Mecum Auctions, Spring Classic State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, May 15-19, 2019 Part I: AM General through Ford Mustang

There were five of us on the ground at Mecum’s Spring Classic with the result that 238 of the 1,123 vehicles offered were described in detail.

Put in literal terms, that’s about 37,571 words of content, about the same as a 150 page trade paperback novel.

Now, a quarter to a third of it is boilerplate, like “Lot # S131 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible; S/N F7FH395617; Sun Gold/White vinyl; Black cloth top; Estimate $300,000 – $400,000; Recent restoration, 1 condition; Hammered Sold at $270,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $297,000.” But with the exception of standard terms such as “Estimate _ – _; Recent restoration, _ condition; Hammered Sold at _ plus commission of _%; Final Price _” it all has to be entered and fact-checked for accuracy and a modicum of consistency.

The other challenge were ’57 T-birds. There were 24 of them including 9 supercharged F-Birds. Fortunately (?) we fully described only 12 of the ‘57s.

It can get rather overwhelming and the 2019 Spring Classic warranted a different treatment.

  • The report is sorted by Marque and Model;
  • It is divided into two parts;
    • The first is from AM General through Ford Mustang;
    • The second is from Ford Thunderbird through Volkswagen.

The sale’s highlight was the disposition of the late Steven Juliano’s collection which consisted of some gorgeous, meticulously researched and restored Shelby Cobras, Mopar Rapid Transit Authority show cars and other similarly distinctive cars. They’re interspersed throughout this report by Marque, but worth looking for.

Another band of interest are the Del De Young collection of Buick Limiteds and Roadmasters.

There are a few race cars, notably including Yenko Stinger s/n 043.

Here are the numbers:

Year Cars Sold/ Offered Sale % Average Sale Median Sale Total $
2019 1123/1719 65.3% $56,504 $30,250

[53.5%]

$63,454,105
2018 1328/1850 71.8% $49,580 $29,700

[59.9%]

$65,842,294
2017 1204/1650 73% $44,997 $28,600

[63.6%]

$54,176,356

On-site observations are by Andrew Newton, Eric Nelson, Jose Martinez, Ed Nuttal and Rick Carey, who edited everything and is responsible for the final copy.

The auction days are indicated in the lot number and are self-explanatory except for Tuesday which is “G”


Part I Begins Here:

Lot # S182.1 1994 AM General HMC4 Sport Utility Vehicle 4×4; S/N 137YAB432RE150472; Black/Beige cloth; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Unrestored original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $60,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $66,000. – Front brush guard, Kenwood stereo, tools and manuals. – Showing 36,155 miles and represented to be all it’s covered. Sold from the estate of the original owner and recently serviced. Very good original paint but some paint has worn off the wheel lugs and fasteners on the rear bumper. Very good interior. A neat H1 with no needs and lots of life left in it. – AM General Hummers invite serious backwoods offroad use and don’t usually get this kind of attention and preservation. For someone with a Jones for an AM General Hummer this is a real find and a price that both the buyer and the seller should be satisfied with.

Lot # F44 1970 AMC Rebel Machine 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N A0C190Y206695; Frost White, Red, Blue/Black vinyl; Estimate $50,000 – $65,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $47,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $51,700. – 390/340hp, 4-speed, Wide Oval tires, hood tach, original space saver spare. – Rare one year only Rebel Machine. The paint looks very good with only a few minor blemishes from poor preparation work. Panel fit is very good for an AMC. Brightwork is very good other some very minor scratches and some pitting on the door handles. The interior is very good and showing very little wear, and the rear seat belts are a little discolored. The engine compartment looks good, with some use showing on the exhaust and near the cylinder heads. Underneath looks good, with undercoating peeling off in a few spots. Would be a great and attention-grabbing local show car. – A handsome and rare high performance AMC that brought a handsome price more appropriate to a concours-quality restoration.

Lot # U75 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III Phase 2 Convertible; S/N HBJ8L29264; White/Burgundy; Black vinyl top; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $39,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $42,900. – Painted centerlock wire wheels, dual wing mirrors, Lucas driving lights, badge bar, banjo steering wheel, wood shift knob, BMC radio. – Tidy and restored but used engine bay. The grille and bumpers are fairly dull. Good older paint. The driver’s door sticks out and the weather stripping is coming loose. The driver’s side outer seat bolster is worn and lightly ripped, but the rest of the interior is good. Looks like fun, but no more than a casual driver. – Sold only a few weeks prior at Mecum Houston for the sweet deal of $33,000, and successfully flipped here for a much more realistic price.

Lot # S16.1 2005 Bentley Continental GT Coupe; S/N SCBCR63WX5C025521; Blue/Gray leather; Estimate $35,000 – $45,000; Unrestored original, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000. – Chromed wheels. – Represented with a clean CARFAX and 65,540 miles, but no word about service. Lightly worn seats and the condition of the paint matches the age and mileage. Pretty colors, but just a used mid-2000s Continental. – Well off its nearly $160,000 MSRP, but this is market price for one of these cars with this kind of mileage. Caution to those tempted by deals like this, however, as these cars will always be pricey to own no matter how cheap they become to buy. The new owner of this one seems to have factored that in.

Lot # T53 1973 BMW 3.0CS 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 2250587; Fjord Blue/Blue vinyl; Estimate $30,000 – $40,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 4+ condition; Hammered Sold at $38,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $42,350. – 2985/180hp six, dual Solex carbs, automatic, power brakes. Nardi woodrim steering wheel, alloy wheels, Kumho tires. – There’s some electronic gadget on the dashtop and coming loose. New upholstery but old interior trim and headrests. Ancient, frayed seat belts. Poorly masked and applied repaint. Poor chrome, broken window seals. Filthy, grungy engine compartment. – This is a seriously generous price to pay for a seriously needy automatic transmission 3.0CS without a sunroof. It would not have been a bargain even at Mecum’s low pre-sale estimate. Sexy, but tired and not particularly well-maintained. The odometer shows 13,002 miles, on at least its second trip to 99,999.

Lot # S93.1 1965 Buick Gran Sport 2-Dr. Sedan; S/N 444275H205819; Flame Red/Metallic Red vinyl; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $36,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $39,600. – 401/325hp, 4-speed, aluminum valve covers Magnum wheels, red line tires, power steering, power brakes, tilt steering column, factory air conditioning, bucket seats, floor shift, console, underdash gauges and AutoMeter tach, pushbutton radio, leather rim steering wheel. – Represented as the matching numbers engine. Very good engine compartment with some oily mist coating and paint loss where it’s hard to reach. Old, tired chrome. Two chips on the right front fender. otherwise good but older paint. Erratic fit on the passenger’s door. Dull aluminum side window frame moldings, pitted chrome rear valence. Good, rare equipment on a seldom seen early muscle car and it was fully restored at some point, but that point was a while ago. – An early GS like this is an unusual example of Buick’s ultimately successful foray into the Muscle Car ranks. It is similarly unusually well-equipped and the Indy bidders appreciated it with this generous for its erratic condition price.

Lot # F190.1 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 Convertible; S/N 446670H102206; Glacier White/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $140,000 – $165,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $140,000. – 455/360hp, automatic, power steering and brakes, power windows and driver’s seat, AM-FM, Magnum wheels, red line tires – Uniformly excellent paint, flat panels and flush fits except the back of the hood which is noticeably proud. Bright chrome, excellent interior. Freshly restored to high standards. – The seller wasn’t wrong in declining this bid (despite reaching the pre-sale low estimate), but neither was the high bidder wrong in the current soft market for stopping here. This is a deal that should have been done and would have been concluded at an entirely appropriate price if it had.

Lot # F231 1971 Buick GS Stage 1 Convertible; S/N 434671H100576; Cortez Gold, Black hood stripes and accent/Pearl White vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Cosmetic restoration, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $55,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $60,500. – 455/345hp, automatic, ram air hood, power steering, brakes, windows and split bench seat, remote outside mirrors, AM-FM, underdash 8-track, cruise control, air conditioning, alloy center chrome wheels, Wide Oval tires, wing. – One of 25 Zone Demo Stage 1s built, represented as the matching numbers engine. Excellent cosmetics inside and out. The engine compartment is like new. Not fresh but impossible to fault in any meaningful way. – The seller of this GS Stage 1 Convertible is still smarting from the spanking implicit in this price. Beyond its drivetrain and options-heavy equipment list its factory Zone Executive history adds even more to its history. It was offered at Kissimmee in 2010 where it was reported bid to $66,000, then sold at Kissimmee a year later for $72,080. The result here in Indy is better than a good value, it is a bargain.

Lot # T146 1942 Buick Limited Formal Sedan; S/N 14279088; Engine # 44715019; Royal Maroon/Maroon cloth; Estimate $50,000 – $75,000; Older restoration, 1- condition; Hammered Sold at $70,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $77,000. – 320/165hp, compound carburetion, 3-speed, hubcaps, trim rings, wide whitewalls, skirts, power division window, pushbutton radio, grille guard, smoker’s kits. – Excellent older paint with minor small scratches and edge chips. Clean, orderly engine compartment with some fuel staining on the carbs. The underbody is like new. An imposing, rare Buick, AACA Senior in 2002 and still nearly concours quality. – This is one of eight luxury Buicks from the collection of Del De Young in this week’s auction, all of them nearly stellar examples of Buick’s finest under Harlow Curtice that attracted the ire of the guys at Cadillac who saw them, accurately, as serious competition for the sister division’s luxury niche. There’s room inside for a full suite of high ranking executives in reasonable splendor and there’s little enough to complain about the preservation of its 17-year old restoration. It is near the pinnacle of Buick’s development of its straight eight and brought a deserved premium price.

Lot # T141 1937 Buick Limited Limousine; S/N 3204296; Imperial Black/Grey cloth; Estimate $15,000 – $25,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $18,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $19,800. – 320/130, floor shift 3-speed, rollup division, jump seats, radio, dual enclosed sidemounts, fog lights, skirts, bumper overriders. – Mostly original with an old repaint and upholstery that appears to have been replaced. Dry, surface rusted underbody. Decent gauges in a rusty panel. Cracked original window seals. Delaminating right windshield glass. Sound and complete but a restoration project, not a preservation prize from the Del De Young Collection. – This is a CCCA Full Classic ™ that awaits a restoration it fully deserves. It’s all here and while a decent restoration won’t be accomplished on a budget it’s straightforward and a reasonable task. There’s no argument with the price it brought.

Lot # T145 1941 Buick Limited Limousine; S/N 14029619; Engine # 94197961; Metallic Dark Blue/Dark Blue leather, Grey broadcloth; Estimate $40,000 – $50,000; Older restoration, 1- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000. – 320/165hp, 3-speed, compound carburetion, power division window, smoker’s kits, pushbutton radio, heater, jump seats, hubcaps, trim rings, wide whitewalls, grille guard, skirts. – Good older paint with tiny chips, the usual hood edge chips and a field of microblisters on the left front fender. Uniformly bright, strong chrome. Luxurious and barely sat in interior. Clean, orderly engine compartment with no leaks to speak of. The underbody is like new. A rare Buick from the Del De Young collection, a 2000 AACA Senior winner. – This is Cadillac-challenging luxury, and it still is exceptional even nearly 20 years after it was restored. It’s not a car that typically is thought of appealing to today’s collectors but there are hints of Buick’s postwar Centuries and Gran Sports in the engine’s “Fireball Dynaflash Eight” identification. It could sell well in China where today Buick is the emblem of financial success, vastly overshadowing Cadillac, exactly as Harlow Curtice intended when he was head of Buick in the Thirties.

Lot # T142 1938 Buick Limited Touring Sedan; S/N 13276386; Rembrandt Black/Grey cloth; Estimate $15,000 – $20,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 4+ condition; Hammered Sold at $14,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $15,400. – 320/141hp, 3-speed, hubcaps and trim rings, wide whitewalls, dual enclosed sidemounts, radio, heater, bumper overriders. – Superficial old repaint, pitted chrome, delaminating windows, dead window seals. Sound original looking upholstery and interior trim. Grungy original engine compartment. Solid and complete but a restoration project from the Del De Young collection. – Bought right for what it is, a Buick that challenged the conventional wisdom within GM and provided a high quality, good-performing luxury car for just over $2,000, over a thousand dollars less than a comparable Cadillac.

Lot # T143 1939 Buick Limited Touring Sedan; S/N 13434708; Zion Maroon/Beige cloth; Estimate $40,000 – $50,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $22,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $24,200. – 320/141hp, 3-speed, hubcaps and trim rings, wide whitewalls, dual enclosed sidemounts, jump seats, shift lever mounted turn signal switch. – Elaborate and impressive interior woodgraining. Good older paint with polishing swirl and small chips. Crack at the base of the left windshield post. Sander scratched right rear door window. Good chrome except the right rear vent window frame. Stained and delaminating right vent window glass and driver’s window. Clean and orderly engine compartment with an oil leak from the pushrod cover. 2000 AACA National First Prize, 2001 Senior. Del De Young Collection. – This restoration isn’t aging as well as some of the other Del De Young Buicks offered today but it presented an opportunity for the buyer to acquire a basically sound, quality restored car for a remarkable modest price and is a good value.

Lot # T144 1940 Buick Limited Touring Sedan; S/N 64198203; Yosemite Grey/Grey broadcloth; Estimate $35,000 – $45,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $36,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $40,150. – 320/141hp, 3-speed, pushbutton radio, heater, jump seats, smoker’s kits, footrest, dual enclosed sidemounts, hubcaps and trim rings, wide whitewalls. – Very good older clearcoat paint with minor polishing swirl. Very good upholstery and interior trim. Good but dull chrome, pitted grille chrome. Clean but aged underbody and engine compartment with fuel stained carburetor. Judged BCA Gold in 1994 and AACA National First Prize in 2000. Del De Young Collection. – This is serious Buick luxury in very good condition. It’s also among the Del De Young Cadillacs expensive for its condition and age.

