Mecum Auctions, Dallas, Texas, October 15-17, 2020

Mecum clings faithfully to a largely live auction format.

Live bidders socially-distanced in the room. Live auctioneers on the block. A mix of phone and internet bidders but with a bid-spotter/ring person gesticulating and calling out loudly to claim precedence for remote bidders.

It builds engagement and excitement like no “online only” auction can where – unless the process is followed and diligently documented – the flow of bids, the “auction action” is opaque. Mecum has recognized that disconnect and capitalized on CoViD ennui to build a strong presence.

Dallas 2020 had the lowest number of consignments in the history of Mecum’s Dallas sale but recorded a sell through rate that is the best in the nine year history of this Mecum venue. The total dollars were extremely healthy for the number of lots offered but the reported sale of a Pagani Huayra Roadster for $2,860,000 is a black swan – the only lot in Dallas bid to $1 million or more and 12.3% of the sale’s total transaction values all by itself.

Results overall and particularly those reflected in the 61 lots reported here by Andrew Newton – who was on-site in Dallas, his first live auction since Amelia in March (and we all miss the involvement, seeing the cars and connecting with friends, colleagues, acquaintances and the auctions’ staff with whom we have worked for years, or in my case, decades) – were generally soft.

A few lots brought prices superior to their specifications, equipment and condition, but they were few and far between.

Where there were prior auction transactions on record the 2020 result was generally below prior transactions or reflected no inflation of note despite generally rising consumer prices.

Here are the numbers:

Year Cars Sold/ Offered Sale % Average Sale Median Sale Total $
2020 517/673 76.8% $45,024 $29,700

[66%]

$23,277,375
2019 712/1068 66.7% $31,499 $22,000

[69.8%]

$22,427,600
2018 807/1138 70.9% $35,746 $24,200

[67.7%]

$28,847,225
2017 602/846 71.2% $36,670 $25,300

[69%]

$22,075,326

On-site photos and observations are by Andrew Newton with my additional observations from the online photos and descriptions.


Lot # T90 1969 American Motors AMX Fastback; S/N A9C397X123126; Bittersweet Orange, Black stripes/Brown vinyl; Enthusiast restoration 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $21,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $23,100. – 390/315hp, automatic, Hankook tires, floor shift, console, Panasonic pushbutton radio, modern oil pressure and water temp gauges. – Old driver quality respray with a few chips around the panel edges. Tired, likely original chrome and brightwork. Rusty screws holding the mirrors together. Cracked weather stripping. Good seats but the rest of the interior is a bit rough. The console in particular shows heavy wear and a crack. Old undercoating on the frame. AMXs are neat but they rarely get the royal treatment when it comes time to redo one. This one was partially redone but clearly on a budget, and a tight one at that. – Appropriately discounted for the mediocre workmanship, overlooked details and automatic transmission. The new owner has to figure out what to do with it: drive a car that no one will be very proud to display, or begin an expensive restoration that at this base cost has no prospect of being worth what it will cost to do. That’s not a pleasant quandary.

Lot # T112 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite Mk I Bugeye Roadster; S/N AN5L29251; Red/Black vinyl; White vinyl top; Enthusiast restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $13,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $14,850. – BMC A-Series engine of unknown displacement, hub caps store brand tires, pinstriping on the body sides and on top of the headlights, wood shift knob. – Incorrectly identified by Mecum as a Big Healey. Clean replacement top and recently painted top frame (unassembled). Driver-quality old respray. Grille trim doesn’t fit flush with the body but it rarely does on a Bugeye. The engine compartment is orderly but aged and with some paint loss. Looks good underneath. Clean interior with newer upholstery and lightly worn seats. The hot rod-style pinstripes may not be to everyone’s taste and it’s far from a perfect car, but it’s hard not to be charmed by a Bugeye. – The charm and cute factor of Bugeyes mean that they are generally more expensive than other everyman classic sports cars like Spitfires and later Sprites, but driver-quality Bugeyes can still be had for enthusiasts on a budget. This price was spot-on for the car it bought.

Lot # T140 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40V Hardtop 4×4; S/N FJ40911403; Light Blue, White roof/Dark Gray vinyl; Truck restoration 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $26,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $28,600. – 4,230/125hp, 4-speed manual, rear-mounted spare, pushbutton radio. – Rusty hinges on the hood. Scratched up marker lights. Quick, cheap respray. Old, dirty wheels and tires. Newer upholstery and repainted dash. Some work done underneath including newer suspension but not exactly a restoration. This looks like a case of somebody picking up a solid but used FJ in South America, shipping it to the States, cleaning it up a bit and selling for a profit. – And it should be a decent profit, too. This price is on the strong side for a barely driver-quality FJ.

Lot # F9.1 1967 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Custom Station Wagon, 2-Seat; S/N 338557W361756; Light Yellow/Black vinyl with cloth inserts; Estimate $25,000 – $35,000; Enthusiast restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $20,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $22,000. – 330/250hp, column shift automatic, power steering, power brakes, AM radio, power rear window, remote mirror, Super Stock I wheels, Silvertown narrow whitewalls. – Some paint prep issues on the hood and some orange peel above the drip rails, but all looks good from a few feet away. Decent older chrome, but other brightwork is inconsistent, with some scratching on the window frames and a small dent in the windshield frame. Very good interior that looks at least partially restored. The engine bay is tidy and correct but not immaculately restored. Tidy frame. Tires look newer, and the wheels are either new or restored. More than good enough to be proud of, and certainly more fun on a road trip than a bland crossover. – Oldsmobile introduced the Vista Cruiser in 1964. It wears sheetmetal from the A-body F-85 but rides on a longer 120-inch wheelbase, and comes with extra headroom as well as an elevated roof inset with smoked glass panels at the front and sides. They’re cool, especially with that trademark sloped skylight roof, but Vista Cruisers did millions of school runs, grocery store stops and family road trips, so there aren’t a ton of good ones left. And they aren’t worth enough to put serious money into like you would a 4-4-2, so this was a relatively rare opportunity to buy a solid car. The price it brought makes sense.

Lot # F10 1998 Dodge Dakota R/T Pickup; S/N 1B7GL26Z1WS697697; Black, Red script/Gray cloth; Estimate $20,000 – $25,000; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $19,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $21,450. – 360/250hp, automatic, alloy wheels, tonneau cover, bucket seats, console, factory CD/cassette stereo, power windows, air conditioning, fog lights. – Represented as a 3,000-mile one-owner truck represented as one of 74 regular cab R/Ts in black. Light detail scratching in the paint that would probably polish out. All factory finishes look great. Clearly stored inside and stored carefully. Certainly not the most interesting truck in the world, but that’s part of what makes its preservation so intriguing. – The R/T was the range-topping Dakota in its day, with the highest output V-8 along with sportier seats, wheels and tires along with a better stereo. While Dakota R/Ts are neither as overtly sporty nor as well-known as other ’90s performance trucks like GMC Syclones, Chevy 454 SSs and GMC Syclones, this sale shows that people consider low-mile examples to be worth collecting. Adjusted for inflation this result isn’t less than the truck’s original $19,000 price from 1998, but it’s still high enough to get our attention. Another truck worth keeping an eye on.

