose, modular wheels, silver calipers – CARFAX reports mild damage in 2006. Represented as 15,607 miles. New clutch. Could stand a detailing but for the most part the condition matches the age and mileage. – A Mecum veteran, this 575 sold at Mecum Houston 2017 for $99,000, was an $85,000 no-sale at Mecum Monterey a few months later, then hammered not sold again in Dallas the same year at a $90,000 high bid. In 2018, it was an $80,000 no-sale in Kissimmee and an $85,000 no-sale at Mecum Glendale before the seller finally decided to give up the chase and dropped the reserve for an $83,600 final price at Mecum Houston 2019. Here it is again in Houston, bid to a frankly very surprising result given the car’s frequent auction appearances and especially its real, if minor, accident history. The price in this transaction isn’t unreasonable but it is surprising in light of the earlier history.
Lot # 688 1988 BMW M3 Coupe; S/N WBSAK0309J2197226; Alpine White/Tan leather, cloth; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $167,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $183,700 – 2302/192hp, 5-speed, Toyo tires, sunroof, factory cassette stereo. – Some scattered paint chips across the front of an otherwise clean, well-kept 32,411-mile E30 M3, but the bigger appeal of this one is its ownership history with the late Fast and the Furious actor Paul Walker. – One of two E30 M3s sold out of the Paul Walker collection by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale last year. The other one brought 220 grand, and this one brought $165k. Someone spent 142 miles over the past year and a half channeling their inner Brian O’Conner then essentially broke even here in Houston, which doesn’t seem like a bad deal. As for the celebrity premium, it was there but not as big as it has been for some of Walker’s other cars that have come to auction, and far from a record price for an E30 3-Series. Although he had a pretty diverse collection, the Japanese stuff tends to attract more attention from the F&F fanboys. The result is all about the celebrity history and should mean little to owners of E30 M3s.
Lot # 691 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 Hemi Convertible; S/N WP27H67254653; Silver/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 426/425hp Hemi, 4-speed, blue line tires, wheel covers, bucket seats, floor shift, console, tinted glass. Comes with original window sticker. – Represented as one of 12 Hemi Coronets with a 4-speed, but not represented with the original engine. Lightly run, fully restored and correct engine bay. Good paint and chrome that are starting to show their age a bit. Very good interior. Straightforward, lightly aged restoration. – Sold for $107,250 at Mecum Chicago 2019 and so rare that price guides overlook the existence of these twelve cars. As the previous transaction suggests, this is a realistic (even modest) price for a surpassingly rare Coronet Hemi convertible, especially with the 4-speed. The result may be appropriate but the car’s ownership confers unusual bragging rights and suggests this is a car that the market has failed to recognize and a hidden value, especially in this condition.
Lot # 693 1973 DeTomaso Pantera L Coupe; S/N THPNNP05476; Orange/Black vinyl; Visually maintained, largely original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $120,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $132,000 – 351/266hp Ford V-8, 5-speed, Campagnolo wheels, Goodyear Arriva tires, pushbutton radio, power windows, air conditioning. – Represented with 10,630 actual miles and the same owner since 1975. A few scratches in the front bumper. Good older repaint with a few cracks in the bottom of the left A-pillar and a large crack on the nose. Heavily scratched window frames. Discolored wheel caps. Very good original interior. A handsome Pantera that isn’t perfect but definitely better than average, and was never modified or cut up. – This is an $80,000 Pantera with a 50% premium for low miles and preservation. That’s a lot of premium and this is an expensive Pantera L.
Lot # 699 1968 Dodge Coronet Super Bee Hemi 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N WM21J8A342986; Medium Gold, Black tail stripes/Black vinyl; Older restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $67,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $73,700 – 426/425hp, automatic, 3.23 Sure-Grip, hub caps, red line tires, 8-track. Comes with the original window sticker and broadcast sheet. – Bought new in Indianapolis and used for drag racing locally. Separated from its engine while at the shop in the 1970s, and powered by a replacement 383 until the 1990s, when it was reunited with a Hemi. Restored to a very high standard since. Original interior other than the carpet and headliner. Spotless engine bay. Very good paint and brightwork. No real flaws on this well-documented, genuine Hemi Super Bee. – The auction description says it is “powered by a period-correct 426 HEMI” but later goes on about how the (perhaps meaning “an”) engine was “rediscovered in the early 1990s”. Which is it is not clear but the implication is pretty clear that the original Hemi was lunched and replaced by another which was subsequently lost, then found and incorporated in this high quality restoration. The bidders hedged their bets in a big way with this result which hardly credits the car for being built as a Super Bee Hemi in the first place, but is reasonable under the circumstances.