Lot # T230 1987 Buick Regal Grand National Coupe; S/N 1G4GJ117XHP549631; Black/Gray, Black cloth; Estimate $25,000 – $30,000; Unrestored original, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $28,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $30,800. – Power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, cruise control. – Fantastic original interior other than cracks in the dash around screws, and the 40,568 miles showing are represented as actual. Scratches on the rear spoiler and bumper. Dry weather stripping and track scratches in the passenger’s side glass. Aged original wheels. A solid but used ’87 Grand National. – A spot-on result for a Grand National in this condition and with this mileage.

Lot # F229 1967 Buick Riviera GS Sport Coupe; S/N 494877H922411; Black/Black vinyl; Estimate $35,000 – $45,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000. – Red line tires, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats, sport suspension, limited-slip, tinted glass, pushbutton radio, bucket seats, console, horseshoe shifter. – “Good but older paint and chrome. Some light scratching on the window frames. Tidy underneath. Very good older restored interior. A typical lightly aged older restoration with no major needs. Ready to enjoy. – A full retail result that’s favorable to the buyer, but these Riviera GSs offer a lot of speed, style and comfort per dollar so the buyer still came away with a good value.

Lot # T148 1949 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon, Body by Ionia; S/N 15139982; Royal Maroon, Wood/Maroon leather; Estimate $70,000 – $90,000; Older restoration, 1- condition; Hammered Sold at $60,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $66,000. – 320/150hp, Dynaflow, sombrero wheel covers, wide whitewalls, pushbutton radio, heater, 2-row seating. – Excellent paint, chrome and interior. The wood framing is very good but the mahogany inserts are warped. The engine compartment is excellent but shows age in places. The underbody is like new. An exceptional example of a rare and distinctive Buick. A multiple award winner starting in 1994 culminating in an AACA Senior in 2005. Del De Young collection. – The warped Mahogany inserts are a problem, not least because they can’t be corrected without extensive work on all the body wood cladding. That aside, this Buick Estate has brilliant presence, exuding class and rarity (632 built) and an outstanding restoration that has been assiduously preserved for decades. The bidders may have seen something amiss (aside from the mahogany) but Ford woodies of the period bring far more, making this a sound value by any standard.

Lot # T147 1942 Buick Roadmaster Sedanet; S/N 14343732; Salt Lake Green/Brown cloth; Estimate $15,000 – $25,000; Older restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $24,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $26,400. – 320/165hp, compound carburetion, 3-speed, remote spotlight, hubcaps and trim rings, pushbutton radio, heater, skirts. – Indifferent old repaint with dust and fisheyes, chipped edges. Thin, peeling chrome trim. Dirty engine compartment, major rear main seal leak, rusty water hose clamps, fuel stained carbs. Old underbody with rust stains. A rather tired old restoration. Del De Young collection. – The coachwork of this Buick is prescient, forecasting streamlined styles of the Fifties but its condition is disappointing, particularly from the Del De Young collection of otherwise exceptional Buicks. This is a classy Buick that needs more than it has gotten, but no more than the price it brought here in Indy.

Lot # F213 1953 Buick Skylark Convertible; S/N 17142626; Mandarin Red/Red, White leather; White vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $75,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $82,500. – 322/188hp, Dynaflow, Kelsey Hayes wire wheels, whitewalls, factory radio, dash clock, heater, power windows. – Not represented as a matching numbers car. The older paint is holding up very well, but there are some scratches in the bumpers. Erratic door fit. Paint chipping off the top frame. Very clean and restored underneath. Lightly but visibly wrinkled seats and the instrument panel is covered in shelf paper. Fully restored to high standards, but that was a long time ago and it’s starting to show its age. – This car sold for $143,000 at Worldwide Hilton Head in 2006, but its restoration was a lot fresher then and people were paying more for Skylarks than they are now. These days, cars from this era that are anything less than fresh struggle to bring big prices, and leaving off a reserve this one did little to entice more bidding. It’s a tired old thing with a peculiar shortcut on the dashboard trim, a shortcut that begs the question, “What else that we can’t see did they overlook.” This is all the money for a seriously deficient Skylark.

Lot # F67.1 1967 Cadillac Eldorado 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N H7270864; Dark Blue/Dark Blue; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $14,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $15,950. – Wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, all the bells and whistles. – Rough older cheap respray with numerous chips and scratches. Scratched up original bumpers. Touch ups around the panel edges. Scratched glass and aged original interior. Unrestored but tidy underneath with newer exhaust. A tired old Eldorado that could really benefit from a round of cosmetic work. – At this price there’s no room to give it much more than an oil change. It is what it is, and it’s not a great buy.

Lot # F214 1954 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible; S/N 546226288; Alpine White/Red, White leather; Black vinyl top; Estimate $120,000 – $140,000; Concours restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $105,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $115,500. – 331/220hp, automatic, power windows, locks and bench seat, chrome wire wheels, wide whitewalls, skirts, parade boot, WonderBar radio. – The hood fit is slightly skewed to the left and there is a chip at the right rear hood corner, some overspray on the door seal and a quarter inch divot on the right front fender. The interior is good, as is the chrome. The underbody is like new. – A condition explanation: This is a concours restored Eldo, but it is more than a little bit old and bruised. It doesn’t rate a “1” category (better than new) condition any more and it’s hardly deteriorated, just neglected. The Indy bidders fairly and reasonably handicapped its inherent quality and its issues with this result.

Lot # S233 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible; S/N 59E039744; Olympic White/Red leather; White vinyl top; Estimate $175,000 – $200,000; Unrestored original, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $200,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $220,000. – 390/345hp, wheel covers, whitewalls, fender skirts, Autronic Eye, pushbutton radio, power everything. – Represented as a two-owner matching numbers car. Tired but presentable original chrome. Light pitting around the taillights. Sound original paint with some rub through on the hood, a handful of small dents on the body sides and a few small scratches throughout. Original but tidy and maintained underneath. Very good original interior with clear plastic covers on the front seats. A remarkably well preserved car that’s arguably too good to restore. – Sold at Mecum Monterey in 2009 for $92,750, this is a home run for a very good but still aged Eldo Biarritz Convertible, even as original as it is. The result here has a material preservation/originality premium over the sub-$200,000 price a similar but partially or cosmetically restored example might have brought. This is a realistic price for an unusually good unrestored ’59 Eldo Biarritz.

Lot # S186 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe Deville; S/N 496284383; Blue, Light Blue roof/Grey, Blue leather; Estimate $35,000 – $45,000; Older restoration, 1- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $47,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $52,250. – 331/160hp, automatic, wide whitewalls, sombrero wheel covers, pushbutton radio, turn signals, skirts. – Sharp, older show quality restoration. Nearly as good as it gets both in style and quality. The window sill trim is lightly scuffed; right taillight chrome is shadowed but that’s being pointlessly picky. This is a gorgeous Cadillac in very attractive colors. Academy of Art University collection. – Sold by RM in Arizona in 2007 for $71,500, a result that was generous at the time by about as much as this result is favorable to the new owner. A significant car with Cadillac’s first postwar overhead valve V-8 under the hood and a good value.

Lot # S259 1951 Chevrolet Convertible; S/N 5AS51711; Engine # …CK; Burgundy, Silver scallops/Silver leatherette, Burgundy cloth; Silver leatherette top; Customized restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $15,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $16,500. – Chevy 350 V8, automatic, Rochester 4-barrel, Weiand intake, stock exhaust manifolds, dual exhaust, power steering, dummy spotlights, landau style half-roof, triple outlet lakes pipes, $3 in Kennedy half dollars and $1.75 in quarters glued to the console, skirts, continental kit, bullet taillights, Kenwood CD stereo. – Sound old paint, chrome and interior. The radiator looks new but the engine is aged with fuel stains all over the carburetor. It’s a gorgeous cruiser that deserves more attention under the hood. – Called “The Gambler” and carrying an emergency supply of cash on the console if luck runs low at the tables, this is an old-school style custom bedecked with too many details, but is still a head-turner, especially at this modest price.

Lot # T180 1957 Chevrolet 3100 Cameo Pickup; S/N V3A57L102866; Light Blue, Ivory/White vinyl; Estimate $60,000 – $70,000; Truck restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $43,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $47,300. – Later 283 engine with 4-barrel and Corvette valve covers, floor shift 4-speed, wheel covers, whitewalls, original radio. – Lightly pitted trim. Some light orange peel on the paint. Scratches inside the bed and on the top of the tailgate. Missing paint under the windshield. Tidy, lightly run engine bay and underbody. An attractive but driver quality Cameo. – The later 283 V-8 doesn’t much impact the value of this decent but not impressive Cameo as much as it would if it were over-the-top restored better than new. It looks its cameo part and that’s 90% of its value.

Lot # F212 1941 Chevrolet AK 1/2 Ton Pickup; S/N 3AK0312699; Brown/Brown vinyl; Estimate $30,000 – $40,000; Truck restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000. – 216/90hp six, 3-speed, hubcaps, whitewalls, dual mirrors, amber fog lights, floor shift. – Repainted over cracked old paint. The chrome is polished but shows scratches. The dash was repainted over old paint. New wood bed floor and new glass. Very clean fully restored engine bay. Body-off restored, but corners were cut. – Sold at Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas in 2013 for the exact same amount, a price that was as reasonable then as it is here for an attractive and usable truck.

Lot # T215 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC57L180241; Engine # F613FC; Canyon Coral/Yellow, Copper vinyl; Tan vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $67,000. – 283/220hp, Powerglide, power steering and brakes, pushbutton radio, heater, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, continental kit. – Partially repainted and clearcoated with prep scars visible and some shrinkage, especially on the cowl. Edge chips and one quarter inch divot on top of the left front fender. The gold tone on the hood V has been partially buffed off, but at least it’s not a repop. The mostly original engine compartment has been detailed with a pressure washer. The yellow bordered upholstery is garish and almost certainly faded to this ugly shade. The underbody is clean, dry and unrestored. It’s an odd mix but an intriguing one. – The interior of this ’57 Bel Air is an awful, non-standard, color and needs to go away instantly. Under the circumstances the reported high bid here is enough for a car that needs some serious attention. The seller was deluded to think that claiming the 23,351 miles on the odometer are “believed to be … original” makes it worth more that this much.

Lot # S163 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC57S222208; Tropical Turquoise/White vinyl, Turquoise cloth; White vinyl top; Estimate $145,000 – $165,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $130,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $143,000. – 283/250hp Fuelie, Powerglide, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, Positraction, power seat, power windows, power steering, power brakes, compass, WonderBar radio. – Four year old body-off restoration with seemingly every single piece redone or replaced. Perfect tight-fitting new top. Gorgeous correct engine bay. Redone to better than new and never even driven. Not ready to turn the key and go, though, because there aren’t even any fluids in it yet. – While there isn’t much going on in the Tri-Five market at the moment, the best of the best still command plenty of attention and dollars, and this car is about as good and about as fresh as it gets. A huge price, but appropriate.

Lot # F246 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC57J184893; Onyx Black/Gray, Silver vinyl; White top; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $65,000. – 283/220hp, Powerglide, Positraction, power steering, heat and defrost, dual antenna, factory radio and clock, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls. Fender skirts included but not fitted. – The paint is good other than very light surface scratches on the hood, deck lid and cowl sections. Decent brightwork. Very good upholstery and newer top. The whitewalls are starting to yellow, but the wheels still look very good. Very clean engine bay and underbody. Restored to high enough standards and lightly enjoyed since. – Sold in 2017 at the Branson Fall auction for $37,950. The reported high bid may have been on the light side for a car as solid as this, but it was worth considering and if the fees from additional auction trips start to stack up, this will look like a missed opportunity.

Lot # S52 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC57B193030; Red/Red, Silver vinyl; White vinyl top; Older restoration, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $78,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $85,800. – 283/245hp, automatic, power steering, power brakes, power top, power seat, remote spotlight/mirror, skirts, tissue dispenser, pushbutton radio, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls. – Paint cracks on the front fenders and hood. Dirty older restored engine bay with leaking fuel from the carb. Dirty, stained convertible top with scratches in the rear window. Wavy bodywork. Clean interior and polished trim. An ancient restoration with not much going for it. – Sold here last year for $71,500 and turned over here for a pretty profit but one that does not imply that there has been a sudden change of course in ’57 Bel Air convertible values, just a bit of time and place variation.

Lot # S58 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC57T218348; Tropical Turquoise/Turquoise, Ivory vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $85,000 – $95,000; Modified restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000. – Later 327 small-bock, column shift 3-speed, fender skirts, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, dual antenna, later cassette stereo, Continental kit, power front disc brakes, heat and defrost. – Some small scuffs on the top. Good older chrome with some light scratching. Dirt visible on the white parts of the vinyl seats. Tidy, lightly run engine bay. An older body-off restoration with tasteful upgrades for drivability, and it’s still mostly attractive and usable. – The originality of this Bel Air has been compromised but that seems to have enhanced its value in the eyes of the Indy bidders. While it’s not exactly a Resto-Mod it is an enhanced and more enjoyable driver that brought a notable premium for better performance and safer stopping power. It’s worth wondering why it doesn’t have a 4-speed or at least a Hurst floor shifter. Either would have made it even better.

Lot # S60 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC56F198140; Sierra Gold, Adobe Beige/Beige vinyl, Copper cloth; Beige top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Older restoration, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $112,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $123,750. – 265/205hp, automatic, wheel covers, whitewalls, power steering, power brakes, power top, tinted glass, factory AM radio. – Other than an uneven door gap on the passenger’s side, this is a gorgeous top-to-bottom restored car with just 400 test miles. – This car sold for $132,000 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2012. It doesn’t present any less fresh today than it would have then, but Tri-Five prices aren’t particularly strong right now and the result here is still a deservedly strong result for this one.

Lot # S66 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC57F231978; Snowcrest White/Red, Silver vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $70,000 – $85,000; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $70,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $77,000. – 283/220hp with Power Pack, fender skirts, power brakes, power top, Continental kit, dual antenna, dual mirrors, tinted glass, later cassette stereo, heater, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls. – Weak hood hinges. Tidy but aged engine bay with paint chipping off in various places. Thick old repaint with chips on the hood and around the edges of it. Older restored interior with chips on several of the painted surfaces. Lightly scratched replacement chrome, polished original brightwork and lightly worn replacement top. A driver. – Sold for $78,300 at Spring Branson 2009. Sold by Mecum out of the Salmon Brothers Collection in 2012 at a $72,500 high bid. It was lucky to get close to those results this time around. Three sales in ten years within a range of $2,750 (3.4%) it too close to call anything but consistent.