Lot # F14 1966 Ford Bronco Roadster 4×4; S/N U13FL732295; Red/Silver; Estimate $60,000 – $70,000; Recent restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $43,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $47,300. – 170/105hp six, 3-speed manual, wheel covers, Mastercraft tires, factory radio. – Rare U13 roadster that has been body-off restored to high standards. Nearly spotless engine and underbody that look like they’ve barely seen the road. A few particles in the paint and a few spots of orange peel but the finish is more than good enough for a truck. Newly done chrome. Fresh upholstery and the dash looks fully restored other than the radio, which has pitting on the frame and an original-looking dial. Looks it’s itching to hit the beach but it’s almost too clean to do so. – Still riding high on the success of the Mustang, Ford tapped into the youth market further in 1966 with the Bronco, and in more recent years the first gen Bronco has been the poster child for the consistently growing classic truck market. Any early Bronco is collectible to some degree, but in terms of rarity one of the major standouts is the doorless Bronco Roadster, known as the U13 to Bronco fans because of its body code. Its sparse layout was just too much for buyers in the ’60s, and Ford sold just 4,090 before axing it after 1968. These days, that rarity and the U13’s wide-open layout are more appealing, and U13’s typically bring strong prices on the rare occasion that a good one pops up. This result, though, was on the modest side for such a clean and fresh example. It could have brought another few grand without being surprising.

Lot # F22 1979 MG MGB Roadster; S/N GHN5UL493371G; Black, Gray/Tan vinyl; Black top; Estimate $10,000 – $15,000; Visually maintained, largely original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $8,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $8,800. – 1,798/95hp, 4-speed manual, hardtop, luggage rack, leather-wrapped steering wheel, JVC head unit. – Limited Edition car. Dull bumper plastic. Old repaint with numerous chips and scratches. Good seats and carpets, but paint is coming off the gauge bezels and the switchgear is worn. Tidy and maintained underneath but not exactly restored. Better than an average driver but not by much. – The “Limited Edition” B didn’t do anything to MG’s long-in-the-tooth sports car other than dress it up with a special black and silver paint scheme, and with 6,682 built it wasn’t exactly a rare package. Even so, Limited Edition cars typically command around $1,500 more than a normal rubber bumper B, and this one’s hardtop was an added draw. The price here is perfectly fair if a tiny bit modest.

Lot # F48 1988 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT Convertible; S/N 1FABP45E4JF222075; Black, Red/Gray cloth; Black vinyl top; Estimate $10,000 – $15,000; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $14,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $15,400. – 302/225hp, 5-speed manual, alloy wheels, Radial T/A tires, fog lights, luggage rack, power windows, air conditioning, factory cassette stereo. – Showing 38,877 believable miles. Numerous rock chips on the nose, hood and mirrors. Detail scratching throughout as well. Excellent top. Very good interior. Clean wheels. Light dirt and oxidation underneath. A used Fox-body with reasonably low miles that, despite its flaws, is still better than most of the ones out there. – A straightforward, appropriate sale considering the car’s age and mileage. All Fox-bodies are worth a lot more than they used to be these days, but all but the perfect, ridiculously low-mile or rare high-performance models are thankfully still entry-level collector cars.

Lot # F59 1996 Ford Bronco XLT Sport Utility Vehicle 4×4; S/N 1FMEU15H3TLA63736; Black/Gray leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $31,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $34,100. – 351/210hp, automatic, factory aluminum wheels, Cooper Discoverer tires, air conditioning, power windows, bucket seats, column shift, console, factory cassette stereo. – Represented with 61,100 miles and one-owner until 2019. That owner may have driven this thing, but he or she also babied it because it looks like a Bronco with a tenth of the mileage. The paint and chrome look great. The top looks new. The leather has some wrinkling to it but there you would expect a lot more wear given the age and mileage. The rest of the interior looks new. The only serious signs of age are underneath, with surface rust on some suspension pieces and fasteners as well as surface rust on the original exhaust. A solid late Bronco for worry and guilt-free enjoyment. – At anything over 30 grand for a 1996 Bronco we’d expect to be looking at a truck with a handful of miles, maybe even plastic still on the seats. In this case, however, the bidders focused on the pristine condition of this Bronco rather than how many digits were on the odometer, and they paid handsomely for it.

Lot # F69 1995 Mitsubishi 3000 GT Spyder VR4 Convertible; S/N JA3AW75K3SY830528; Black/Cream leather; Unrestored original 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $20,000. – 2,972/320hp twin-turbo V-6, 6-speed manual, chrome wheels, store brand tires, power windows, air conditioning, Alpine head unit, original window sticker. – Represented as 42,889 miles and they weren’t on easy cruises around the block. There are leaves and dirt under the hood, while the paint shows numerous small chips on the nose, hood and retractable hardtop. Light detail scratching elsewhere. The Mitsubishi badge on the hood is badly faded. Decent upholstery and carpets but visible wear to the switchgear, the shifter and the handbrake boot. VR4 Spyders have become somewhat collectible in recent years, but this car was seldom treated as such. The online photos are grainy and low resolution, appropriate to the car’s presentation. – Relative to other top-tier 1990s Japanese performance cars like Mk IV Toyota Supras and FD Mazda RX-7s, Mitsubishi 3000 GTs (and their mechanically identical Dodge Stealth cousins) have been pretty quiet in the market. VR4 models, which are the only ones worth having, have appreciated but have done so more slowly than their rivals and it’s only the best examples that are getting more expensive. This one may be a VR4 Spyder, the only open-top 3000 GT and one of just 900 imported here, but it’s in rough shape. It may have cost over 60 grand when it was new, but the reported high bid here was fair and should have been taken if there was money close to it.

Lot # F132 1952 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe Convertible; S/N 3KKJ59390; Gray/Blue, Light Blue leather; Blue cloth top; Enthusiast restoration 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $34,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $37,400. – 216/92hp six, Powerglide automatic, hub caps and trim rings, fender skirts, boot cover, column shift, dash clock, bumper overriders, jack, spare. – Older respray. Small dent in the body behind the passenger’s door. Old chrome with mild pitting on the bumpers. Pitted door handles. Uneven gaps. Older restored engine bay, underbody and trunk. Fresh leather seats showing hardly any wear, which is a nice surprise. Light general age on the dash, switchgear and carpets. A charming, honest convertible that isn’t anything to write home about but it looks like fun. – The Branson Fall Auction in 2017 sold this Styleline Convertible in 2017 for $17,050 and it’s had some work (like the leather upholstery) since then and been well-kept. It is every bit as good as the price it brought and a model/year that is often overlooked. It has gotten a lot of love.

Lot # F137.1 1991 Lotus Esprit SE Turbo Coupe; S/N SCCFC20BXMHF60194; Green, Yellow/Gold leather; Unrestored original 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000. – 2,174/264hp, 5-speed, OZ Route wheels, Kumho tires, power windows, air conditioning. – The prototype of the Jim Clark Edition Esprit built to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his Indy 500 win. Lotus built just 20 examples in total. Showing 37,687 miles. A few chips, scratches and cracks throughout, particularly on the A-pillars and roof. Light crazing on the tail. Clean engine bay and underbody with wear that matches the miles. Significant wrinkling and wear to the seats. The wood on the dash is cracked, but that’s a common issue. Any Esprit of this era is an unusual sight (Lotus sold just 150 of them Stateside in 1990), but this car is next-level rare. – On one hand, this car’s classic Lotus green and yellow livery is just plain cool, and it’s plenty rare enough to get collectors’ attention. On the other hand, this car clearly wasn’t treated as a collectible since new and there are too many little flaws and issues to ignore. This price, which would ordinarily buy an absolutely perfect standard Esprit Turbo SE, reflects a reasonable balance between those pluses and minuses. The same car sold for $19,440 at Mecum Monterey in 2014, and although its odometer shows just 649 more miles, it has been cleaned up in the six years since and Esprit values have gone up significantly as well.