Lot # 702 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Sport Coupe; S/N 124377N194626; Ermine White, Black stripes/Black vinyl; Older restoration 2+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $175,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $192,500 – 302/290hp, M21 4-speed, 3.73 rear end, Rally wheels, red line tires, radio delete, Protect-O-Plate, original window sticker, dealer invoice, new vehicle inspection and installment contract documented. – Matching numbers first year Z/28. Originally sold in Florida and restored in the 1990s but still presents like a fairly fresh restoration today. It has been consistently maintained, regularly detailed, and never driven hard. – The Z/28 eventually became one of the most popular Camaro variants for much of the GM pony car’s history, but the very first Z/28s in 1967 weren’t aimed at the showroom but at SCCA Trans Am racing. Just 602 sold that first year, compared to 7,199 in 1968 and 20,302 in 1969. First-year Zs are therefore quite rare and have a certain cachet among collectors, but this is still a massive price, especially for an older restored non-Positraction car. Something closer to $100k than $200k would be reasonable; this price is over the moon.
Lot # 723 2003 Porsche 911 GT2 Coupe; S/N WP0AB29993S696071; Carrara White/Black; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $207,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $227,700 – 3,600/476hp, 6-speed, white wheels, yellow calipers, Michelin Pilot Sport tires, tinted glass. – Represented as one of three cars for the US market in this color and 10 worldwide. The odometer reads 19,536 miles represented as from new, but they were all careful ones. This 996 GT2 still presents like a new car. – Unlike its 993-based predecessor, the 996-generation GT2 was conceived primarily as a road car but it is still a stripped down, beefed-up, track-ready 911. It cost about $182,000 when it was new and about 1,100 were sold. Today it’s still a bit underappreciated in the context of other limited-production high-performance 911s, and other 996 GT2s sold recently have brought less than their original MSRP. If this very strong result is any indication, though, that may be changing.
Lot # 727 2005 Ford GT Coupe; S/N 1FAFP90S75Y400311; Torch Red, White stripes/Black leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $375,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $412,500 – 330/550hp, 6-speed, BBS wheels, red calipers, Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, McIntosh stereo. – Represented with 6,347 miles, which is on the rather high side for these cars. There is some mild swirling in the paint but this is a very clean GT. – Barrett-Jackson sold three 2005-06 Ford GTs in a row in Houston this year. All had four-digit odometer readings, surprising on a car that is typically seen at auction with two or three digits. They all also brought over $400,000, which was equally surprising. It isn’t clear whether this is because collectors are finally starting to place less emphasis on mileage with these cars and focus instead on condition and driving enjoyment, or whether stick-shift exotic cars are in such high-demand that they’re all selling well no matter what. Either way, they defied expectations by quite a bit.
Lot # 728 2006 Ford GT Coupe; S/N 1FAFP90S06Y400846; Mark II Black, White stripes/Black leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $400,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $440,000 – 330/550hp, 6-speed, BBS wheels, black calipers, McIntosh stereo. Comes with original window sticker. – 5,698 miles, which is high for a GT, but still pampered its whole life. – A strong price for a Ford GT with some miles on it, but just about every 2005-06 GT is bringing a massive price over the last few months.
Lot # 748 2019 Ford GT Coupe; S/N 2FAGP9CW7KH200196; Liquid Blue, Frozen White stripes/Graphite, White; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $910,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $1,001,000 – 213/647hp, carbon wheels, blue calipers, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, carbon fiber seats, car cover. – 18.1 miles and like new. – The new new (2017-present) Ford GT has become a somewhat regular sight at collector car auctions, with Barrett-Jackson alone selling eight of them since Scottsdale 2020. The going rate settled to the low-$1M range. This one was somewhat overshadowed by the 8-mile Lightweight Package-equipped car sold a few lots later for $1.21M, but it was still a star car that attracted countless iPhone photos from spectators and a sensible price from the bidders.