Lot # S94 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N F58S221702; Snowcrest White/Red, Black, Silver vinyl; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500. – 348, Tri-Power, Powerglide, power steering, pushbutton radio, skirts. dual rear antennas, continental kit, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls. – Passenger’s side window and door sill is over 1/2 inch misaligned, driver’s side is better but not by a lot. The engine is badged 315hp but there’s not even a hint of an engine number. Very good paint and interior. Good gauges, dashboard and steering wheel but the dashtop paint is fisheyed and has dirt inclusions. The chrome is good but with scratches on the molding behind the back seats. The engine compartment is very good. A decent driver but not the “comprehensive nut and bolt restoration” claimed. – A Mecum regular, first sold at Dallas in 2012 for $42,400, no-saled at Houston and at Austin in 2014 for $45,000 both times, then reported sold at Kissimmee in 2015 for $50,760. It scored a home run here with a price that is generous for its condition and equipment.

Lot # F222 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala Convertible; S/N F58S239873; Black/Black, Silver, Blue vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $100,000 – $120,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $81,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $89,100. – 348/280hp, Tri-Power, automatic, power steering and brakes, power windows, aftermarket air conditioning, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, dual rear antennas, continental kit, WonderBar radio, dual circuit brakes, alternator. – No engine number. Excellent paint, interior and chrome. Restored like new a while ago and shows some age but little use. The engine compartment is very good with some surface rust and fluid residue on the manifolds. – Impressively equipped but with no representation of the drivetrain’s original configuration, this Impala brought a reasonable price and will be a delightful summer driver.

Lot # F314 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad 2-Dr. Station Wagon; S/N VC56T3132; Blue, White/Blue vinyl, cloth; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $40,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,550. – 265/162hp, 2-barrel. Powerglide, WonderBar radio, wheel covers, wide whitewalls. – Partially repainted then clearcoated all over. Delaminating ventipanes, dirty engine compartment, cobwebs in the wheelwells, some new chrome. Uneven door gaps. Filled door bottom and rear fender. A sadly neglected car that needs a good home. – At this reasonable price the new owner can afford to give this Nomad the attention it deserves as long as the temptation to do more “while we’re at it” can be kept in check.

Lot # W74 1966 Chevrolet C10 1/2 Ton Pickup; S/N C1546S219124; Seafoam Green, White roof/Turquoise, White vinyl; Truck restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $35,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $38,500. – 283/175hp, column shift 3-speed, wood bed with spray-in bedliner around it. – Represented as matching numbers engine and gearbox. Good paint, chrome and interior. Older bedliner and wood. A few waves in the bodywork. Clean restored engine bay. Older undercoating and painted over rust in the fenders. Shown on the local level, but really just a truck quality restored driver. – Whether it was the nice colors on this truck or the cocktails in the bidder area, someone paid best-in-the-world money for a driver-quality ’66 C10. Very expensive.

Lot # S63 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Indy Pace Car RS/SS Convertible; S/N 124677L152418; White, Blue pace car graphics/Blue vinyl; White top; Estimate $80,000 – $95,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $53,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $58,300. – 396/325hp L35, automatic, Rally wheels, red line tires, power disc brakes, tinted glass, Protect-O-Plate – Clean engine bay, fully restored with light signs of use. Chrome trim polished but not restored, and there is light scratching on the bumpers. Lightly worn top. Good older paint. Restored at some point and inherently collectible, but starting to show its age here and there. – Not sold at an $82,000 high bid here 10 years ago. That was then, this is now and the result here is appropriate to the equipment and condition.

Lot # S67 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS Convertible; S/N 124679L510165; Verdoro Green, White/Black vinyl with houndstooth cloth inserts; Black vinyl top; Estimate $60,000 – $75,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $63,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $69,300. – 350/300hp, automatic, factory air conditioning, Rally wheels, Polyglas tires, power steering, horseshoe shifter, factory radio, Protect-O-Plate documented. – Represented as the only known 1969 Camaro convertible in Verdoro Green, which is a Pontiac color. Very good older paint and chrome, but the front markers are pitted and the windshield frame is scratched. Excellent tight fitting top with a repainted frame. Worn shifter and switchgear, and the wood appliqué around the shifter is coming loose. Otherwise good restored interior. Very clean underneath. Cool special order paint and a high quality if not quite concours quality restoration, although the base 350 and automatic under the hood aren’t the most exciting. – The RS package counts for a lot on SS Camaros, and the unique color clearly excited the bidders and pushed the price even further. The seller couldn’t have realistically hoped for much more than this result, and should be very happy.

Lot # T175.1 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 124379N679273; Lemans Blue, White stripes/Black vinyl; Estimate $70,000 – $90,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $67,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $73,700. – 302/290hp, 4-speed, cowl induction hood, Rally wheels, Polyglas GT tires, 4.10 Positraction, tilt steering column, rosewood steering wheel. – Very good paint and interior other than light orange peel on the A-pillars. Small track scratches in the side glass and light scratches on the window frames. New chrome bumpers. Imperfect gaps on the passenger’s door and chips on the edges. Uneven gaps on the hood as well. Restored, but at this point little more than a good driver. – Another example of where an attractive color complements an attractive combination of options to egg the bidders on just a little bit further than where they might have stopped if it didn’t visually make such a good statement. This is a strong but not exuberant price that both the buyer and the seller should be pleased with.

Lot # S56 1973 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Sport Coupe; S/N 1Q87T3N119596; White, Black vinyl roof, Black stripes/Black vinyl; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $49,500. – 350/245hp, 4-speed, Rally wheels, Wide Oval tires, spoilers, pushbutton radio, console, power steering, power brakes. – Spotless fresh engine bay. Unfortunate, tiny crack near the top of the nose but otherwise fantastic new paint. Very good interior. A `73 Camaro, even a Z/28, hardly ever gets such royal treatment in a restoration. It’s a fresh and gorgeous car even if it doesn’t have the performance of an earlier second gen Z. – Sold for the exact same $49,500 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale seven years ago. It was lucky to get such a strong number in 2012, and even luckier to get it now that its restoration is a bit less fresh.

Lot # S96 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 136370A146174; Engine # T215TRH C11146316; Tuxedo Black, White stripes, Black vinyl roof/Black vinyl; Modified restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $44,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $48,400. – 454/450hp LS6 badged, 4-speed, Hurst shifter, power steering and brakes, air conditioning, SS II wheels with trim rings, Polyglas tires, buckets and console, sport steering wheel, AM-FM. – There’s no representation of this Chevelle’s original configuration and for a car showing 0 miles the bottom of the engine compartment and chassis are oily and road grimy. The cowl induction hood isn’t sealed or operational and the windshield washer hoses aren’t connected, which makes sense since there is no reservoir or pump. A sketchy car best avoided. – This engine number appears to be from a ’73 C-10 pickup 454/240hp 4-barrel engine. Considering the many shortcomings on top of the swapped engine the seller should be extremely happy with this result; the buyer paid an expensive price appropriate to a matching numbers, or at least “date-coded”, 454/360hp LS5.

Lot # S106 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS 396 Convertible; S/N 136679B346284; Monaco Orange/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $70,000 – $85,000; Recent restoration, 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $62,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $68,200. – 396/325hp L35, automatic, power steering, factory air conditioning, bucket seats, horseshoe shifter, factory radio. – Represented as matching numbers. The engine bay is freshly finished but not overly detailed. A small piece of the grille is broken but the paint, chrome and top are all very good. Straight body with even gaps. Very good restored interior. Finished recently and done to high but not over-the-top standards. – This car has made several auction appearances, but this was its first trip across the block in quite some time and since its most recent restoration. It sold for $83,600 at Russo and Steele Scottsdale 2006, for $93,500 at Russo and Steele Monterey seven months later, for $84,700 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2007, then hammered not sold at a $65,000 high bid at Kruse Denver in 2007 and finally sold for $66,550 at Russo and Steele Scottsdale 2008. A lot has happened in the collector car market and the wider world since then, of course, but this is a similarly high but appropriate result on this car’s resume.

Lot # F312 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 138177B178748; Engine # T418ET 7178748; Bolero Red, Black vinyl roof/Black vinyl; Recent restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $34,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $37,950. – 396/325hp, automatic, power brakes, Rally wheels with trim rings, Radial T/A tires, buckets and console, speed minder, AM-FM. – Represented as the matching numbers engine. Indifferent quality repaint, pitted trim chrome, sound interior, dusty instrument panel. Orderly engine compartment showing age and some storage dust particularly down deep where it’s hard to see or reach. Some of the wet sanding is still dull. The driver’s door doesn’t fit flush and the gaps are wildly different. A driver quality restoration. – Some of the flaws on this apparently matching numbers SS 396 are easy to address even if replacing some of the chrome bits can get pricey but the uneven door gaps are symptomatic of serious inattention to detail that will be expensive to remedy. The Indy bidders took notice and paid an appropriately modest price.

Lot # F69 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 138378K143060; Matador Red, Black vinyl roof, White side stripe/Black vinyl; Soft Black top; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $61,000. – 396/350hp, M20 4-speed, bucket seats, 3.07 Positraction, hub caps, red line tires, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, tachometer, Hurst shifter. – Very good paint. The interior presents like new. The wheels and tires are in great condition, as is the roof vinyl. Very well optioned and very well restored. A gorgeous car. – No matter how gorgeous it is, though, refusing the reported high bid if there was money close to it is a tough one to comprehend. It could have easily gone to a new home at this price.

Lot # F191 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Convertible; S/N 136670B216680; White, Black stripes/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $95,000 – $115,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $73,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $80,300. – 454/360hp LS5, automatic, buckets and console, power steering and front disc brakes, air conditioning, SS wheels with trim rings, Radial T/A tires, cowl induction, Retrosound AM-FM-cassette. – Very good engine compartment with some leakage on the intake manifold, rust spots on the exhaust manifolds and storage dust. Not represented as the original engine. Very good paint, flat panels and even gaps. The interior is like new and the top fits tightly. The rear deck body seam has been filled. Chrome is uniformly bright and shiny. – Without confidence in the engine’s origin, or even if this was originally 454-powered, the bidders hedged their bidding appropriately and arrived at this result which is fair to both the buyer and the seller.

Lot # S200 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Convertible; S/N 136670B161703; Engine # 0B161703 T308CRV; Medium Turquoise Metallic/White vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $250,000 – $300,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $225,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $247,500. – LS6 454/450hp, 4-speed, Hurst shifter, Magnum 500 wheels, Radial T/A tires, stripe and cowl induction delete, P/B, pushbutton radio, bucket seats, factory gauges. – This turquoise convertible was restored in 1991 and its authenticity is confirmed by a copy of the broadcast sheet. Excellent paint and panel fit. Good tight top. Very nice grille. Clean engine compartment is like new except for a little leakage and dirty at the front of the oil pan. Glass and seals are good. Excellent paint aside from a nasty chip at the front of the right front fender. – Sold by RM from the Milt Robson collection in 2010 for $214,500, then by RM in Arizona in 2015 for $225,500 and here a year ago for $264,000. It was a no sale at Mecum Monterey in 2018 on a reported bid of $260,000 and at Kissimmee four months ago on a bid of $250,000. Over the years its condition has changed very little and the odometer has added only 271 miles since 2010 but it’s not getting any better and no one apparently is having any fun driving it except for the transporters. Its result here is consistent with prior results. The problem facing the new owner is that further use and condition deterioration will incur a serious value penalty.

Lot # T50 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 107375W226660; Blue/Black vinyl; Estimate $25,000 – $35,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $16,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $17,600. – 164/140hp, 4-speed, CD stereo, wire wheel covers, narrow whitewalls. – Finely textured clearcoat paint needs careful wet sanding. Good interior and major chrome but pitted trim. Original underbody with paint shop blowby and wet sanding slurry. Orderly aged engine compartment. A respectable but largely ignored car that will be a driver after someone gives it some attention. – Corvairs are experiencing something of a revival, particularly second-generation examples like this with performance drivetrains. They are incredibly fun to drive, but this one needs some love and is generously priced in this transaction.

Lot # T51 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 105375W107855; Evening Orchid/Black vinyl, Orchid cloth; Estimate $15,000 – $25,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $9,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $10,450. – 164/110hp, automatic, wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, pushbutton radio. – Cursory clearcoat repaint in the original color. Cracked steering wheel rim. Freshly detailed engine compartment would make a better impression if the sound matting wasn’t falling off and there was a spare tire where it belongs. Dirt around the windshield and window margins. Old undercoat in the wheel wells. – Sold by Mecum in Los Angeles last February for $12,705. The best thing about this Monza is the Evening Orchid paint, and even that paint job isn’t very good. The seller should be rejoicing in getting this much for a superficially presented neglected Corvair.

Lot # F171 1966 Chevrolet Corvair Yenko Stinger 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 107376W130968; White, Blue/Black cloth; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Competition restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $90,000. – Race prepared, fire system 5-spoke alloy wheels, Toyo tires, Yenko YS-043. – Good paint (for a race car.) Well-prepared, but also raced as evidenced by a rollbar papered in historic racing tech stickers. Raced when new by Jim Schardt, later owned by actor Tim Allen. Represented as freshly rebuilt engine and transmission. – There were a couple Corvair experts looking enviously at this Stinger and singing the praises of its in-period SCCA racing history. It no-saled at Rick Cole’s Monterey auction in 1992 on a reported bid of $21,000 and was freshly restored. Hopes were high after Mecum achieved the astounding sum of $220,000 for another Stinger at Kissimmee four months ago and having been reportedly bid to the middle of its pre-sale estimate range it is difficult to see how this one didn’t sell.

Lot # F60.1 1960 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N 00867S105320; Engine # 105320F316CQ; Roman Red, Beige coves, Roman Red hardtop/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $57,000. – 283/230hp, 4-barrel, 4-speed, Positraction, WonderBar radio, spinner wheel covers, narrow whitewall Goodyear Arriva tires, two tops. – Decent repaint except along the hardtop rain gutters where it is lifting and peeling. The engine compartment has never been restored and is dirty and old except for some superficial attention. Scratched, dirty wheel covers. Right fender crossed flag emblem is missing. An ordinary Corvette that needs work to rise to the standard of being a decent driver. – Trending down. Sold for $81,400 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2009 then $66,000 at Mecum Kissimmee four months ago. The Mecum Indy bidders didn’t like it very much, and they were right.