Lot # F139 1955 Jaguar XK 140MC Roadster; S/N S810353; White/Burgundy leather; Black cloth top; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $82,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $90,200. – 3442/210hp, 4-speed manual, chrome wire wheels, Vredestein tires, dual wing mirrors, wind wings, Lucas driving lights. – Rare MC model (called the SE in the UK) with a C-Type cylinder head and corresponding bump in power. Represented as matching numbers and with service records for the past 20 years. Decent bumper chrome, but the headlight bezels are dull and there is pitting on the mirrors. There is visible pitting on the back of the left rear bumperette as well. Small crack under the left marker light, but otherwise the paint is good, just older. A few small cracks in the wind wings. Older, lightly wrinkled leather. Tidy engine bay and underbody. Slightly uneven door gaps. A straightforward, attractive, lightly aged restoration that still has life left in it for casual drives and events. – This is a surprisingly modest price for an MC roadster that shows well and is finished in good colors, but we can’t call it a fluke or blame it on the venue. The market for imperfect, lesser-known Jag sports cars like the XK140 may just be soft. Fantasy Junction sold this car, through Bring a Trailer, this past April for almost exactly the same price – $90,300. This result is a realistic retail price, but the costs and commissions involved mean that six months with it was 5-figure expensive to the seller.

Lot # F154 1963 Chevrolet Corvette FI Coupe; S/N 30837S108120; Riverside Red/Red leather; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $150,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $165,000. – 327/360hp L84 Fuelie, 4-speed, 4.11 Positraction, power steering, power brakes, power windows, AM/FM radio, aluminum wheels, narrow whitewalls. – Represented as matching numbers engine. Very good older paint and chrome for the most part, but there are some flecks in the paint on the roof. Gaps on the doors are slightly uneven. Quarter windows are delaminating around the edges. Fully restored and lightly run underneath. Very good interior with very light wrinkling on the seats. A very well-equipped, genuine and lightly aged L84 Fuelie Split Window. – Mid-year Corvette prices have for the most part been stable relative to the rest of the market for the past few years, but this car did pretty well here considering its age and flaws. Two years ago, it sold in essentially the same condition for $154,000 in Kissimmee and was reported bid to $140,000 at Indy three months ago.

Lot # F162 1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Hardtop Coupe; S/N 2U87X4N118846; Admiralty Blue, Light Blue graphics/White vinyl; Visually maintained, largely original 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500. – 455/250hp Super Duty, automatic, Rally wheels, Goodyear Steelgard tires, 8-track stereo, window sticker, PHS documents, power windows, air conditioning. – Represented as matching numbers engine and drivetrain and 70,074 miles from new. Good, possibly original paint with a few cracks and scratches as well as light fading. Clean wheels. Very good original interior. Looks partially restored underneath but never fully taken apart. – This car’s rare color combination and the desirable equipment grabbed people’s attention despite there being six ’70s Trans Ams at this auction, and this price is a reasonable balance between its strengths and its shortcomings.

Lot # F164 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Drophead Coupe, Body by H.J. Mulliner; S/N LSMH195; Sand Acrylic/Beige; Tan cloth top; Recent restoration 2+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $390,000. – Wheel covers, whitewalls, Lucas driving lights, dual mirrors, cloth boot cover, power top, keyhole weather guards, rear seat tables. – Restored by Vantage Motorworks 100 miles ago and recently serviced further. Very rare U.S.-delivery LHD Mulliner Drophead on a Cloud I chassis. Gorgeous paint, wheels and tires, though the chrome doesn’t look super fresh. Fantastic interior wood and the seats look hardly sat in. Restored gauges and switchgear. Nearly spotless underbody. A stunner. – A Silver Cloud I in Standard Steel sedan form can be a relatively affordable way to Rolls-Royce, but the two-door HJ Mulliner convertibles are something else entirely. This is a very good one, and if there were serious bidders in the room the reported high bid should have been sufficient. The same car sold for a hammer bid of $385,000, $428,500 all-in, at RM Amelia Island two years ago. Late 2020 is not the time to be looking for a profitable turn on an expensive car. This result does not appear in Mecum’s post-sale report.

Lot # F165 1965 Porsche 356C Coupe; S/N 220307; Green/Black leather; Recent restoration 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $120,000. – 1582/75hp opposed-four, 4-speed manual, sunroof, gold brightwork, chromed wheels, whitewalls, Blaupunkt pushbutton radio, passenger’s side headrest, original technical manual and purchase paper. – Represented as a Dallas car owned by the same family since new, and includes window sticker, dealer invoice and purchase agreement. Very good fresh paint. The glass looks all original, but the gaskets and frames are newer. Freshly redone but not overrestored engine bay. Clean underneath with no sign of major rust repair anywhere. Very good interior. Rare sunroof car with good options, a good history and a recent restoration to high standards. – While not a show car, this is a fresh 356C that needs nothing, other than a higher price than this reported high bid.

Lot # S16 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car Convertible; S/N 1G1YY32G3W5120502; Purple, Yellow/Black leather, Yellow inserts; Unrestored original 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $34,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $37,400. – 346/345hp, automatic, Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, Bose CD stereo. – One of 1,163 examples of the 1998 Indy Pace Car Corvette. Represented with 4,394 miles, Bloomington Gold and NCRS Top Flight. The paint is very good aside from a few chips in the nose, but there is some cracking in the decalcomania. A little more wrinkling in the leather than the mileage would suggest, but nothing terrible. – That combination of Barney the Dinosaur purple with bright yellow wheels and even yellow seats is a bit hard to look at without wincing, but these Pace Cars are collectible and they can sell for up to 10 grand more than a normal soft top C5. In this case, even more than that. Like many, has been treated as a collectible since new and brought a very strong price, as it did for the time at Barrett-Jackson WestWorld in 2016 when it sold for $30,800.

Lot # S27 2007 Noble M400 Coupe; S/N TEX113582; Silver/Black, Gray Alcantara; Unrestored original 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $55,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $60,500. – 3.0/425hp twin-turbo Ford Duratec V-6, Bell intercooler, Getrag 6-speed manual, P Zero tires, cross-drilled rotors, clear bra on the nose, Sparco seats, Willans harnesses, Sony stereo. – Represented with 8,500 miles and as a one-owner car with just one track day under its belt. It’s a very clean car top to bottom, and the build quality looks better than you’d expect from a British sports car company that most people have never heard of. – Designed by Noble in Britain, built in South Africa, and powered by a Duratec V-6 Ford Taurus (strapped with two turbos and tuned by Roush), the M400 was Noble’s third production model and the track variant of the earlier (and more common) M12. With 425 horsepower and only about 2,300 pounds to push around, it’s still one of the quickest cars on the road and can embarrass much more exotic machinery. 60 grand for this thing isn’t chump change, but people have spent several times as much on track toys that are probably slower. It’s a good value.

Lot # S46 1994 Porsche 928 GTS Coupe; S/N WP0AA292XRS820072; Black/Tan leather; Unrestored original 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $42,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $46,750. – 5,397/350hp, automatic, sunroof, tinted glass, climate control, aftermarket stereo. – Represented with 57,000 miles. Recent servicing including timing belt and water pump as well as new shocks and new carpets. Lots of small rock chips on the nose and hood. The rest of the paint matches the age and mileage. Very good interior with well-kept leather and hardly any wear on the passenger’s seat. A used but mostly solid 928 from the second to last year of production. – Some pampered, low-mile 5-speed GTSs have sold for huge money in recent years. A handful have even sold for over 100 grand, but there are also GTSs out there that have automatics, a lot more miles and use like this one. It flew under the radar here in Dallas and this price for a fast, handsome and clean Porsche GT car was favorable to the buyer. Provided there aren’t any big shop bills looming around the corner, this seems like a sweet deal. It wouldn’t have been expensive at $55,000 hammer.