Lot # 749 1979 Porsche 928 Coupe; S/N 9289201213; Platinum Metallic/Cork leather; Recent restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $1,800,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $1,980,000 – 4,474/219hp, 5-speed, phone dial wheels, rear window wiper, power windows, air conditioning, factory cassette stereo. – The hero car from the 1983 film Risky Business. One of three 928s used for the film but this one reportedly got the most screen time. Left the factory in white but repainted gold for the movie. Tom Cruise reportedly learned how to drive stick in his car. Later became the subject of a documentary on the filmmaker’s quest to find the car, and it was eventually discovered in California. Now refreshed to how it appeared in the film. It presents like a nearly new car and it would be a desirable, well-equipped early 928 even without Risky Business, but the movie magic is the main appeal here. – Price Guides and valuation data are of little use here but, just for reference, $1.98M would buy you 25 very, very nice 928s. And $1.98M is a staggering amount of money, even for a movie car. Is Risky Business a famous film? Definitely. Is Tom Cruise a household name? Of course. But people remember that movie for Cruise dancing in the white shirt and socks or for that steamy scene on the train. The dad’s Porsche plays a big role, but not to the same degree as Frank Bullitt’s Mustang or 007’s DB5. After a long battle between several bidders on the phone it was one of the biggest surprises in an auction full of surprisingly pricey cars. It is also now the most expensive front-engine Porsche ever sold at auction, two and a half times more expensive than the previous record – $792,000 for a 968 Turbo S sold by Gooding & Co. back in May.
Lot # 778.1 1982 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ45 Sport Utility Vehicle 4×4; S/N FJ45937786; Light Blue, White roof/Black; Recent restoration 1 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $72,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,200 – 4,230/125hp,4-speed, Warn winch, Old Man Emu suspension, modern air conditioning, Bluetooth stereo. – A fresh and overrestored FJ45 showing 27 km (17 miles) since completion. Represented as matching numbers engine, and everything under the hood is either new or restored. It is all spotless. The chassis, suspension and wheels all look brand new. Clean windows. Excellent interior. Better than new in every observable way. – The FJ45 is a famously robust, capable off-roader that can haul friends and family through the rough and tumble or even just across your ranch in the Hill Country. But this one is too clean and at this price too expensive to really use as intended, and old FJs aren’t exactly a pleasure to drive on the road. The condition is seriously impressive, but what is the new owner supposed to do with it now?
Lot # 780.1 1957 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible; S/N P857H27707; Kenyan White, Red/Bonneville Red, White leather; Black cloth top; Older restoration 2+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $125,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $137,500 – 347/317hp Fuelie, automatic, wheel covers, whitewalls, dual mirrors, boot cover, WonderBar radio. – Represented as one of 630 built in 1957 as Pontiac’s range-topping model. Very good paint and chrome. Gleaming trim. Nearly spotless underneath. Wrinkling to the leather is very light and barely noticeable. Body-of restored a while ago but still show-ready. – Sold at Mecum Kissimmee in 2017 for $134,200, no-saled at Monterey in 2018 at a $130,000 high bid and then sold at a modest $99,000 at Mecum Harrisburg 2019. It then turned around and brought $165,000 in Kissimmee last year. That was a handsome profit for the seller in Kissimmee but turned out to be a bit excessive for the buyer who unloaded it here at a reasonable price but also at a material loss from the Kissimmee result
Lot # 782.1 1993 Toyota Supra Mk IV Turbo Sport Roof; S/N JT2JA82J7P0003874; Black/Tan leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 2,997/320hp twin-turbo, automatic, polished wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport tires, rear wing, power windows, air conditioning, factory cassette stereo. – From the Bryan Frank collection. Represented with 16,435 believable miles from new. A few minor blemishes in the paint but nothing bad. Clean wheels and tires. Very good interior with minor wear to the leather that matches the age and mileage. Small ding on the exhaust tip. A low-mile, carefully kept and unmodified twin-turbo Supra. A seriously hard car to find, and the only thing keeping it from being a top notch modern collectible is the lack of a third pedal. – Sold for $89,600 at Bonhams Quail Lodge two years ago and cleaned up a bit since. Its automatic (typically a 15 percent discount), noticeable wear and Sport Roof body style (fixed roof coupes are worth a little more) hold it back a bit, and it was also a $49,500 no-sale on Bring a Trailer last year, then brought $68,200 at Barrett-Jackson’s Fall 2020 auction. Houston 2021 was a complete reversal that defies logic, especially given that more sensible price paid last year. The seller should be grinning from ear to ear but the buyer will wake up with a hangover. The fortunate bidder here is the underbidder who escaped unscathed from the frenzy: Better lucky than smart.