Lot # F190 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N 20867S100499; Engine # CE2N63105; Red, Red hardtop/Black vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $60,000 – $70,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $52,000. – 327/300hp, 4-speed, Hurst shifter, WonderBar radio, two tops, spinner wheel covers, narrow whitewalls. – Fair paint with some nicks and top mounting scuffs on the boot lid. The engine has been done and has big fuel stains on the intake manifold but was put back in a superficially repainted unrestored engine compartment. The underbody is old and dirty. A presentable driver quality Corvette. – This was a realistic offer for a mediocre ’62 Corvette with no representation that the engine in it is the one it left St. Louis with (and a seriously funky engine number.) It could have been sold.

Lot # F192 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N 194677S122516; Rally Red, Rally Red hardtop/Black vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $54,000. – 327/300hp, 4-speed, finned bolt-on alloy wheels, Michelin red line tires, modern vintage-look radio, woodgrain steering wheel, power brakes, power steering, two tops. – The paint is in excellent condition minus the area around the headlights that shows some wear from the headlight movement. Chrome work is mostly refinished with exception of the tail light bezels and the name badging is pitted. The engine compartment is old and has paint loss and surface rust. A mediocre cosmetically restored driver. – This Corvette was at Kissimmee four months ago and bid to $60,000. The consignor must rue the day in Kissimmee when that offer (or the next preceding bid) was turned down but in the absence of a representation that it’s powered by its original engine/gearbox combination both offers are realistic and continuing to shop it around is not improving its chances of finding a lightning strike combination of venue and bidders that will make it worth much if any more than this conservative but realistic bid.

Lot # F257 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N 10867S106890; Black, Silver coves/Red vinyl; Black vinyl top; Cosmetic restoration, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $41,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $45,650. – 283/230hp, 4-speed, Hurst shifter, WonderBar radio, spinner wheel covers, blackwall tires. – Quick, thin old lacquer repaint with visible repairs on the left front fender, nose and hood. Dirty engine compartment, sound upholstery. Dusty underbody, decent chrome. Dirty seatbelts. A well-used driver. It’s a power top car but the hardware is not installed and included in the trunk. NCRS Top Flight in 1985. – Much time has passed since this Corvette was Top Flight, and it shows. The heavy, complicated power top mechanism adds value, but not enough to make up for the tribulations of making it work (which is probably why it’s not installed.) At this point it adds no value (and might even be worth more as parts for a more desirable Corvette that has lost the power top documented on its tank sticker) and this is a reasonable price.

Lot # T181 1958 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N J58S104184; Engine # F10928CS; Snowcrest White/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $81,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $89,100. – 283/290hp fuel injection, 4-speed, WonderBar radio, spinner wheel covers, whitewall bias ply tires. – Oddly stamped engine number that is represented as “date code correct ” along with the 4-speed, not “original.” Good paint, chrome and interior. Aged engine compartment and chassis. An attractive driver quality Fuelie. – But a Fuelie with no documentation and that’s not a very good bet. But the Mecum Indy bidders are, for the most part, informed and their decision to pay this much for it indicates they bought it based on a correct configuration and good if not exceptional presentation.

Lot # T205.1 1956 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N E56S3004; White, Blue stripes/Red vinyl; No top; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Competition restoration, 2- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $60,000. – Halibrand centerlock alloy wheels, 7.75-15 Goodyear tires, 4-speed, 265 with dual quads, T-3 headlights and auxiliary lights, fender marker lights, Plexiglas driver’s windscreen, full interior, no speedometer but a big 270 degree SW tach. – Good paint, chrome and interior. The underbody is clean and like new. Replica of the Hansgen/Fitch Sebring class-winning SR1 Corvette, and a good one, too, although some shortcuts are troubling. – Sold at Gooding’s Scottsdale auction in 2016 for $96,250 and offered at Kissimmee four months ago where it was reported bid to $65,000. It’s a replica and despite being 1/3 underwater from its 2016 result this is a reasonable and appropriate bid for it, an opportunity for someone to have a thoroughly enjoyable vintage race car when the consignor recovers his or her senses.

Lot # S227 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N E57S102783; Venetian Red/Red vinyl; Estimate $60,000 – $80,000; Unrestored original, 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $49,500. – 283/245hp dual quads, 3-speed, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, hardtop, WonderBar radio, hardtop only. – All original but reasonably tidy engine bay. The original paint is crazed and cracked all over, but no significant portions are flaking off. Paint flaking off the wheels but the wheel covers are mostly clean and straight. Pitted window frames but presentable bumper chrome. Cloudy and scratched rear glass. Small rip in the driver’s seat but otherwise quite well preserved interior. All original and complete even if it isn’t a time capsule, although there is no documentation or history represented. – Now, there’s the dilemma of whether to restore it or keep it as-is, and there’s not really a correct answer. At this price, though, there was absolutely no premium paid for preservation (the lack of paperwork certainly didn’t help) and the new owner has cash left over for serious restoration work. While there’s no representation offered of the correct engine/transmission combination retention of the 3-speed suggests some careful attention to preservation. It is a sound value at this price.

Lot # S170 1958 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N J58S104110; Engine # FI30CS; Panama Yellow, White coves/Charcoal; Estimate $120,000 – $135,000; Recent restoration, 2 condition; With Reserve; No Result or VIN, Probably no-show $150,000. – 283/283hp Fuelie, 4-speed, hub caps, Firestone blackwalls, two tops, radio and heater delete, interior courtesy light. – Represented as matching numbers. NCRS Top Flight. Showing 4 presumably test miles. Gorgeous fresh and spotless engine bay. Two very small cracks below the passenger’s window, but otherwise excellent paint and chrome. The shifter ball is slightly discolored, but the interior is otherwise gorgeous and fully restored. Fresh, attractive and nearly perfect. – Reported on Hammerprice and on Mecum’s video feed as sold for $165,000, a generous price even for this seriously good Fuelie Vette, this transaction has disappeared from Mecum’s post-sale auction results and its website leading to an inference the buyer reneged.

Lot # S64 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N E57S100614; Onyx Black, Silver coves/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $62,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $68,200. – 283/270hp dual quads, 4-speed, 3.70 Positraction, heater, WonderBar radio. – Paint run on the front fender, a few scratches in the coves and wavy paint in general. Good bumper chrome. Good newer top and seats. Tidy but used engine bay with surface rust on the intake. Left the factory as a 3-speed car (original transmission included). Represented as a three-time Top Flight winner, but those days are long behind it. That said, it’s still a presentable driver. – Not a steal, but a fairly modest result for a decent dual quad car.

Lot # T129 1990 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N 1G1YY3387L5110574; Turquoise Metallic, Pink graphics/Black; Black top; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $22,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $24,200. – 350/245hp, automatic, power everything, luggage rack. – Represented as an official Indy 500 Festival Car (not to be confused with a Pace Car) with 2,995 miles. Other than light wrinkling to the seats and light age to the paint, it looks like a new car. – About twice what a run-of-the-mill 1990 convertible in this condition would expect to bring, and a car like this with an Indy 500 connection is unlikely to sell for more in any other town. It was a good move on the seller’s part to bring it here and it paid off.

Lot # F95.1 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe; S/N 194377S109446; Engine # T1011JF 7109446; Sunfire Yellow, Black stinger/Black vinyl; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $92,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $101,200. – 427/400hp Tri-Power L68, M21 4-speed, red line tires, Rally wheels, 3.08 Positraction, original tank sticker documented. – Clean and correct engine bay with correct factory overspray but some light rusting on unprotected surfaces and fuel residue on the intake manifold. Very good paint and chrome. Light wrinkling to the seats. Small crack above the driver’s door and some blisters above the windshield. Two-time NCRS Top Flight after a body-off restoration in 2014, now aging – This Corvette beat the odds in this transaction. It was sold in December 2016 at Mecum’s Kansas City auction for $143,000 and has gone on to a steadily declining auction history since then, all at Mecum sales. No sale at Kissimmee 2017 at $120,000, no sale at Indy 2017 at $130,000, no sale at Louisville September 2017 at $125,000, then sold at Kissimmee in 2018 for $110,000 and back on the treadmill at Houston 2018 no sale at $120,000, no sale at Indy last year at $110,000, no sale at Harrisburg at $105,000, no sale at Chicago in October at $90,000, no sale at Kissimmee this year at $82,000 (!) and even more disappointing at Houston a month ago at $75,000. There is no upside in trolling auction blocks after paying too much, and even $100,000 hammer, $110,000 all-in was too much at Kissimmee last year. The consignor’s patience wore out here and this good L68 Corvette went away after spending far too much money on entry fees and transport costs. Flipping a car at auction, even a good Corvette in attractive colors, in 2018-19 is a losing proposition.

Lot # S57 1972 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe; S/N 1Z37K2S519916; Ontario Orange/Black vinyl; Estimate $30,000 – $35,000; Enthusiast restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $27,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $30,250. – 350/200hp, 4-speed, Rally wheels, Radial T/A tires, power steering, power brakes, tinted glass, factory radio. – Recent paint but there’s some dirt in it and a paint burn on the passenger’s side window. Chrome scratch and pits. Paint peeling under the hood. Surface rust in parts of the engine bay. Scratches in the door jambs. A superficial restoration resulting in a presentable driver. – This price should buy a more thoroughly redone ’72 coupe. The buyer here did not get a lot of Corvette for the money even though it sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2007 for $32,450.

Lot # T62 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe; S/N 1Z37Z3S430400; Classic White/Tan leather; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $15,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $16,500. – 454/275hp, automatic, factory air conditioning, power windows, tilt and telescopic steering column. – Represented with 78,120 actual miles and a single repaint. Polished wheels with scratches. Track scratches in the side glass and dry weather stripping. Light scratches on the rear bumper. Chips on the door edges. Worn center console but otherwise good interior. Tidy, maintained original engine bay. A well-kept cruiser. – And cruising is what this car should do best, given its combination of options and used but tidy condition. This is a fair but somewhat modest price for it.

Lot # U39 1993 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe; S/N 1G1YY23P8P5112700; Bright Aqua/Black leather; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $12,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $13,200. – 350/300hp, 6-speed, chromed sawblade wheels, Goodyear tires. – Represented with 19,673 believable miles. The paint looks great other than one large touch up on the front bumper. The front air dam has found a few curbs, but that happens to pretty much all C4s. The interior looks nearly new, with only very light wear on the driver’s seat. Very clean engine bay and underbody. A solid, lightly used car that has been driven, but carefully and sparingly. – C4 prices are very reasonable at the moment, especially for the much better later cars and even the relatively rare 6-speeds. This seems like a ton of car for the money and it is, but it’s also the current going rate.

Lot # U66 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster; S/N E54S3349; Sportsman Red/Red vinyl; Beige top; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $60,000. – 235/150hp, Powerglide, WonderBar radio, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls. – Very clean but not overly detailed engine bay. Several small cracks right in front of the hood. Otherwise good but older paint and chrome, but some of the window trim is a little dull. Good, lightly worn interior. Fully restored in 2008, but probably wasn’t a show quality redo to begin with and it’s starting to show its age. – Sold for $71,500 at Mecum Houston only a couple of months ago, which was a fairly strong price that was nevertheless more realistic than this. It may be an older restoration, but it deserves more.

Lot # S167 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Convertible; S/N 194677S118843; Engine # 7118843; Marina Blue, Black vinyl hardtop, Black stinger/Blue vinyl; Estimate $200,000 – $250,000; Unrestored original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $150,000. – 427/435hp L71, M21 4-speed, 4.11 Positraction, F41 suspension, off road exhaust, two tops, Uniroyal Laredo narrow whitewalls, Rally wheels, power windows, speed warning, tinted glass, tank sticker documented. – Represented as a three-owner all-original car with 15,080 actual miles and matching numbers engine. Used and old but maintained, recently cleaned engine bay. Tired original paint but there are no major flaws other than a handful of cracks and some scratches behind the antenna. Remarkable original chrome. Very good hardtop. Excellent original interior. Original tank sticker and supposedly five original tires. Way too good to restore and an ideal preservation class Corvette. Received NCRS Top Flight in 2015. The equipment is desirable, and its originality is remarkable. – It may be all-original, but this isn’t a recently unearthed barn find. It’s an auction veteran, and this was its tenth trip across the block. Back in 1991, Mecum offered it at Rockford with about 14,000 miles on the clock and it no-saled at 70 grand. At Mecum Dallas in 2014 it sold for a very strong but reasonable $226,800, then it was reported sold at Kissimmee in 2016 for $214,500 followed by no-sales at Monterey 2016 ($170,000), Dallas 2016 ($190,000), Kissimmee 2017 ($190,000). At Indianapolis in 2017 it sold for$220,000, then went back on the road to Kissimmee 2018 ($200,000), Indianapolis 2018 ($150,000) and Leake Tulsa 2018 ($135,000). This is a remarkable car, but it’s also stale from so many appearances. The marketplace has left it behind, while the consignor continues searching for a gullible bidder who so far has eluded being identified.

Lot # S254 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Convertible; S/N 194677S115681; Marlboro Maroon, Black stinger/Black vinyl; Black cloth top; Estimate $150,000 – $180,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $110,000. – 427/435hp L71, M21 4-speed, power brakes, 3.70 Positraction, Rally wheels, red line tires, AM/FM radio, side mounted exhaust, transistorized ignition, tinted windshield, tank sticker, power steering and disc brakes, telescoping steering column, tank sticker documented and known owner history. – Delivered new in Portland, Oregon and recently restored. The paint is very good, as are the interior and new replacement top. Clean, fresh wheels and tires. The engine bay and underbody are pristine. Even the clock works. Matching numbers hinted at but not explicitly represented. A gorgeous, fresh restoration done professionally to the standards a car like this deserves. – Sold for $176,000 at Mecum’s 2016 Portland sale and it deserved more than the reported high bid here unless the consignor’s reticence in claiming an original drivetrain put the bidders off, a likely inference.