Lot # S59 1964 Plymouth Fury Station Wagon, 6-pass.; S/N 3745134552; Medium Turquoise Metallic/Turquoise vinyl; Modified restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $25,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $27,500. – 383/330hp, 4-speed manual, Hurst shifter, wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, added Sport Fury trim (original trim included), power steering, dash clock, factory radio, tinted glass, electronic ignition, Hurst shifter, pushbutton radio, updated with air conditioning, headers, exhaust and electronic ignition. – Very rare 383 4-speed wagon. Paint is a bit tired and the finish looks a little uneven on the hood. Lightly scratched but decent bumper chrome. Other brightwork looks good. Very good, mostly restored interior. Older restored underneath. Imperfect but clean and complete, and one of these Fury wagons is rare in any condition or with any equipment, so a good 4-speed example is something special. – The modifications suggest some aggressive use and the online photos are some of the worst, grain, low resolution pics ever offered. It would have gotten slammed were it judged on the photos but Andrew a firsthand impression helps it a lot. A wagon of any kind from the Sixties rarely survives and are highly unusual in any configuration but the 383 and 4-speed elevate it to another level and it commanded a superior price that is fully deserved and even modest for its configuration.

Lot # S73 1961 Ford Galaxie Sunliner Convertible; S/N 1A55Z157777; Red/Red, White vinyl; White vinyl top; Enthusiast restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $40,000. – 390/401hp, three deuces, T10 4-speed manual, hub caps, narrow whitewalls, bench seat, floor shift, older cassette stereo, spare, jack – Represented as matching numbers. Freshly restored engine bay, and very clean underbody with what looks like new fuel tank and exhaust. The paint and chrome look older, with several blisters on the hood and a few touch ups elsewhere, original windshield glass looks tired. Wrinkled, slightly discolored top. Old tires. The doors stick out at the bottom. Newer seats and carpets but the dash looks original. Often a car will get fresh cosmetics to hide mechanical deficiencies underneath. This car is the opposite, with plenty of money spent underneath but with cosmetic needs left unaddressed. – Ford was rather promiscuous with its Z-Code 390 cid engines, offering the same Z-Code in everything from a cooking 4-barrel with 300hp to this fire-breathing 401 with three deuces. The car’s presentation is not impressive (to say the least) but the lump under the hood, if this is the way it came from the factory, is worth a healthy increment and is the reason the consignor thought it was worth more than the otherwise reasonable high bid here.

Lot # S74.1 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday 4-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 568C9921; Cream, Rare Coral/Coral vinyl and cloth; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $20,000. – 324/240hp, automatic, wheel covers, whitewalls, power brakes, Vintage air conditioning, original pushbutton radio, dash clock, period sales literature. – Previously in a GM dealer’s personal collection. Good older paint and chrome. Some of the brightwork is a little dull. Slightly erratic panel fit. Lightly scratched window frames. Tidy and restored underneath. Very good, thoroughly redone interior. A straightforward, lightly aged older restoration done to higher standards than you usually see on a four-door. – Better than average restoration or not, four-doors are always more difficult to sell. This one did bring $28,600 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale earlier this year, but the consignor is going to have a tough time getting close to that amount again any time soon.

Lot # S76.1 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Convertible; S/N 138675B176955; Black/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Older restoration 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $60,000. – 327/350hp L79, Powerglide automatic, wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, tinted glass, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power top, remote mirrors, bucket seats, floor shift, factory AM/FM radio, Protect-O-Plate, build sheet and pre-delivery checklist documented. – Replacement engine installed in 2016. Very good fully redone engine bay and underbody. Very good paint and older chrome. Good, tight-fitting older replacement top. Good older restored interior. A very attractive Chevelle with a known owner history from new. – This Chevelle needs all the power of the L79 350hp engine to power its shopping list of options and accessories, a shopping list that makes it an especially valuable car even before taking its quality restoration into account. The consignor can be understood for wanting more, but the non-original engine is a big handicap and the bidders reasonably kept looking into their check books in stopping at this bid.

Lot # S85.1 2002 Chevrolet Camaro Berger GMMG Sport Coupe; S/N 2G1FP22G322154076; Red, White/Black, Red leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $27,000. – 350/380hp, 6-speed manual, Cragar wheels, Hot Rod logo embroidered on the front seats. – One of 37 Special Edition Berger Hot Rod Edition Camaros. This is the prototype formerly owned by Hot Rod, used as a test and promo car, and used as a SEMA display car. Showing 6,274 believable and claimed original miles. The paint looks as one would expect given the age and mileage, but there is some severe blistering on the roof, sadly. Light wrinkling on the leather but no issues on the interior. One of the rarest, most interesting and most collectible fourth gen Camaros. – It’s hard to say what this car is worth, but it should be comfortably more expensive than most any other fourth gen Camaro and the consignor probably didn’t have a hard time refusing this reported high bid. The same car sold for $33,000 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2007, and if anything it should be worth more money today.

Lot # S86.1 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible; S/N 577M13762; White, Red accent/Red, White leather; Black cloth top; Recent restoration 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $90,000. – 371/300hp, J2 Tri-Power, automatic, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, fender skirts, power steering, power brakes, power top, pushbutton radio, heater, dash clock. – Not represented as an original J2 car. Good older chrome with some light scratching on the front bumper. Very good paint. Slightly imperfect panel fit. Spotless fresh engine bay and underbody. Very good interior. A mostly excellent and fresh 88. – It’s worth every penny of this bid if it can be traced back to an original J2, but offered without a concrete representation and it was bid to this handsome price simply on the strength of its meticulous restoration and presentation. This was a realistic, even generous, bid for a the way it was represented and it deserved to be taken.

Lot # S90 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 SportsRoof; S/N 0F2Z134624; Grabber Blue, Black hood scoop/White vinyl; Estimate $200,000 – $250,000; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $205,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $225,500. – 429/375hp, 4-speed manual, 3.91 Traction-Lok, factory Drag Pack, competition suspension, power brakes, Magnum 500 wheels, Goodyear Polyglas GT tires, front spoiler, console, AM radio, Hurst T-handle shifter, KK No. 2399, Marti Report documented. – Very good older paint and chrome, although there are some light scratches on the rear bumper and a small paint blister on the roof. Clean fully restored and lightly used engine bay. Part of the “4” on the left-side 429 decal has come off. Good restored interior for the most part, but both front seats show light wear and the passenger’s seat has ink from what looks like a poster that has rubbed off on it, which wouldn’t be noticeable if the seat weren’t white. A few minor, forgivable flaws on a rare high-spec Mustang. – The classic car market has changed a lot since 1998, when this car sold for $57,330 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale. It has also changed a lot since 2008, when this car sold at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas for $205,700, but interestingly enough, after a peak in 2016 the prices of Boss 429 have softened a bit and they’re worth about what they were worth 12 years ago. This result is in line with other recent transactions. “Boss-Nine” values have fluctuated with fashion and visibility. We’ve seen them sell this year for $407,000 (ex-Paul Walker Black over Black with 14,575 miles and the original engine and transmission at Mecum Indy in July) to this undocumented example that brought a realistic price for its sketchy history.