Lot # 783 1952 Ford F-1 Pickup; S/N F1R2LU13135; Gray/Maroon; Recent restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 239/106hp, column shift 3-speed, hub caps and trim rings, Firestone wide whitewalls. – Body-off restored and boasts concours awards from 2017-19 including a 2017 Dearborn Award and 2019 AACA Grand National. Very good paint other than mild orange peel on the right A-pillar. Small cracks in the windshield rubber. A few paint chips in the bed, and the wood back there is painted over in body color. Imperfect gaps. Mostly excellent restored interior but poor paint prep on the dash. A sharp-looking early F-series done to slightly better than average truck standards. – This truck hammered not sold at a $38,000 high bid at Mecum Indy earlier this year. That number was much more realistic to the market for postwar Ford pickups, even well-restored ones. This result is exorbitant and defies any explanation other than two people really, really wanted it and weren’t going to be deterred by good sense. “Outlier” doesn’t even apply in this case, it’s irrational.
Lot # 783.1 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad 2-Dr. Station Wagon; S/N VC57F231919; Turquoise, White roof/Turquoise vinyl, Dark Blue cloth; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $90,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $99,000 – 283/220hp, Turboglide, power brakes and steering, spinner wheel covers, Firestone whitewalls, factory air conditioning, original radio. – From the Bryan Frank collection. Correct replacement 283 engine and transmission. Body-off restored a while ago. The chrome and brightwork are presentable but starting to show their age. Good paint aside from a few scratches on the trunk. Light dirt and road wear underneath. Very good interior with no wear to speak of. A solid older restoration on a non-matching numbers Nomad. – This is all the money for a replacement engine Nomad even in such good condition and with the rare Turboglide 3-speed automatic.
Lot # 784 1964 Chevrolet Corvette FI Convertible; S/N 40867S106155; Satin Silver/Black leather; Black vinyl top; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 327/375hp Fuelie, 4-speed, AM/FM radio, spinner wheel covers, build sheet, dealer invoice, sales contract and purchase order documented. – Overbuffed chrome. Very good paint. Older restored but detailed engine bay. Very good interior. Represented as matching numbers drivetrain but with replacement Rochester fuel injection system. Interior upgraded to leather during the restoration. – Sold for $82,500 at Kissimmee 2017. Full kudos to the owner who found a correct ’64 Corvette FI system and installed it on this well-restored car presumably after some earlier owner got fed up with the finicky FI and slapped on a 4-barrel. It is a quality car and it brought a quality Corvette convertible price.
Lot # 786.1 1969 Ford Bronco Pickup 4×4; S/N U14FLF92884; Sky View Blue, Wimbledon White roof/White, Cream vinyl; Modified restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $72,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,200 – Built and .030 overbored 302 V-8, Edelbrock intake, Holley 4-barrel, column shift 3-speed manual, wheel covers, Vintage Air, power steering. – Fully restored in 2019 with a 302 added in place of the original six and the color changed from Cordovan. Lightly run engine bay, a small dent in one of the wheel covers and imperfect gaps, but the rest of this Bronco is spotless. Lots of money spent completely redoing it, which is something that has only been possible thanks to the soaring Bronco values of the past few years. – Bid to $56,000 on Bring a Trailer last August but didn’t sell. That wasn’t a lowball offer, but Barrett-Jackson tends to attract deep-pocketed Bronco and truck people in general to its auctions, and it got a lot more attention in Houston. The work and accessories that went into this Bronco are fabulous and were undertaken when Bronco values were heading for the stratosphere a year ago in anticipation of Ford’s new Bronco. The bloom is off the Bronco rose today and this result, while realistic, is far below what the builder hoped for.
Lot # 803 1984 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT Hatchback; S/N 1FABP28M1EF122478; Canyon Red, Black hood stripe/Canyon Red cloth; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $14,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $15,400 – 302/175hp, 5-speed, power steering and brakes, power locks, tilt steering column, alloy wheels, factory Slapper Bar traction bars, Traction-Lok, air conditioning, original AM/FM radio, power windows. – Faded but presentable original paint with numerous chips on the nose, hood, and roof. Clean wheels. Tidy engine bay. Small crack in the dash top. Very good interior. Not all that remarkable in terms of equipment and with 50,183 miles it’s far from like-new, but it’s unusual to see such a clean early GT Fox-body and this one can be driven without worry. – A reasonable if slightly expensive result for an early-ish Fox-body with a few miles on it. It was a $12,500 no-sale at GAA’s July 2021 auction, but the seller’s patience was rewarded a few months later in Houston with a hammer bid $1,500 higher (not enough to pay the auction entry fee and shipping cost from Greenville, NC to Houston.)