Lot # T202 1968 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Coupe; S/N 194378S412954; Engine # T226IR 8S412954; Blue/Blue vinyl; Estimate $100,000 – $130,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $70,000. – 427/435hp, M21 4-speed, 5-spoke alloy wheels with Nicky hubcaps, G70-15 red line tires, chrome side exhaust, AM-FM radio, Hooker headers, T-tops. – NCRS verified and documented in the Nickey registry. Very good clearcoat paint, interior and chrome. Sharp gauges. The engine is good but showing age. The underbody has been repainted over old undercoat. The Nickey chrome callout on the hood doesn’t have the reversed “k”. – Sold here in 2011 for $60,420, then no-saled here in 2014 at a bid of $65,000 and at Kissimmee four months ago at a bid of $85,000. This is not a high quality restoration and the result here is consistent with prior sales five years ago. The market hasn’t moved much since then and it is a reasonable offer that could have been accepted with little regret. The pre-sale estimate is borderline ludicrous.

Lot # T195.1 1962 Chevrolet Corvette FI Convertible; S/N 20867S112173; Engine # 2112173 F522RF; Tuxedo Black, Black hardtop/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $110,000. – 327/360hp, 4-speed, RPO 687 Big Brakes, 4.11 Positraction, WonderBar radio, heater, hubcaps, Firestone bias ply blackwall tires, two tops. – Bloomington Gold, NCRS Top Flight, Gold Spinner, Triple Crown. Good older paint, chrome and interior. Dash covering is starting to shrink away from the windshield. Driver’s seat cushion is flattened and the front seam is pulling. The engine compartment is orderly but oxidizing and dusty. The top boot cover is marked from the top. Once a show car but now an aged driver. – It’s one of auction reporting’s challenges to comprehend why a car like this bid to its high estimate didn’t sell, particularly when the reported high bid was all the money for this car’s condition and history? Did the seller have second thoughts and change the reserve? One can only assume that’s the case and in this case it was vapid and illusioned.

Lot # T196 1959 Chevrolet Corvette FI Convertible; S/N J59S106542; Engine # F211CS; Frost Blue, Frost Blue hardtop/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $95,000. – 283/290hp fuel injection, 4-speed, Positraction, two tops, radio delete, hubcaps, BFG bias ply blackwall tires, metallic brakes. – NCRS Top Flight. Top scuffed boot cover. Good paint, interior and chrome. The clean, orderly engine compartment is a little aged but tidy. The chassis and underbody are nearly like new, showing age but negligible miles. – This was a freshly restored car when it crossed the block at RM’s auction in Novi, Michigan in 2002 unsold for $77,500. It was reported sold at Atlantic City in 2005 for $97,520 and it has steadily declined in condition from a like new 2 in 2002 to today’s 3+. At a bid $5,000 over the low estimate it would be thought to pass on to a new owner, but that didn’t prove to be the case, a missed opportunity for an over-optimistic consignor.

Lot # S117 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Coupe; S/N 1G1YR26R495800254; Jet Stream Blue, Black roof/Black, Gray; Estimate $75,000 – $85,000; Unrestored original, 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $67,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $74,250. – Canadian export car (one of 43) with carbon ceramic brakes, magnetic selective ride control, 1SD equipment group, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, chromed wheels, blue calipers. – Just 438 miles and the plastic is still on the seats. – It may be 10 years old, but this is still essentially a new car and a C6 ZR1 is still one of the fastest cars on the road. And where prices are currently, it’s a serious value. With these options, this one would have cost well into six figures when new, but mid-70s isn’t out of the ordinary even for one this good with such a low odometer reading.

Lot # T195 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 Coupe; S/N 1G1YZ23J7L5802103; Red, White/Red leather; Estimate $60,000 – $75,000; Unrestored original, 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $36,000. – One-off put together by Penske, Chevrolet and Larry Shinoda for Rick Mears with body kit, Boyd Coddington wheels, Goodyear tires and CD stereo but apparently no performance upgrades. – From the Lingenfelter collection. Represented with 600 miles and looks new. – It’s hard to pinpoint a value on a special build like this, but the car sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2008 for $58,300, so Mecum’s $60k low estimate here seems reasonable. As does the consignor’s decision to hold out at this reported high bid, which is about what a normal C4 ZR-1 in this condition would expect to bring.

Lot # S189 1931 Chevrolet Deluxe Landau Phaeton, Body by Fisher; S/N 2535849; Tan, Black fenders, Brown, Orange accent/Grey vinyl; Beige cloth top; Estimate $35,000 – $45,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $31,000. – 194/50hp overhead valve six, 3-speed, Orange wire wheels, wide whitewalls, rear-mounted spare, Twilite headlights, radiator stoneguard, folding windshield. – Interesting coachwork, a two-door with rollup windows and removable center posts. Good older repaint with some flaws and fisheyes. Sound upholstery, chrome and top. The engine compartment is clean and nearly like new while the chassis shows age but little use. Academy of Art University collection. – Chevrolet built only 5,634 of these distinctive Landau Phaetons, an adaptable body style that was unusual even in 1931. Coupled with the 50hp six it was a good performer, too. This is a sound and well-restored example that needs nothing. It was reported bid to $37,500 at Mecum’s Las Vegas auction seven months ago and the consignor is chasing its auction value down without catching up. I could have been sold with little regret, except for missing the better offer in Vegas.

Lot # F223 1959 Chevrolet El Camino Pickup; S/N H59S175337; Engine # T1015G; Black/Black, Grey vinyl; Estimate $55,000 – $65,000; Customized restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $41,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $45,100. – 348, Tri-Power added, 4-speed, power steering and brakes, spinner wheel covers, wide whitewalls, pushbutton radio, dual remote spotlights, rigid black cloth covered bed cover, pushbutton radio. – Chromed up under the hood. The engine is coded for a 348/250hp 4-barrel Powerglide, not the Tri-Power 4-speed configuration in which it is presented. The upholstery is custom pattern. Good paint, better chrome and interior. The wind wings are delaminating and the driver’s window track is loose. The chassis and underbody were restored like new and now are slightly aged and dusty. Mildly customized but still attractive. – Six years ago in 2013 Barrett-Jackson sold this El Camino in Las Vegas for $79,200, a price then that was as extravagant as this is a good deal. There is something especially appealing about sticking a pickup box between the flamboyantly finned rear fenders of a ’59 Chevy, and also impractical, a solution in search of a problem.

Lot # S65 1959 Chevrolet El Camino Pickup; S/N H59A150109; Turquoise, White/Turquoise, Blue vinyl, tri-tone Blue cloth; Estimate $70,000 – $80,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $52,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $57,200. – 348, automatic, wheel covers, whitewalls, vinyl bed cover, factory Tri-Power, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, column shift, pushbutton radio, power seat, tinted power windows, dash clock. – Good but older paint and chrome. Light discoloration on the top. Light wrinkling on the seats but mostly very good restored interior. Older wheels and tires. Light road wear but restored underneath. Needs nothing and fully restored at some point to high standards, just no longer super fresh. – One of two 348 Tri-Power ’59 El Caminos at Indy, this one is more stock and in somewhat better condition but in less attractive colors than the black one. This combination brought a deserved $12,000 higher price but is also a less attractive deal.

Lot # T286 1971 Chevrolet El Camino SS Pickup; S/N 136801L180677; Rosewood Red, Black hood stripe/Light Sandalwood vinyl; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000. – 454/365hp, automatic, Positraction Mallory distributor, Hooker headers, big column-mounted Autogage tach, pushbutton AM radio, heater, buckets and console, power steering and brakes, cowl induction, Rally wheels with hubcaps and trim rings, Cooper Radial G/T tires, bed cover – Clearcoat repaint with shrinkage visible and some overspray. Good chrome and interior. Orderly engine compartment showing some age and fuel residue on the intake manifold. Clean, dry chassis and underbody. Attractive and unusual colors. – With hypercars roaming today’s streets with 1,000 horsepower the concept of an LS5 454/360hp El Camino, a vehicle with no “road-hugging weight” over its skinny rear tires and a giant cast iron lump challenging the ability of the fronts to change direction, becomes less of an oddity, although it’s still pretty odd. It’s also fairly rare and that, along with generally good condition, makes this a sound value.

 

Lot # S59 1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS 396 Pickup; S/N 136800L126599; Gobi Beige, Black stripes, Black vinyl roof/Black vinyl; Estimate $40,000 – $50,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $35,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $38,500. – 396/350hp L34, column shift automatic, bench seat, red line tires, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, tinted windows, factory radio. – Mostly very clean engine bay with some painted over rust, and the brake booster is rusted. Clean repaint at first glance but wavy body, overspray on the side of the hood and wet sanded areas were not buffed. Clean vinyl roof and straight bed. Lightly scratched chrome. Clean interior. Restored to the kind of standards more or less appropriate for an El Camino, but it would be a different story if this were a Chevelle. – Barrett-Jackson sold this El Camino way back in 2001, when it was a lot fresher but worth less, for $19,980. This is an expensive result for one with so many needs, and this price could have bought a fresher and more professionally done example.

Lot # T228 1962 Chevrolet Impala 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 21847A205401; Ermine White/Red vinyl with cloth inserts; Estimate $40,000 – $60,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $33,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $36,300. – 327/250hp, 4-speed, factory shifter, Kumho blackwall tires, bench seat, floor shift, pushbutton radio, rear seat speaker, bench seat, rear antenna. – Rust visible in the engine bay and paint is peeling off of the block. Scratches and faded paint on the hood, and light orange peel in other spots. Aged grille. Delaminating glass. Represented as an AACA award winner, but no representation of when and it must have been years and years ago. – This is an adequate but not particularly attractive driver aside from the 4-speed and it brought a price that reflects its configuration.

Lot # F224 1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible; S/N F59N201771; Engine # T506FB; Red/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $90,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $99,000. – 348/315hp, Tri-Power, close ratio 4-speed, power brakes, pushbutton radio, dual rear antennas, continental kit. – The “B” in the engine block stamping is uneven and it is not represented as original to the car. Good older paint, chrome and interior although the aluminum taillight bezels are dull. The engine compartment is very clean but the firewall was superficially prepared for paint. A showpiece with some pesky oversights. – Assuming that this really is the high lift camshaft 348/315hp engine indicated by its erratically stamped engine block it is a rare and highly desirable car that could have brought more. Even if it is a faux-315 it is still attractively restored and promises to be highly enjoyable to drive, a combination that amply supports the price it brought.

Lot # S51 1960 Chevrolet Impala Convertible; S/N IA01611J147408; Roman Red/Red, White; White vinyl top; Cosmetic restoration, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500. – 348/280hp Tri-Power, automatic, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, dual antenna, power steering, power brakes, power top. – Peeling paint and chips in the engine bay. Polished original trim. Older repaint over a few chips and slightly wavy bodywork. Cracks on the side of the hood. Discolored top and seats. Dirty carpet on the driver’s side. Scratched bumpers. Good colors and desirable equipment. This is an inherently attractive and collectible car, but it’s never been properly restored and it arguably needs to be. – Seriously expensive for a car with so many issues but not outrageous. Outrageous is what happened in 2016, when someone inexplicably paid $121,000 for this car at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale.

Lot # F225 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 21847S214172; Tuxedo Black/Red vinyl; Estimate $80,000 – $90,000; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $52,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $57,200. – Dual quad 409/409hp, 4-speed, spinner wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, bucket seats, floor shift, rear seat speaker. – Bugs in the radiator. Polished but original body trim. Newer chrome. Polished restored hub caps over surface rusted steel wheels. Chips on the dashboard but otherwise newer interior. Lightly detail scratched old paint. Tidy redone engine bay. Body-off restored at some point and represented as the matching numbers engine, but there are inconsistencies and the general presentation is far from perfect. – Sold at Mecum Kissimmee in 2013 for $71,020. Giving full credence to the consignor’s representation that is the original matching number engine, this is a far better deal here in Indy than it was then, a duly qualified bargain purchase. Buyers are so skeptical of the authenticity of 409/409s that it’s often assumed they’re fakes and when that happens with a real 409/409 4-speed it is tragic.

Lot # T136 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 168376S163838; Marina Blue/Black vinyl; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $27,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $29,700. – 427/425hp, 4-speed, 12-bolt rear, power steering, power brakes, buckets and console, pushbutton radio, Rally wheels, Eagle ST tires, heater. – Very good fresh paint other than a scuff on the rear fender. Track scratches in the glass. Faded wheels. A few light scratches on the bumper. The rear window molding doesn’t fit. Very good interior other than aged gauges. Restored and attractive, but corners were cut. – What isn’t known about this Impala SS is if it came from the factory with the 427/425hp engine that’s under its hood today, and that explains why it brought so little. This is an entirely sensible, well-hedged, price and a car that will be a barrel of fun to drive.

Lot # F226 1963 Chevrolet Impala SS Convertible; S/N 31867G140406; Riverside Red/Red vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $70,000 – $80,000; Modified restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $55,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $60,500. – Dual quad 409/425hp, 5-speed, 9-inch Ford rear end with limited-slip, custom driveshaft, bucket seats, console, power disc brakes, Pioneer stereo, Torq-Thrust wheels, bucket seats, floor shift with Hurst shifter. – Clean engine bay. Newer body trim. Newer bumpers but there are paint chips behind them. Good older paint. Good, lightly worn interior with visible wear on the console. Tastefully modified for performance, and a neat driver. – This promises to be a fun Resto-Mod and it is difficult to argue with the enthusiastic price it brought, a result in line with its high enjoyment quotient.

Lot # S68 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS Convertible; S/N 21867S319883; Red/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $50,000 – $65,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $51,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $56,100. – 327/250hp SS, automatic, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power top, tinted glass, rear seat speaker, AM radio, bucket seats, console. – Clean fully restored engine bay, but there is a brake fluid leak. Older repaint, and the body is wavy. The windshield glass is starting to delaminate. New top. Scratches on the glass. Very good interior. Original polished trim. Lightly scratched bumpers. Not much history represented other than AACA Junior and Senior awards, but it looks older. – It is expensive at this result, a car whose age and problems highlight an uncaring history that should have been reflected in the price but were not. The consignor should be overjoyed with this result.