Lot # S91 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback; S/N 67400F2A01953; Nightmist Blue, White stripes/Black vinyl; Estimate $150,000 – $200,000; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $195,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $214,500. – 428/335hp, 4-speed manual, fog lights, hood pins, power steering, power brakes, woodrim steering wheel, pushbutton AM radio, 10-spoke alloy wheels, Goodyear tires, woodrim steering wheel, grille-mounted high beams. – Good older paint and chrome. Small crack in the right rear fender. Lightly scratched rear glass. Lightly scratched door handles. Very good restored interior. A good, correct older restoration. – This car also sold in 2008 at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas, for $181,500, but unlike Boss 429s Shelby Mustangs have gotten more valuable and stayed that way. This result is appropriate to the car’s age, condition and equipment but is excessive for the lack of representation of the engine and drivetrain’s originality. Really excessive. The bidders may have satisfied themselves by examining documentation not apparent on visual examination or on Mecum’s website. If they didn’t? Caveat Emptor.

Lot # S95 1969 Shelby Mustang GT350 Convertible; S/N 9F3M481046; Gulf Stream Aqua, Gold stripes/White vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $150,000 – $200,000; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $165,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $181,500. – 351/290hp, 4-speed manual, Goodyear Polyglas GT tires, 3.25 Traction-Lok, power steering, power brakes, power top, tinted glass, Lucas fog lights, AM radio, dash clock. – One of 194 GT350 convertibles built in 1969. Older restored engine bay with recent detailing. Very good older paint and chrome. Factory gaps. The wheels are showing a little age. Lightly worn front seats. Restored years ago but lightly used and holding up well. – Reported not sold on the block at a $135,000 high bid then later posted at this amount which is nothing but generous. Somewhere in the middle of those two numbers would have been appropriate. Like many of the cars at Mecum Dallas there is no representation of the originality of the drivetrain or the 46,936 miles on the odometer forcing bidders to rely on their own inspection, knowledge and intuition.

Lot # S97 1965 Ford Mustang GT Convertible; S/N 5R08K248249; Raven Black/Red vinyl; Black top; Estimate $80,000 – $120,000; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $90,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $99,000. – 289/271hp, 4-speed, 3.55 rear end, styled steel wheels, double red line tires, fog lights, pony interior, boot cover, woodrim steering wheel, Rally Pac gauges, pushbutton AM radio. – Not represented as matching numbers. High quality older paint and chrome but they show their age a bit. Fully restored and lightly used engine bay. Very good restored interior other than light pitting on some trim pieces. Not the most valuable Mustang out of this collection, but still a well-equipped and very handsome one. – Sold for $43,200 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2003 and for $68,200 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2008. This price in 2020 is quite expensive given the age of the restoration. It Night mist would be very hard to find another Mustang convertible with this combination of options and the desirable “K” in the VIN but even for that this is an expensive K-Code.

Lot # S98 1969 Ford Mustang Coupe; S/N 9F1R177426; Silver Jade/Black vinyl; Estimate $75,000 – $100,000; Older restoration 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $75,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $82,500. – 428/335hp Cobra Jet, automatic, 3.00 axle, competition suspension, shaker hood, hub caps, Goodyear Polyglas tires, Philco radio, dash clock, factory air conditioning, Marti report and retail buyer’s order documented. – Sold new in California. Represented as one of 52 R-Code coupes built in 1969. An MCA Concours Gold winner in 2014. Very good paint and chrome. Imperfect gaps, particularly on the trunk lid. Very good engine bay and underbody. Restored interior. Gorgeous condition, good colors and desirable specs even if it isn’t a Boss or a Shelby. If it weren’t for that shaker hood and Cobra Jet script, it would even be quite the sleeper. – After hammering not sold at a $63,000 high bid at Mecum Indy 2014, this car sold for $84,700 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2016, which backs up this fair and appropriate result. It’s a Shelby GT500 without the lettering and a sound result for the new owner.

Lot # S99 2006 Ford GT Coupe; S/N 1FAFP90S96Y401705; Red, White Stripes/Black; Estimate $250,000 – $300,000; Unrestored original 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $275,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $302,500. – 330/550hp, 6-speed manual. Stripes, BBS wheels, painted calipers, McIntosh stereo (all four options). – Looks just about showroom fresh and has 2,150 miles, about average for one of these cars. – A somewhat modest but not cheap result for a four-option GT with a four-digit odometer reading. It sold for $313,500 at Mecum Monterey in 2017 when it had 1,805 miles. Low miles 2005-6 Ford GTs are not rare at auction or elsewhere and supply is greater that demand.

Lot # S101 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N RM23V0A169485; Limelight, Black vinyl roof/Black, Silver vinyl; Estimate $125,000 – $175,000; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $138,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $151,800. – 440/390hp Six Barrel, 4-speed, A33 Track Pack with 3.54 Sure Grip, Rallye wheels, Firestone Wide Oval tires, power steering, power brakes, Hurst pistol grip shifter, factory radio, Tic-Toc-Tach, bench seat. – Very good paint other than a few flecks in the finish. Tight, fresh roof vinyl. Older restored underneath with some dirt and wear under the hood. Most of the interior looks unrestored but well-preserved. Good equipment and colors on an older restored Superbird. – Modestly but appropriately bought, this Superbird combines a delicious High-Impact color with the torque monster V-Code 440 Six Barrel and a rare 4-speed. It could have brought a bit more than this without being irrational despite the modest $125,000-175,000 estimate range.

Lot # S102 1967 Amphicar Model 770 Convertible; S/N 106522403; White/Red, White; Black top; Estimate $50,000 – $75,000; Recent restoration 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500. – 1,147/43hp Triumph Herald engine, 4-speed, hub caps, whitewalls, dual mirrors, pushbutton Motorola radio. – Very good paint, chrome and interior. Tidy and rust free underneath. Restored engine. Fully redone to like-new and still fresh enough not to need anything. – This Amphicar was even fresher five years ago, when it sold in Scottsdale for $79,200 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2015. While a bit lower, this price is still appropriate. Find a shallow beach to check the seals before venturing out into deeper water.

Lot # S105.1 1968 BMW 2002 Sedan; S/N 1660826; Red/Black vinyl; Enthusiast restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000. – Later 2002 engine installed, 4-speed, wheel covers, Michelin tires, sunroof. – Driver quality respray done a long time ago with questionable prep work and particles in the finish. One lens on the rear license plate light is severely cracked. Decent chrome. All glass is newer other than the quarter windows. Good original steering wheel, dash and gauges, while the seats, carpets and headliner look much newer. Partially redone underneath. A neat driver. – It may be neat, but other than being a somewhat rare first-year 2002, there isn’t a single thing that’s special about this car. 33 grand for a restored example would be one thing, but 33 grand for a driver with bad paint and a replacement engine is downright expensive. BMWs have loyal followers, however, and the opportunity to own one of the models that transitioned BMW from funky cars like 503s and Isettas into “The Ultimate Driving Machine” is hard to resist even if it has gross flaws and a replacement engine.

Lot # S106 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N 194677S122843; Sunfire Yellow, Black Stinger/Black Vinyl; Older restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $120,000. – 427/390hp L36, 4-speed manual, Rally wheels, Silvertown red line tires, hardtop, 3.36 Positraction, power steering, power brakes, AM radio. – Represented as matching numbers, NCRS Top Flight and Bloomington Gold certified. Represented with window sticker and a copy of the Protect-O-Plate. Nearly spotless engine bay and underbody. Very good paint but the chrome is way older. Slightly uneven gaps. Very good restored interior. Original windshield with lightly scratched frame. Weather stripping on the hardtop is cracking slightly. Light pitting on the filler cap. Attractive, well-equipped and fully restored, but done a while ago and with some corners cut. – This car sold here in 2011 for $106,000 and at Mecum Houston four years ago for $129,250. It cycled through Mecum Indy in 2016 where it was bid to $120,000, then sold at Indy this year for $165,000 ($150,000 hammer). With the vigerish the bid here would been $142,000 all-in and not surprisingly the bidder who bought it at Indy for its best auction price ever wasn’t impressed by this bid however reasonable it might be in retrospect. By any standard this was a responsible bid that should have been taken before the car becomes shop worn.