Lot # S203 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 Convertible; S/N 168677F187215; Engine # T126IE 7F187215; Madera Maroon/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $100,000 – $120,000; Recent restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $120,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $132,000. – 427/385hp, 4-speed, buckets and console, power steering and front disc brakes, power windows, Rally wheels with trim rings, red line tires, rear antenna, pushbutton radio, factory tach, tilt steering column. – Very good clearcoat paint, chrome and interior. The aluminum trim is exceptionally well presented. Underbody is like new. Represented as the original engine. The back of the hood doesn’t close flush. The engine is a little oily and road grimy with a superficial attempt to clean it up for the auction. Impossible not to like. – Offered at Kissimmee four months ago where it was reported bid to $100,000 and sold generously here in Indy. The big Impala is an ideal home for the 427/385hp V-8 made even better by the 4-speed. There’s so much torque 2nd and 4th gears are probably sufficient even to move the Impala convertible’s nearly 2-tons of mass from a dead stop up to arrest velocity. The consignor should be delighted with this transaction and the new owner with the car.

Lot # F271 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR; S/N T-12B; Gray, Black “Goodwrench”/Black cloth; Competition car, original as-raced, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $24,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $26,400. – 358/550hp, 4-speed, Aero wheels, Eagle slicks, single Richardson seat, Willans belts, MSD ignition, fire system, etc. – Kevin Harvick short track car, pretty much original and as-raced with new exterior graphics applied over well-used body panels. – This is a lot of track day performance in a cost-effective package.

Lot # S55 1953 Chevrolet Series 3100 1/2 Ton Pickup; S/N H53K03821; Light Green, Dark Green fenders/Tan cloth vinyl mix; Estimate $40,000 – $50,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $49,500. – 12-volt electrics, 4-speed, oak bed, tinted glass, chromed running boards, fog lights, artillery wheels with hub caps, whitewalls, later cassette stereo. – Solid and clean paint, chrome and wood bed. Some of the Chevrolet script on the tailgate is peeling. A few fluid leaks but mostly very clean fully redone engine bay. Restored in 2001 but clearly not used very much since. A charming, honest vintage pickup. – A lot of vintage pickups just keep getting more and more expensive, but this result is well ahead of the curve, especially for a restoration that’s so old.

Lot # S194 1959 Chrysler 300E Convertible; S/N M591100082; White/Beige leather; Beige vinyl top; Estimate $150,000 – $200,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $100,000. – 413/380hp, automatic, power swivel bucket seats, Sure Grip, power steering, brakes and windows, dual outside mirrors, wheel covers, whitewalls, pushbutton radio. – Mediocre old repaint with orange peel and sanding scratches visible under the paint on the rear deck. Rust blisters above the left rear wheel but not filled. Weak trim chrome, pitted door handles. Scuffed windshield molding. Dirty original underbody. Stretched old upholstery. Lightly soiled top with one small pinch hole. Sketchy. – The reported high bid is reasonable for the distressed condition of this 300E convertible but it also is reasonable for the consignor to hold out hope of a more optimistic audience elsewhere that will overlook the many problems and fall in love with the car.

Lot # S190 1947 Chrysler Town & Country 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 71001912; Dark Red, Wood/Purple cloth, Red Tartan; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $70,000. – 250/114hp six, Fluid Drive, wheel covers, whitewalls, windshield sun visor, wood roof rack, dual remote spotlights, heater, Motorola pushbutton radio, dash clock, turn signals. – From the Academy of Art collection. AACA National First and People’s Choice at Amelia. A few small scratches on the bumpers and grille, and the paint is older. The wood is pretty fantastic. Mostly excellent interior. Fully loaded with the charming tartan interior and has an absolute ton of eyeball,. – Sold at RM’s Amelia Island auction in 2012 for a healthy price of $121,000. It flopped at Mecum Las Vegas in November and really laid an egg here in Indy. It is worth more than this and would still be a sound value at the low estimate.

Lot # T55 1985 Citroen 2CV 2-Dr. Sedan; S/N VF7AZKA00KA111481; Cream, Burgundy fenders/Violet cloth; Burgundy roof top; Estimate $20,000 – $30,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $17,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $18,700. – 602/29hp air cooled twin, dual outside mirrors, chrome headlight shells, Grey wheels with hubcaps and trim rings, Continental tires – Orange peely paint on the body but much better clearcoat paint on the fenders and trunk lid. Good upholstery and gauges. The underbody and chassis got a shot of chassis black. A usable driver. – Incredibly cute and lovable even with only 29 brave Gallic horsepower, this 2CV was sold by Mecum in Los Angeles in February 2018 for $19,360, similarly reasonable as the result here in Indianapolis.

Lot # W300 1952 Crosley Almquist Sabre Roadster; S/N CD400546; Red/Grey vinyl; Competition car, original as-raced, 4+ condition; Hammered Sold at $9,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $10,450. – Flathead V8, aluminum heads, Austin intake with a Stromberg 97 in the middle and 81s on each end, Mustang 4-speed, Moon discs, Dunlop tires, rollbar. – Scratched, chipped old paint. Sound old upholstery and ancient 5-point G-Force belts. Broken passenger’s seat. Oily road grimy chassis. An intriguing thing with multiple Tech stickers, the most recent being Monterey 2013, but sadly maintained and in desperate need of professional help. – Fiberglass sports car bodies like this were all the rage in the 50’s. Designed to fit various chassis (with suitable modifications) and the little Crosley was a logical choice. The Flathead V-8 is less logical even assuming it is the small 136 cid V8-60. Condition is a serious problem and it is a somewhat daunting project even at this price.

Lot # T114 1983 Datsun 280ZX Coupe; S/N JN1HZ04S3DX566349; Blue/Gray; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $11,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $12,100. – 5-speed, T-tops, alloy wheels, aftermarket Pioneer stereo, air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, digital dash. – Represented with a clean CARFAX and a repaint in 2015, which still looks fresh. That said, the paint on the windshield trim is cracked and the windshield shows light scratches. Small tear in the driver’s seat. The wheels look aged. Tidy engine bay, but there is plenty of dirt and grime. Could be better given the 21,524 miles showing. – From late in Datsun history before Nissan standardized its name worldwide in 1985, the later and fatter Z-Cars have gotten more valuable as soaring prices for the original 240s have forced people to look for alternatives. Anything over 10 grand would have seemed crazy for this car five years go, but in today’s market this price isn’t out of the ordinary.

Lot # S49 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 Coupe; S/N SCEDT26T5BD006691; Stainless/Gray leather; Unrestored original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $35,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $38,500. – Automatic. – Represented with 16,269 actual miles. Very clean bumpers. The stainless is mostly very good, but there is a tiny dent in the front left of the hood, two more on the right door, and several light scratches. This is all normal stuff on DeLoreans, however. Very light curb rash on the left wheels. Excellent, nearly like new interior, stored in a climate controlled facility and looks like it. While not quite a like new time-capsule car, it’s close and it’s better than the majority of DeLoreans out there. – A spot-on price that represents an appropriate balance between remarkably low mileage and notable flaws plus the less desirable automatic. It’s pretty much impossible to talk about DeLoreans without mentioning Back to the Future, especially when it comes to prices. They weren’t great cars, and the only reason they’re worth this much is because of the movie.

Lot # S30 1956 DeSoto Adventurer 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 50386071; Black, Gold/Gold vinyl piped in Black, Brown cloth inserts; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000. – 341/320hp, dual quads, gold wheel covers, whitewalls, dual antenna, dual mirrors, hood ornament, Powerflite automatic, pushbutton radio, power windows, DeSotomatic clock in the steering wheel hub, another clock on the dash, HiFi record player. – Odd paint discoloration in a few spots on the hood. Small scratch near the right headlight and another in front of the right mirror. Orange peel on the back of the body. Older restored underneath. Very good, lightly worn interior. Represented as a pace car at Pikes Peak, but no other history or documentation is presented. Fresher, better paint would make a huge difference on this car, but it’s still an attractive driver. – The Pikes Peak Pace Car story is weak since there is no pacing of the field there. They run individually against the clock. The price here reflects no premium for the story, either, and is just an appropriate value for a ’56 Adventurer with notable needs.

Lot # S10 1956 DeSoto Fireflite Convertible; S/N 50386773; Beige, Black/Beige vinyl, Black cloth; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $20,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $22,000. – 330/255hp, Powerflite automatic, power steering, power brakes, power seat, dual mirrors, dash clock, rear seat speaker, Highway Hi-Fi record player, wheel covers, whitewalls. – Scratched up bumpers and pitted trim. Rough, much older repaint with orange peel and fading. Dirty and aged but complete interior. Unrestored but tidy, maintained and cleaned up engine bay. Mostly original and a bit on the rough side, but would make a fairly straightforward project. – Another example of project cars bringing weak prices lately, but at this no reserve result the buyer doesn’t have much into this car yet and can find enjoyment with it as a weekend driver. A project car bought for moderate project car money.

Lot # S75 1956 DeSoto Fireflite Pacesetter Convertible; S/N 50383339; White, Gold/Gold vinyl, Brown cloth; Beige vinyl top; Older restoration, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $95,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $104,500. – 341/320hp Hemi, dual quads, pushbutton automatic, power brakes and steering, Highway HiFi, Gold wheel covers, Goodyear whitewalls, power bench seat and windows, dual rear antennas, steering wheel hub clock. – Sound old repaint, chrome and interior. Good gauges. Magnetic Pacesetter graphics. Scratched window sill chrome, pitted door posts and some trim bits. An intriguing but ultimately aged and used car. – This is a strong result for a Fireflite with needs, but the dual quad Adventurer hemi engine under the hood sets it apart from other Fireflites and goes a long way to explaining why the Indy bidders rose to the challenge. Or maybe it’s because today was qualifying day one at the Speedway?

Lot # F56 1958 DeSoto Firesweep Sportsman 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N DESLS13701; Coral, White roof/Brown, Beige vinyl and Tan cloth; Estimate $30,000 – $40,000; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $42,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $46,200. – 350/280hp, automatic, wheel covers, whitewalls, dual mirrors, dual antenna, pushbutton radio. – Good older repaint, and the rest of the car is represented as original. Decent chrome, but the grille looks tired. Aged original glass and the window frames are lightly scratched. Even gaps. Excellent, possibly all original interior. Newer exhaust, but the underbody looks almost too good to be original. The wheel covers have a few small dings but nothing major. Remarkable preservation and desirable top-spec equipment to boot. – And at this price, it’s too expensive to restore. There is a lot of premium added in for preservation and this number would also buy one that’s already been redone.

Lot # S211 1985 DeTomaso Pantera GT5 Coupe; S/N 874LTHPNCD09358; Yellow/Black; Estimate $80,000 – $100,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $75,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $82,500. – 351/345hp, centerlock wheels, Michelin tires, rear wing, chin spoiler, wood dash, power windows, air conditioning, cassette stereo, tinted glass. – Good single repaint with a small bubble on the nose. The wheels are fairly aged. The upholstery is lightly wrinkled and flat on the bottom but mostly sound. Some light cracking in the dash and lightly worn switchgear. Tidy but unrestored and lightly worn underneath. Showing 96,996 km but, especially for a winged Pantera, it looks like a car with far fewer. – Panteras are prone to being driven hard, modified, then driven even harder so that few survive in this good largely unrestored condition. When a good one shows up it is usually snapped up by a receptive marketplace but this one seems to have escaped notice (how, being bright Yellow, is difficult to understand) by the Indy bidders and brought a modest price.

Lot # F145 1971 Dodge Challenger Convertible; S/N JH27H1B238841; Plum Crazy, White side stripes/White vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $160,000 – $180,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $275,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $302,500. – 340/275hp, 4-speed, hood pins, shaker hood, power steering, power brakes, power top, Rallye wheels, Polyglas GT tires, Hurst pistol grip shifter, factory radio, broadcast sheet documented. – Represented as matching numbers engine and transmission. Original space saver spare. Excellent paint and chrome. Spotless underneath. Fully detailed trunk. Gorgeous interior. There may not be a Hemi under the hood, but this car is loaded with good options, finished in good colors and restored to very impressive standards. – The hammer bid here is 50% more than the already generous pre-sale high estimate, attesting to the fact this is an extremely rare combination, appropriately documented, beautifully restored and in one of the most alluring (or lurid) colors Dodge offered. It will handle much better than a Hemi, too, and won’t cost nearly as much to keep in rear tires. It’s a standout Challenger for which a curve-setting price was paid.

Lot # F143 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N JS23R0B157523; Orange, Black vinyl roof and bumblebee band/White vinyl; Estimate $400,000 – $500,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $600,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $660,000. – 426/425hp Hemi, 4-speed, Hurst pistol grip shifter, Rallye wheels with hubcaps and trim rings, Polyglas GT tires, luggage rack, sliding sunroof, pushbutton radio, 8-track stereo, woodgrain console, 6-way power seat. – Excellent clearcoat paint, bright chrome, flawless upholstery, excellent panel fits. Believed to be the only ’70 Hemi Challenger with a factory sunroof. Immaculately restored and impeccably presented with its original sheet metal and drivetrain. Steven Juliano collection. – There is a whole laundry list of bragging rights in this car, along with a laundry list of options and the Steve Juliano provenance to top it off. It brought a monumental price.

Lot # S199 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N JS23R0B220416; Bright Blue/Black vinyl; Estimate $125,000 – $150,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; No Result or VIN, Probably no-show $0 plus commission of; Final Price. – 426/425hp Hemi, automatic, P/B, no P/S, pushbutton radio, rear speaker, steel wheels, hubcaps, F60-15 Polyglas GT tires, buckets and console. – Shows 63,067 miles and original except for a good older repaint. Dirty engine compartment with no battery tiedown. At one time the miles were represented as original and so was the engine, but not here. The back corners of the hood are chipped. – Reported sold at Dave Rupp’s Ft. Lauderdale auction in 2008 for $130,680, then at Mecum Kissimmee in 2011 for $137,800. It came back to Kissimmee earlier this year and was reported bid to $126,500. It is aging even though the odometer today displays only 28 more miles than it did in 2011. No result is reported by Mecum here despite the car being in the preview.

Lot # F273 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N XX29L9B379730; Red, White tail band/Black vinyl; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $200,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $220,000. – 440/375hp, automatic, power steering and brakes, Magnum wheels, red line tires, buckets and console, radio, Tick-Toc tach. – Fair older paint with blisters on the cowl and front left fender. Good chrome except for the vent window frame. Dirty under the windshield. Good upholstery and interior trim. Bright, crisp gauges. Scratched, dirty steering wheel. Dirty, used engine compartment and chassis. Originally green, color changed during the cosmetic restoration. – The bidders thought more of this Daytona’s condition than I did, or they just didn’t care in their enthusiasm for one of these rare and desirable cars. Superbirds are as common as starlings compared with Daytonas, but this is not a very good example that is expensive at this price.

Lot # T220 1973 Dodge Charger Rallye Coupe; S/N WH23H3G132819; Blue, Black stripes, Black vinyl roof/Blue vinyl; Estimate $35,000 – $40,000; Enthusiast restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $24,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $26,400. – 340/240hp, 4-speed with Hurst pistol grip shifter, Sure Grip, power steering, power brakes, rear spoiler, steel wheels with hub caps. – Lightly scratched trim. A few touch ups on the hood. Aged grille. Lightly scratched glass. Cheaply painted rear spoiler. Cracked taillights. Dimples in the rear quarter panel. Good, lightly worn interior and very clean engine bay. Rare equipment, looks great from a distance and very good overall for a ’73, but at the same time far from perfect. – By ’73 Chargers were not very interesting. They had nothing but small block power of which this 340/240hp is the top of the line and interest in them is muted which makes even this result a full market price.

Lot # T45 1956 Dodge Coronet D500 2-Dr. Sedan; S/N 35118946; Black/White vinyl, Black cloth; Visually maintained, largely original, 4- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $10,000. – 315/260hp Hemi, Powerflite automatic, hubcaps, Kumho tires, pushbutton radio, heater, dual outside mirrors, power brakes. – Represented as the matching numbers engine. Awful paint, chipped, pitted chrome, sound newer upholstery. The driver’s door drops and doesn’t close evenly. Window tracks are worn and fraying. The windshield gasket is dry and old. A disappointing POS on the outside but the engine is pretty good. The compartment it sits in is not. A car with great potential but only after a thorough and competent restoration. – A great deal of attention was paid to rebuilding the engine and transmission but the rest of this D500 is a mess. It should have been sold at the reported high bid here.

Lot # W135 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible; S/N WS27UG120610; Bright Red, Black tail stripe/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $51,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $56,100. – 440/375hp Magnum, automatic, Radial T/A tires, power steering, bucket seats, console, floor shift, factory radio. – Good older paint with a chip on the nose, some blisters along the rocker panels and some orange peel on the right front fender. Paint coming off the R/T badges. Sound old chrome. Good convertible top. Light track scratches on the side glass. Older restored underneath. Aged original dash, switchgear and console but good newer upholstery. Restored to decently high standards and a good driver. – This car sold here 11 years ago for $42,000 and for $44,000 at Russo and Steele Scottsdale in 2009. A decade after that (and a couple of months ago) it sold for $44,000 at Mecum’s sale in Glendale, AZ. The Glendale result was a lot more realistic, and at any final price over 50 grand this becomes a very expensive car.

Lot # F139 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 2-Dr. Hardtop Concept Car; S/N LM23P9B188075; Maroon Metallic, Black tail band/Black vinyl; Estimate $150,000 – $200,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000. – 340/275hp, 4-speed, Hurst shifter, woodgrain steering wheel, dual outside mirrors, hood scoop, Ansen Sprint alloy wheels, Wide Tread GT tires, radio delete, hood pins, heater, Cibie rectangular headlights, grille mounted fog lights. – Rapid Transit System show car debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in 1969. Built by Alexander Brothers in Detroit. Shaved door handles, modified hood and rear deck. Very good paint and chrome. The hood doesn’t sit flush but the doors do. There’s some dirt under the windshield and a small touchup near the VIN plate. The underbody is like new. Steven Juliano Collection. – A meticulous restoration of a documented Mopar show car, being a one-off the Indy bidders determination of its value is irrefutable although the result means nothing beyond that.

Lot # W292 1986 Dodge Omni GLHS Hatchback; S/N 1B3BZ18E5GD267272; Black, Gray/Gray cloth; Unrestored original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $17,000. – Aftermarket stereo. – Thick, quick undercoating on the chassis. Good, relatively new wood but there is paint cracking around it. Good and shiny but truck quality paint with a few runs and chips here and there. Uneven gaps. Good redone interior. Never taken fully apart and it was clearly done on a budget, but it’s more than good enough to drive around with confidence. – People may not clamor for a Shelby Omni like they do for a Cobra or a GT350, but it’s a collectible car as far as ’80s hatchbacks go and other low-mile examples have sold for well over this reported high bid, so refusing it was understandable.

Lot # T186 1954 Dodge Royal 500 Convertible Pace Car Edition; S/N 38531336; Light Yellow, Black accent/Yellow, Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $40,000 – $60,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $23,000. – 241/150hp Hemi, Powerflite, chrome wire wheels, whitewalls, pushbutton radio, heater, continental kit. – Indifferent old repaint with edge chips. Aged, stiff and faded original upholstery and interior trim. Weak trim chrome. Faded gauges and pitted dashboard chrome. Freshly clearcoat painted engine in an unrestored engine compartment. Scratched grille chrome. Vinyl graphics. Unusual but neglected and aged. – One of 701 built. Offered here two years ago where it was reported bid to $28,000. Age is not sitting well on it and these two offers are reasonable.

Lot # S95.1 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Coupe; S/N 1C3BDEDZ7GV100276; Yellow, Black, Red stripes/Black; Unrestored original, 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $152,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $167,750. – Black painted wheels, red calipers. – Just 1,161 miles, and they clearly weren’t track miles. This is practically a new ACR. – The track-ready final series Viper ACR carried a $122,490 MSRP, so at this price and with those miles this car is likely destined for a life of static display in a collection rather than scaring the pants off its occupants at track days.

Lot # U73.1 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS Spider, Body by Pininfarina; S/N F106AS28683; Rosso Corsa/Black, Red leather; Unrestored original, 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $40,000. – Speedline wheels, Daytona-style seats, power windows, air conditioning, Alpine CD stereo. – Sound but not very high quality older repaint. Odd cracking on the right A-pillar. Dirty engine bay, at least by Ferrari standards. Dull exterior plastic. Newer seats, but the switchgear is lightly worn. Represented with 32,670 actual miles, but no other info at all. It’s driver quality 308 at best, and given the lack of service history it likely has some hefty bills in its future. – Sold at Mecum’s Houston auction a month ago for $46,200 and rather optimistically brought directly to Indy for the Spring Classic, a bet that didn’t pay off.

Lot # S160 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider Conversion; S/N 15733; Engine # B1982; Red/Black leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $575,000 – $625,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $500,000. – Chrome spoke Borrani wire wheels, Michelin XWX tires, power windows, Becker Mexico cassette stereo, Veglia air conditioning, fixed headlights, clear nose panel, Marelli ignition modules. – Represented as being a Straman conversion from the 70’s and newer Borrani wheels and upholstery. The paint and chrome are good. The upholstery is better. The engine compartment is clean and orderly but down deep it and the chassis are aged and driven. Never fully restored but probably never needed it. – Crossed the block at Mecum’s Monterey auction last August where it was reported bid to $600,000 and with the pre-sale estimate range adjusted here the reported high bid adjusted even more. A Daytona Spider conversion that’s chasing the Daytona market down and may never catch up. This is a realistic offer.

Lot # F320 1957 Fiat 500 Nuova 2-Dr. Sedan; S/N 110058604; White/Black vinyl; Black folding roof top; Modified restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $18,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $20,350. – Subaru WRX intercooled turbo, 5-speed Porsche G-50 gearbox, chrome Cragar 13-inch wheels, Sumitomo front tires, Toyo rears, tube frame, unpainted roll cage, wheelie bars. –

Pulled upholstery seams, indifferent paint, competent mechanical work. – It is frightening to contemplate actually driving this thing, even on a drag strip, an imaginative project that probably grew like Frankenstein’s monster as it went along. “Hey, how about this?” must have been repeated many times, usually answered by “OK, that seems to work.” We learn nothing about the marketplace except that an unguided missile like this costs more to build than it’s worth.

Lot # S74 1976 Ford Bronco Pickup; S/N U15GLB34481; Orange, White/White vinyl; Truck restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $38,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $41,800. – 302/135hp, automatic, aftermarket wheels, All Terrain T/A tires, factory AM radio, dual fuel tanks – Very good paint other than the roof, which has some orange peel and cracking below the drip rail. There is also a small crack on the tailgate. Very good bumper chrome, but the body side trim has a handful of very small dents. The bed is remarkably clean and straight. Very good interior. Fully restored underneath. Looks like a show quality fresh Bronco from a short distance, but closer inspection reveals that it was done to essentially truck standards. It is a full resto, however, and needs nothing to go out and hit the road or trail. – Hammered sold at $32,860 in Kissimmee nine years ago and sold at Auburn Fall last year for $34,100, a fairly modest number in the current Bronco market. This is a more realistic result for a good but flawed V8 example.

Lot # G171.1 1966 Ford Bronco U13 Roadster; S/N U13FL772691; Red/Beige vinyl; No top; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $17,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $18,700. – 1970 302 V8, Edelbrock 4-barrel, column shift 3-speed, Pioneer cassette stereo, underdash Motorola 270 degree tach, fender extensions, Ansen alloy wheels, Mud-Terrain T/A tires, rear seat, Warn front hubs, rear spare carrier but no spare. – Scratched up old paint, soiled and discolored upholstery. Dirty engine compartment and chassis appropriate to the 73,578 miles showing. An honest but used old vehicle. Hardtop mounting holes are scratched and chipped, but there’s no hardtop. – This is parts car (truck) money and the buyer already has a U13 Bronco, which seems appropriate.

Lot # F106 1967 Ford Bronco U13 Roadster 4×4; S/N U13NLA45076; Poppy Red/White vinyl; Estimate $95,000 – $125,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $105,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $115,500. – Wheel covers, 289, automatic, AM/FM radio. – Spotless engine bay. Very good paint and chrome. Excellent interior. Nothing to nitpick. Just a rare 289 U13 Roadster with 627 miles since a thorough body-off restoration. – There were two U13 roadsters at this sale. This was by far the better example, and that’s reflected in the price compared to just $18,700 for the other one. First gen Bronco prices in the grand scheme of things seem to be plateauing, as they were bound to do eventually, but nobody told the person who bought this one. It’s a way over-the-top result, and for the seller all that time, effort and money in getting the details right during restoration certainly paid off. It was sold by Mecum in Anaheim in 2016 for $55,000, a result that anticipated the U13 runup.

Lot # S138 1957 Ford Custom 2-Dr. Sedan; S/N D7FG194882; Red/Grey cloth; Estimate $150,000 – $200,000; Modified restoration, 2+ condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $125,000. – 312/300hp with NOS Phase 1 supercharger, 3-speed, steel wheels, hubcaps, bias ply blackwall tires, Town & Country radio, heater. – Minter Collection. Excellent paint, chrome, upholstery, engine compartment and chassis. Restored better than new. – When contemplating a Ford restored by the Minters it is common to be less than critically intense knowing that every possible detail has been addressed to better than factory standards. That’s true of this Ford as well and better than factory also applies to the engine, done as the factory would have in 1957 for NASCAR competition. It is a gorgeous and rare car, far more rare than any of the Minters’ F-birds, a car anyone would have been happy to take for a few laps of the State Fairgrounds and a reasonable offer was made for it but declined.

Lot # F75.1 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Retractable Hardtop; S/N D7KW176203; Black/White vinyl, Black cloth; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $37,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $40,700. – 312/245hp, automatic, chrome wire wheels, whitewalls, pushbutton radio, dash clock, power steering, power brakes. – Good older paint with several scratches and a few fisheyes on the trunk lid. Delamination on the windows. Scratches on the body trim and door handles, and a dent on the rear trim. Tidy, lightly run engine bay. An older restoration by specialist Jerry’s Classic Cars that is showing its age. – Old Skyliners are prone to coordination problems among the seven motors, four lift jacks, relays, limit switches, solenoids and six locking mechanisms in their retracting hardtop mechanisms. They take so much attention if they’re to work that the rest of the car is relegated to a top-retracting mechanism base and they end up like this: not bad, but neglected. A pristine one is a marvel to behold. The rest are not so much and in this case the bidders got it right with this result.

Lot # S97 1965 Ford Galaxie 500XL Convertible; S/N 5G69P221228; Vintage Burgundy/White vinyl; White vinyl top; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $29,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $31,900. – 390/330hp police engine, 4-speed, wheel covers, Coker Classic red line tires, 3.25 Traction-Lok, front disc brakes and power steering from a ’66 Galaxie, bucket seats, floor shift, console, pushbutton radio, reclining passenger’s seat, buckets and console. – Correct type non-original engine. The block is dirty and the firewall was repainted over old sound deadener New interior and top. Very good paint and chrome except for poor quality repop fender emblems. Straight body, even gaps. A little bit of age on the wheel covers. Excellent interior with some dull original switchgear and pitted console chrome. Some road dirt on the restored underbody and the chassis. Sound but with many faults that warrant attention. – Sold for $40,150 at Kissimmee in 2016 fresh from restoration, then $56,100 at Indy four months later. It has now aged a little but is still sound and attractive and represents very good value for the money in this result.

Lot # S143 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL Fastback; S/N 3P68R158295; Rangoon Red/Black; Estimate $75,000 – $100,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $42,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $46,200. – Wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, R-Code 427/425hp, dual quads, 4-speed, 4.11 rear axle, bucket seats, console, Faria tach, pushbutton radio, dealer-installed power steering. – Represented as 33,635 original miles, but not the original 427 under the hood. Good older repaint, and the rest of the car is represented as original. Decent chrome, but the grille looks tired. Aged original glass and the window frames are lightly scratched. Even gaps. Excellent, possibly all original interior. Newer exhaust, but the underbody looks almost too good to be original. The wheel covers have a few small dings but nothing major. Remarkable preservation and desirable top-spec equipment to boot. – While the lack of a claim for the originality of the 427 under the hood is an issue this is indisputably originally an R-code 427/425hp and the handicap applied in this meagre bid is not justified. The consignor got hammered to the tune of at least $20,000 and the new owner can take it home content both with the car’s condition and the bargain price it took to own it.