Lot # S109.1 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback; S/N SFM5S192; Wimbledon White, Blue stripes/Black vinyl; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $350,000. – 289/306hp, 4-speed, Radial T/A tires, Talbot Berlin mirror, dashtop tach and oil pressure gauge, Cragar wheels, woodrim steering wheel. – One of 521 1965 Street GT350s with many early production details like the trunk-mounted battery. Originally sold in Chicago. No explicit claim to matching numbers. Bumper chrome is a little faded. Good older paint with a small chip behind the right headlight and a crack on the right A-pillar. Touch up on the front edge of the trunk lid. Imperfect gaps. Clean wheels. Very good interior. A well-kept but older restored GT350. – There were many high performance Mustangs in Dallas, so why settle for one with no documentation of its drivetrain? The bidders didn’t seem to pay much attention to the oversights, and this is an appropriate bid for it. In declining this offer the consignor has high hopes that may not be realized.

Lot # S110.1 2010 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Coupe, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N ZFF60FCA3A0170759; Rossa 2007/Black leather, Alcantara; Unrestored original 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $167,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $184,250. – 5,999/612hp, paddle shifters, special order paint, HGTE handling package, Scuderia shields, yellow calipers, yellow tach face, black alloy wheels, P Zero tires, Bose stereo, carbon fiber interior trim, SF shields. – Represented with 10,000 miles and over 30 grand in special options in its $417,062 sticker price. There’s a tiny scrape on the bottom of the left front, and there are some unusual, small delaminating spots in the headlight lenses. Those are the only real flaws to speak of. The paint could use a detailing but has no flaws, and the seats look barely at in. – The HGTE package and the special order paint make this 599 stand out from the rest, and this is a higher than average for one even at 44% of the MSRP ten years ago. Mecum offered it at Monterey in 2018 where it was bid to $175,000 which shows little depreciation to today’s $167,500 successful bid.

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Lot # S112.1 2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia 16M Spider, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N ZFFKW66A090167838; Red Carbon, Black stripes/Black Alcantara; Black cloth top; Unrestored original 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $375,000. – 4308/503hp, paddle shifters, red carbon wheels, carbon ceramic brakes, yellow calipers, P Zero Corsa tires, Scuderia shields, carbon fiber seats, climate control, – One of 499 built to celebrate Ferrari’s 16th F1 Manufacturers’ title and has bespoke red clearcoated carbon fiber bodywork. Represented with 455 miles and still looks like a new car, although there are some inconsistencies in the weave visible on the carbon fiber body. – The red tinted carbon fiber bodywork of this 16M is singular, make no mistake. Loaded with expensive options and features. It is a showpiece with negligible miles and a livery that represents a singular take on conventional Ferrari colors. Its consignor thinks it is special, and it is. The problem is finding someone else who thinks it even more special. The bid is not unreasonable, nor is the consignor’s decision not to accept it.

Lot # S118 1975 Ford Bronco Stroppe Custom Wagon 4×4; S/N U15GLV65961; Poppy Red, Blue, Wimbledon White/Parchment vinyl; Recent restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $105,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $115,500. – 302/135hp, automatic, Holley carb, Cibie fog lights, factory radio, AutoMeter tach on the column, rear-mounted spare, kidney bean alloy wheels, Marti Report documented. – One of 30 Stroppe Baja Broncos built for 1975 (the last year of the Baja Bronco), and number 10 of 14 registered examples. Represented as matching numbers. Not entirely correct under the hood but fully restored and very clean. Very good fresh paint. Imperfect gaps. The window frames on the top are scratched. Light wear on the seats. The steering wheel looks brand new and the dash has been repainted, but the speedo is unrestored. A dream truck for Bronco fans, and fully redone to high standards without overdoing it. – The “Baja Bronco” commemorated Ford’s victories in the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 using Broncos built by off-road racer Bill Stroppe, and only a few hundred were sold between 1971 and 1975. Bajas aren’t just gussied up Broncos. Ford built each of them with heavy-duty suspension, an auxiliary fuel tank and an extra-cooling package, then sent it to Stroppe’s shop in California for final assembly. Stroppe then fitted bigger wheels and tires, dual shock absorbers, a padded roll bar, a beefier front bumper, a trailer hitch, a satin black hood and of course some decals. Since rarity are big factors in this hobby, Stroppe Broncos are a get a lot of attention when they pop up, and this was one of the highlights of the whole sale in Dallas. The high end for Bajas is the $143,000 brought by one restored to slightly higher standards in Kissimmee a couple of years ago, but a low six-figure price is normal and both parties here should be happy.

Lot # S125.1 2004 Ferrari Challenge Berlinetta; S/N ZFFDU57A240137191; Red, Stradale stripes/Red; Unrestored original 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $250,000. – 3586/425hp, paddle shifters, Michelin Pilot Sport tires, carbon ceramic docs brakes, red calipers, factory radio. – Represented with 5,325 miles and it doesn’t look like they were on the track. Good paint with no major blemishes. Clean wheels. No serious wear to the interior. Pretty much like new. – Lighter, sharper, faster and certainly rarer than the standard car, the Challenge Stradale is typically worth over twice as much as any other 360. But the reported high bid was at the very top end for what these cars command, and could have been accepted easily if there was money close to it. They’re in Ferrari Market Letter for around $200,000.

Lot # S127 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N E57S102295; Engine # F131EL; Polo White, Silver coves, White hardtop/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500. – 283/283hp Fuelie, 4-speed, two tops, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, WonderBar radio, hardtop. – Engine number isn’t legible but it is represented as matching. Tidy older restored engine bay and underbody. Good older paint and chrome for the most part but there are some fine cracks on the right front fender and in front of the trunk lid. The doors stick out slightly at the bottom. Very good interior that shows few signs of use. A body-off restoration showing its age. – While a little tired, this is a better car than the price it brought. It sold for $113,400 at Mecum Austin in 2014, in essentially the same condition (but also with the exact same odometer reading) where the engine number was read as F131EL. An attractive, usable high output first year Fuelie at a modest price and a good value even in the absence of independent observers’ like NCRS opinions.

Lot # S128 1967 Pontiac GTO 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 242177G118403; Regimental Red, Black vinyl roof/Black vinyl; Unrestored original 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $70,000. – 400/335hp, 3-speed manual, floor shift with Hurst shifter, wire wheel covers, Firestone red line tires, power steering, power brakes, power windows, bucket seats, factory air conditioning. – Represented as an all-original car with 13,674 actual miles. Sold on a bill of sale along with the original title which will have to be surrendered if it is road-registered. Used as a reference for replacement parts makers. The paint is blistering in spots and chipped around some edges but not bad considering the age. Dull chrome and brightwork but, again, that can be forgiven with the originality. Engine bay is cleaned up with newer belts, wires and hoses but otherwise unrestored. Roof vinyl looks too good to be original. The interior looks great. It looks a little tired, but it’s also arguably too well-preserved to give it any major restoration work. – After selling for a very strong $82,500 at Mecum Indy in 2018, this GTO has gone on a nationwide tour of unsuccessful trips across the auction block that continued here in Dallas. It hammered not sold at a $70,000 high bid at Dallas 2018, again at a $55,000 high bid at Kissimmee 2019, again at a $60,000 high bid Indy 2019, and one more time at a $55,000 high bid at the Kissimmee Summer Special this year. Those numbers aren’t going to get any higher. Consignment and transport fees aren’t going to go away. It’s time to let this thing go. The underlying issue is that this GTO is an object of veneration, and a reference for how these cars were assembled (at least in Framingham, Massachusetts where this GTO came from). It will never be restored, nor even driven except on and off show fields and in low speed parades. Only a dedicated, committed, deep-pocketed Pontiac or GTO enthusiast will take on the responsibility for it and may, as recent results imply, expect to do so at a price that has little premium for originality.

Lot # S137.1 2002 Acura NSX-T 3.2L Coupe; S/N JH4NA216221000079; Silver/Black leather; Unrestored original 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $70,000. – 3.2/290hp, 6-speed manual, gold calipers, Kumho tires, power windows, air conditioning, factory cassette stereo (which the NSX came with all the way up to 2005). – Represented as 50,449 miles from new. For Ferrari shoppers that odometer reading might call a few things into question but it isn’t anything to worry about on an NSX. Like most, this car seems to have enjoyed mature ownership. There are some very light scrapes on the bottom front lip and a few tiny rock chips on the nose but otherwise the paint looks great. No scrapes or scratches on the wheels. The seats and carpets have some wear on them, but nothing out of the ordinary considering the mileage. A used NSX, but a well-kept one. – Because NSXs never got truly “cheap,” most of the ones out there with significant mileage have still been carefully kept like this one has. This would be an ideal car for someone who wants an NSX to enjoy the sublime driving experience and precision engineering firsthand rather than stare at in the garage, but unfortunately a deal didn’t happen here. The reported high bid is a bit light, but the consignor shouldn’t have expected much more.

Lot # S140.1 1957 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country Station Wagon; S/N N5721533; Desert Beige, Copper Brown Metallic roof/Beige vinyl with Gray cloth inserts; Older restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $65,000. – 392/325hp Hemi Firepower V-8, pushbutton automatic, wire wheels, whitewalls, Torsion-Aire suspension, factory air conditioning, power brakes, power windows, power seat, pushbutton radio. – Older respray with a few chips and touch ups, water spots on the roof and a few masking errors around the glass. Lightly scratched bumpers and rear glass. Lightly pitted door handles. Good older interior with some waviness on the dash top. Thoroughly restored engine compartment. An older restoration, and never done to show standards. – A rare (one of just 1,391 built) and unusual car with a top notch array of options but one done to mediocre standards that can’t have had bidders salivating over it after taking a close look. This offer is generous for the condition, if not the rarity. There was a time not so long ago when station wagons were in high demand and bringing strong prices. That time has passed and this car should by all rights have been gone if there was money anywhere near the reported high bid.

Lot # S144 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2 Holiday 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 338177Z109813; Dark Blue, Black vinyl roof/Light Blue vinyl; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $45,000. – 400/350hp, 4-speed, chambered exhaust, Anti-Spin axle, added W-30 equipment, hub caps, Silvertown red line tires, Hurst shifter, bucket seats, Protect-O-Plate documented. – Represented as the matching numbers engine. Very good restored engine bay and underbody. Very good paint. Decent older chrome and brightwork. A few dings in the window frames. Tight, clean roof vinyl. Very good interior. A handsome, honest and presentable early 4-4-2. – There is a valid argument over whether the added W-30 equipment helps the value or detracts from it and the reported high bid here bears no premium at all. In fact it’s soft even for a standard 4-4-2 4-speed and under the circumstances seems to reflect a discount for the upgrades.

Lot # S146 1959 Buick LeSabre Convertible; S/N 4F6018460; White/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Older restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000. – 364/250hp, automatic, wheel covers, Coker Classic whitewalls, power steering, power brakes, power top, chrome fender skirts and sill molding, boot cover, Sonomatic radio. – Body-off restored in 2002. Paint and chrome are both good and shiny but have been detailed a few too many times. Some of the body trim doesn’t fit flush. Imperfect gaps. Good, lightly worn interior. An older restoration with straightforward, understandable signs of use and age. – 1950s American cars have been one of the quietest sectors of the collector car market for a while now, and this car is a perfect example of that. Back in 2011, in sold in Scottsdale at Barrett-Jackson for the exact same $44,000, but its restoration was a decade newer.

Lot # S148 1953 Jaguar Mark VII 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 734746; Metallic Burgundy/Beige leather; Older restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $37,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $41,250. – 3,442/160hp, 4-speed manual, hub caps and trim rings, wide whitewalls, dual wing mirrors, fender skirts, sunroof, Motorola pushbutton radio. – Represented as a former 981.90 point JCNA show car. There are a few chips and cracks near some panel edges and light detail scratching throughout. Slightly uneven door gaps. Tidy underneath. Very clean interior wood, but some of the metal bits are pitted and the leather is lightly worn. Orderly restored engine compartment that is showing its age. An attractive car but it hasn’t been a show winner in years. The paint, meanwhile, with its silver undercoat and burgundy on top, may be impressive to look at but is inconsistent with the character of the Mark VII. – Good, driver-quality Jag Mark VIIs, VIIIs and IXs rarely command much past the mid- to high-$20,000 range. This price in Dallas should have bought a much fresher, more correct show car.

Lot # S151 1991 Ferrari Testarossa Coupe; S/N ZFFSG17AXM0087423; White/Tan leather, Brown trim; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $135,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $148,500. – 4943/390hp, 5-speed manual, Michelin Pilot Sport tires, Momo steering wheel, air conditioning. – Showing 10,241 claimed original miles. The cap on the left rear wheel is delaminating a bit. Clean interior. The passenger’s seat looks hardly sat in aside from a small scuff and the driver’s seat has a slightly flat bottom plus some wear on the outer bolster. A low-mile TR in Miami Vice colors, but the last represented major service was in 2012. – After a peak in 2017, Testarossa prices have softened a bit. This car, though, bucked the trend. Mecum sold it here eight years ago for $61,480, then RM sold it out of the Don Davis Collection in 2013 for a then very strong $104,500. It has done just 57 miles since the RM auction, but this price is well above what other TRs are bringing. Better ones have sold for less but perhaps the buyer was an ardent fan of Miami Vice.

Lot # S153 1931 LaSalle Series 345-A All Weather Phaeton, 7-p, Body by Fleetwood; S/N 803617; Red, Black/Black leather; Tan cloth top; Older restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $57,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $63,250. – 353/95hp L-head V-8, 3-speed manual, overdrive, cream wire wheels with hub caps and trim rings, Firestone wide whitewalls, dual sidemount spares with mirrors, radiator mascot and stoneguard, Trippe Safety lights, wind wings, jump seats, rear seat windshield, luggage rack, Jaeger dash clock, modern SunPro oil temp gauge and accessory turn signals. – Sound but older paint and chrome. Erratic panel fit. Dirt and smudges on the top. Tidy older frame and engine. Slight yellowing to the white parts of the tires. Stiff, lightly worn leather and some cracks in the steering wheel. The flaws on this LaSalle are numerous but minimal and forgivable. It’s usable as-is, while another round of restoration would be straightforward. – Sold for $115,500 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2010. Its issues are mostly related to the restoration’s age and the minimal care that it has been given and careful, meticulous attention would greatly improve its presentation. This is not much to pay for a fully-equipped CCCA Full Classic ™ with practical, commodious and attractive coachwork but is an appropriate price for a LaSalle, an inherently good value.

Lot # S155 1936 Packard Eight-Series 1401 Coupe Roadster; S/N 919267; Pale Yellow/Maroon leather; Beige cloth top; Older restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $80,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $88,000. – 320/130hp, 3-speed, painted wire wheels with hub caps and trim rings, dual enclosed sidemount spares with mirrors, spotlight, Goddess of Speed mascot, Trippe Safety Lights, spotlight, suicide doors, rumble seat, dash clock, golf bag door. – Older paint and chrome that are both a little tired. Some light cracks, crazing and orange peel. The leather is a little dry and there is significant wear on the driver’s side. Tidy but aged underneath. It would look great driving down the road or in a photo shoot, but this car looks like it has been sitting for a while and needs paint and upholstery at the very least. – Sold for $107,250 by RM out of the Wayne Davis collection in 2008 and, like the LaSalle sold a few lots before which also came out of the same auction, it hasn’t gotten much attention in the Peyton S. Carnes, Jr. collection. The deteriorated condition offset an appealing body style and this is a realistic price with some upside potential for the new owner.

Lot # S157 1960 Lincoln Continental Mk V Convertible; S/N 0Y85H413762; Pastel Yellow/White, Black leather; Black cloth top; Older restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $36,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $39,600. – 430/315hp, automatic, wheel covers, fender skirts, power steering, power brakes, factory air conditioning, power windows, tinted windshield, button tinted seats, Town and Country radio, dash clock. – Paint and chrome are a little tired, though here are no major flaws. Good older top. Tidy engine bay and underbody with a little bit of road dirt and grime. Original windshield looks rough and has a few tiny chips. Good older restored interior with light wear and a few scuffs on the seats. A driver quality Mark V whose flaws take little away from the style and of course the sheer size. – Sold at no reserve, this honest and usable Continental brought less than half the $85,250 it brought at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2009. In terms of style and size per dollar, it’s a bargain.

Lot # S163 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Indy Pace Car Convertible; S/N 124679N617710; Dover White, Hugger Orange stripes/Orange vinyl with houndstooth cloth inserts; White vinyl top; Recent restoration 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $95,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $104,500. – 396/375hp L78, M20 4-speed, 3.54 Positraction, power steering, power brakes, Rally wheels, Goodyear Polyglas tires, boot cover, console, pushbutton AM/FM radio, chambered exhaust, Protect-O-Plate and window sticker documented. – Restoration completed in 2017 and looks to have only been driven a few times. Paint, brightwork and interior still look fresh and gorgeous. Factory gaps. Nearly spotless trunk. Excellent. – A fresh and gorgeous car with the top-spec L78 and a 4-speed to boot, this Camaro brought a bit more than the $86,000 it was bid to at Mecum Indy in 2018, and still could have brought another few bids here without being expensive.

Lot # S168 1956 Ford Thunderbird Convertible; S/N P6FH203181; Pink/Burgundy, White; Older restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000. – 312/225hp, automatic, 12-volt electrics, wire wheels, whitewalls, fender skirts, Continental kit, porthole hardtop, tach, air conditioning, vintage-style cassette radio. Represented with original window sticker. – Previously owned by Joan Barton, an unimportant actress in the late 40’s except for being married to Earl “Madman” Muntz. No soft top represented. Paint finish on the hood doesn’t match the rest of the body. The paint also looks thinner on the nose and has some orange peel. The trunk doesn’t fit evenly, either. Erratic panel fit elsewhere as well. Clean wheels and tires. Weather stripping on the hardtop is dry and starting to crack. Tired chrome on the rear. Very good interior. Older restored underneath. Eye-catching in this color to be sure, and it looks great from a few feet away, but there are plenty of issues up close. – A very strong price considering the flaws and considering that Baby Bird buyers were absolutely spoiled for choice in Dallas this year, although not for prime examples. There were 15 1955-57 T-Birds at this auction.

Lot # S170 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS Convertible; S/N 124677L120614; Ermine White, Black nose stripe/Turquoise vinyl; Black vinyl top; Enthusiast restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $42,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $46,200. – 350/295hp L48, 4-speed with Hurst shifter, rear spoiler, Rally wheels, Radial T/A tires, console, factory AM/FM radio, power steering, power brakes, factory air conditioning, power top, tilt steering column. – Represented as a Texas car from new and with matching numbers. Paint and chrome are perfectly presentable but a little tired and have been buffed a few too many times. Decent older replacement top with a little dirt, and the plastic rear window is a little cloudy and lightly scratched. Lightly scratched window frames. Engine bay looks at least partially restored. Light wear and age underneath. Dry weather stripping. Some pitting and scratching on the steering wheel. Much of the interior brightwork has light pitting. The gauges and switchgear look original, but the seats look newer. Not the most exciting engine and not a show queen, but a fundamentally good car that has gotten attention when needed. – Taking into account the condition issues, this result is slightly generous even for such a desirably equipped RS/SS convertible. It’s not enough to be unreasonably expensive but is sufficient to have made the seller very happy.

Lot # S175 1971 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe; S/N 194371S113298; Ontario Orange/Brown leather; Unrestored original 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $29,000. – 350/330hp LT1, 4-speed, Rally wheels, Mastercraft tires, factory AM-FM radio, Protect-O-Plate and build sheet documented. – Represented as the matching numbers engine. Delaminating windshield with a long crack running from top to bottom on the left side. Well-preserved original paint but there is fading, cracking and discoloration throughout as well as a few chips on some panel edges. Tired original chrome. Long scratch running down the left rear fender. The interior looks great for original, with a few chips of paint off the steering wheel but little else. The leather is a little stiff and a little wrinkled, but very good on a car that’s nearly half a century old. Unrestored engine bay and underbody with understandable grime, dirt and oxidation, but nothing serious. All original and, aside from that windshield, seems perfectly usable as-is for people into patina. – The solid lifter LT1 engine may have been down 40 horses from the year before, but 330 hp is still plenty of punch and LT1s are still among the more desirable C3s. The consignor here was expecting the car to get a premium for originality but the bidders didn’t give it one. What they seemed to see was a tired old Corvette in need of a new windshield and probably lots more, and that’s fair enough. If it is as original and correct as it is described to be it would be worth taking to the Bloomington Gold and getting the experts to bless it.

Lot # S200 1995 Pontiac Firebird SLP Firehawk Convertible; S/N 2G2FV32P6S2226752; Black/Gray leather; Black cloth top; Unrestored original 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $22,500. – 350/300hp LT1 V-8, 6-speed manual, Hankook tires, factory cassette stereo. – Showing 2,389 miles, represented as original. Significant detail scratching in the paint all over, and a few small rock chips on the front. Clean wheels, but the Firehawk logos on the caps are delaminating. Clean top. Excellent, nearly like new interior. Very clean underneath. Given the mileage this should be a time-warp showroom car. It’s not, but it isn’t far off, either. – The SLP-modified Firehawks are quite rare (this is one of just 102 convertibles in 1995) and quite desirable to F-body fans, but they aren’t super expensive, either. All but the very best are still worth under 30 grand, so this one shouldn’t have been far off from selling, particularly after selling for $20,900 at Mecum Harrisburg in 2015 and six weeks later at Dallas bringing $25,300.

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    • Alex
    • November 19, 2020
    Reply

    I thought your comments on the 1967 Pontiac GTO (# S128) explained the car collecting hobby perfectly. We’ve had almost 2 decades of increasing prices and it looked like a “no-lose” business (or investment) for everybody. But it is not.

    I don’t know if it’s art or performance or a mixture of both but people who love particular cars will always want to own them.

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