Lot # T221 1973 Ford Gran Torino Sport SportsRoof; S/N 3H35Q172370; Ivy Moondust Metallic, White vinyl roof/Green vinyl; Estimate $30,000 – $35,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $23,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $25,300. – 351/266hp, 4-speed, Magnum 500 wheels, Radial T/A tires, 351 engine, heavy duty suspension, power brakes, factory air conditioning, Hurst shifter. – Represented as matching numbers. Good but older paint and chrome. The roof vinyl is a bit dirty. Tidy and restored underneath. Very good redone interior. Attractive colors. Finished a while ago and lightly used since, it’s a solid restoration holding up well. – An unusual Gran Torino with this engine/transmission combination and it piqued the bidders’ interest even if it wasn’t to the extent of the pre-sale estimate range. Both the buyer and the seller should be satisfied with the result.

Lot # S181 2006 Ford GT Coupe; S/N 1FAFP90S76Y401847; Tungsten Gray, Gray stripes/Black; Estimate $300,000 – $350,000; Unrestored original, 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $300,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $330,000. – All four options (stripes, painted calipers, McIntosh stereo, BBS wheels). – 488 miles and like-new. Tungsten Grey is subtle and attractive. – Even by Ford GT standards, 488 miles is on the low side and this car ticks all the right boxes. It deserved every dollar of this rather strong price.

Lot # T263.1 1935 Ford Model 50 Pickup; S/N 181388758; Washington Blue, Black fenders/Black leatherette; Truck restoration, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $18,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $19,800. – 239/85hp 21-stud Flathead, 3-speed, cowl lights, dual outside mirrors, single sidemount, Arvin fan driven heater, Cream wire wheels, wide whitewalls, chrome bumpers, cigarette lighter, 12-volt alternator, dual blue dot taillights, Signal-Stat turn signals. – Quick old repaint incorporating plenty of dust and dirt particles later augmented with chips and scratches. Rough painted steel bed floor. Sound upholstery, scratched and cracked steering wheel rim, clear gauges. Clean but used and aged engine compartment. A sound and usable driver’s truck. – Not too good to take to the lumber yard or even the dump, this is a real truck for real truck money.

Lot # G11 1930 Ford Model A Sprint Car; S/N 4232224; Red/Black leatherette; Competition car, original as-raced, 3- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $12,000. – Mechanical rear wheel brakes, red wire wheels, knobby rear tires, Model T steering wheel, dual 2-barrel Ford carbs on a Burns intake manifold, stock Model A ignition, 3-speed. – Chipped and microblistered old paint. Silver painted suspension. Oily, aged engine. Best described as utilitarian. – Fairly nasty but with some potential, it should have been sold at the reported high bid.

Lot # S198 1969 Ford Mustang Convertible; S/N 9F3R202831; Candy Apple Red/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $200,000 – $250,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $170,000. – 428/335hp Ram Air, 4-speed, shaker hood, power steering and front disc brakes, AM-FM radio, heater, Rally wheels, trim rings, narrow whitewalls, high back seats, Marti Report documented. – Very good clearcoat repaint with a smattering of minor flaws visible only upon pointlessly intimate inspection. Excellent chrome and interior. The engine compartment hasn’t looked this good since it came off the line. Three-time MCA Concours Gold, AACA Grand National in 2013 and 2014. As good as it gets. – This is one of only 26 Ram Air 4-speed convertibles built, to all intents and purposes a Shelby without the body parts and Carroll’s name on the hood. It is seriously rare and sold for $143,000 at Worldwide’s Houston auction in 2011. Bid to $190,000 here last year and $170,000 at Kissimmee four months ago, the consignor seems dead set on more money despite being told twice by informed bidders that this is what they’ll pay. It’s a message that needs to be read.

Lot # F92 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible; S/N 5F8C258259; Red/Red vinyl; Black top; Enthusiast restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $27,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $29,700. – 289/200hp with aftermarket 4-barrel, automatic, gauge package, bucket seats, console, Magnum 500 wheels, double red line tires, aftermarket radio, dual mirrors. – Decent paint other than chips by the headlights. Scratches on the windshield and lightly scratched trim pieces. Partly restored interior with newer upholstery, but most of the rest was left alone. Parts of the dash are starting to crack. A decent but unremarkable ’65 convertible redone to good enough standards for what it is, and it would make a fine weekend driver. – A straightforward transaction with driver money paid for a driver quality car. Spot on and just about the most rewarding way to enter collector car ownership with little financial concern.

Lot # T272 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible; S/N 5F8F175413; Burgundy/Black vinyl; Black top; Enthusiast restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $24,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $26,950. – 260/164hp, 3-speed, narrow whitewalls, boot cover, pushbutton radio. – Scratch on the left headlight. Clean wheels. Good older detail scratched paint other than chips around the door handles and a few more on the rear fender. Lightly worn and wrinkled top. Pitting on the rear quarter window frames and taillight bezels. Clean engine bay. Restored to fair enough standards considering the lower tier powertrain, but there’s plenty to criticize. – A fairly modest result for a fundamentally good early Mustang convertible, but most people want the 289 and the seller got more for this car here than the $22,550 at it sold for at Spring Auburn last year.

Lot # S39 1984 Ford Mustang 5.0 Hatchback; S/N 1FABP28M0EF177651; Oxford White/Canyon Red; Unrestored original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $7,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $7,700. – 302/175hp, 5-speed, Firestone tires, cassette stereo, power windows. – Represented as a one-family anniversary edition with GT350 lettering on the body sides and 69,206 actual miles. It looks like a car with far fewer, although there are some small chips on the nose and the body side trip on the passenger’s door is loose. There are also some scratches on the B-pillars. The interior is nearly like new. This is a 35-year-old car but it looks less than half that old. – Fox-body prices have made headlines over the past couple of years as people pay more and more money for the best examples. The best examples, however, are limited to the later fuel injected cars with miniscule odometer readings and no wear to speak of. This older, more used car may have only brought a four-figure result despite its solid condition, but the price is in line with what similar cars have brought recently.

Lot # T200 1993 Ford Mustang 5.0 SVT Cobra Hatchback; S/N 1FACP42D4PF142123; Vibrant Red/Gray; Estimate $50,000 – $60,000; Unrestored original, 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $44,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $48,400. – 302/230hp, 5-speed, fog lights, Goodyear Eagle tires, sunroof, 3.08 Traction-Lok. – Just 3,042 miles and clearly treated as a collectible since new. – This first-year SVT Cobra sold for $39,600 at Fall Auburn last year. Prices for the best examples have only grown in the proceeding months, as this even more staggeringly high result shows.

Lot # S206 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Fastback; S/N 0F2G110601; Yellow, Matte Black stripes/Black vinyl; Estimate $60,000 – $80,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500. – 302/290hp, 4-speed, Hurst T-handle shifter, pushbutton radio, Magnum wheels, Polyglas GT tires, P/B, wing, chin spoiler, rear window slats, chrome valve covers. – Documented with the original build sheet, shipping invoice and Marti Report. Represented as the original driveline. Restored like new in the early Nineties. Paint has some fine texture in places but presents well. Good chrome and interior. Very good engine compartment and underbody. MCA winner in 1995 and 1996. One of the best, just a little aged. – Bid to $65,000 here four years ago in 2015 when it showed 76 fewer miles than the 60,197 is displays here, then sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2016 for an eye-opening $110,000. Both the estimate and the final result here are spot on for a documented and multiple-judged Boss 302.

Lot # T166 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 SportsRoof; S/N 1F2R179758; Grabber Yellow, Black/Black vinyl; Estimate $40,000 – $60,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $64,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $70,400. – 351/330hp, 4-speed, 3.91 Traction-Lok, Ram Air hood, power steering, power brakes, spoilers, Philco pushbutton radio, Magnum 500 wheels, Wide Oval tires. – Formerly owned by NASCAR driver Bill Elliott. Chips on the nose and front fenders. Touch ups on the edge of the hood. Lightly scratched rear glass and window frames. Very good, lightly worn original interior. Tidy older retorted engine bay. A basic older restoration that mostly left the interior alone, and currently in better than average driver condition. – Sold for $84,700 at Barrett-Jackson West Palm Beach in 2008, when its restoration was a lot fresher. Muscle car prices took a dive shortly thereafter, but they’ve mostly recovered in the intervening years and this is a strong but reasonable price considering the condition and its Bill Elliott provenance.

Lot # F149 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback; S/N 0F2Z110858; Grabber Blue/Parchment vinyl; Estimate $300,000 – $350,000; Unrestored original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $175,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $192,500. – Factory replacement 429/375hp, 4-speed, Hurst shifter T-handle, Black hood scoop, Magnum wheels, Polyglas GT tires, 3.91 Traction-Lok, power steering, pushbutton radio, KK #2156. – Soiled original upholstery cracking on the driver’s seatback, good dash and gauges. The old undercoat in the wheel wells is starting to fall off. Fair but sound original paint. Just a car, except that it is represented as 7,938 miles from new and all original. – At a time when unrestored original cars attract strong premium prices this Boss 429 has just the opposite: the result here is less than a similarly good restored car would bring. The bid is counterintuitive, as is the seller’s willingness to take it, and results is a tremendous value for the new owner.

Lot # S204 1968 Ford Mustang GT Convertible; S/N 8T3S120166; Highland Green/Ivy Gold vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $110,000 – $120,000; Unrestored original, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $55,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $60,500. – 427 sohc built by Holman & Moody and installed by the first owner in place of the original 390/325hp, automatic, dual gate Hurst shifter, grille mounted fog lights. GT wheels with trim rings, Radial T/A tires, pushbutton radio with 8-track, console mounted engine gauges, three oil coolers. – Tired, scratched old repaint, sound original upholstery and top, decent old chrome. The engine compartment is old and dirty but not grubby. A marvelous artifact that needs nothing more than a thorough cleaning and detailing. The S-code 390/325hp engine is a stout powerplant by itself but is nothing like the monster that’s in it today –

At Auburn Fall last September this period built hot rod was reported bid to $95,000 but not sold, a decision the consignor no doubt regrets today. The sohc 427 is all by itself worth most of the price paid here and it comes with a whole, well-preserved, largely original Mustang convertible. It will be the hit of any Cars’n’Coffee as soon as the hood is raised and it is a notably wonderful value at this price even if it’s not the way it left the factory. It is the unexpected, out of the ordinary, intriguing car that occasionally shows up at auctions and an underappreciated value.

Lot # T160.1 1969 Ford Mustang GT Convertible; S/N 9F3R210817; Royal Maroon, Matte Black hood/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $150,000 – $175,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $110,000. – 428/335hp Ram Air, automatic, power steering and brakes, tilt steering column, shaker hood, chrome rally wheels with hubcaps and trim rings, Polyglas tires, pushbutton radio, Marti Report and Ford shipping report documented. – One of 58 R-code ’69 Mustang convertibles. Good older paint, chrome, top and interior. Orderly engine compartment and clean underbody. Good gauges and dashboard controls. A quality older restoration with some age but little use. – Offered at RM’s Ft. Lauderdale auction in April 2018 where it was reported bid to $80,000, then sold at Auburn Fall five months later for $82,500, this is a rare combination that surprisingly was one of two in this auction. The other (Lot # S198) was bid to $170,000 without selling, indicating a low appreciation among Mustang collectors for such unusual cars, or an unwillingness to pay Shelby Mustang prices for cars without Carroll’s name attached.

Lot # T117.1 1965 Ford Mustang GT Convertible; S/N 5F8A797904; Silver Smoke Gray, Red side stripe/Red vinyl; Black vinyl top; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $48,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $52,800. – 289/225hp, 4-speed, Rally pack, air conditioning, power top, power steering, remote trunk release, Pony interior, comes with original window sticker and invoice. – Very good paint in rare, attractive Silver Smoke Gray. New bumpers. Polished original trim. New interior. Featured in Mustang Times and Mustang Monthly during the 1990s, but its restoration looks much fresher than that. Only the engine bay shows any significant signs of use. – Bid Goes On sale reported with this result. It was sold at Kissimmee in 2014 for $60,480, at Auctions America at Ft. Lauderdale in 2016 for $54,450 and at Kissimmee in 2017 for $59,400. The consistency of results is one reason why first generation Mustang convertible are such great entry-level collector cars. Drive them, show them, cruise in them and enjoy them but with good care and consistent maintenance they retain their values well.

Lot # F255 1965 Ford Mustang GT Fastback; S/N 5R09K211375; Rangoon Red/White Pony vinyl; Estimate $60,000 – $80,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $50,000. – 289/271hp K-code, 4-speed, console, woodgrain steering wheel, Rally-Pak gauges, styled wheels, double red line tires. – Very good older paint, chrome and interior. Clean, orderly engine compartment that has only a little storage dust. Needs nothing to be driven and shown with confidence. – This is one of the most desirable of all early Mustangs but what it’s missing is the claim the engine is original to the chassis. It was sold by RM from the Sam Pack collection in 2014 for $68,750. It was a missed opportunity here in Indy to offer a little bit more than the reported high bid and try to take it home.

Lot # T217 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 SportsRoof; S/N 9F2H222091; Royal Maroon, Black hood/Black vinyl; Estimate $40,000 – $50,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $54,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $59,400. – 351/250hp 2-barrel, automatic, Magnum 500 wheels, Radial T/A tires, hood scoop, hood pins, spoilers, rear window slats, power steering, power brakes. – Represented as a two-owner car that’s unrestored other than a single repaint and has 39,371 actual miles. Visible paint chips behind some of the body trim. Surface scratches visible in the paint. Scratched window trim and delamination on the side windows, which have track scratches as well. Small dent on the rear quarter panel. Cheap respray on the rear spoiler has cracks and orange peel. Clean but unrestored engine bay. Very good interior. Most but not all of the issues with this car are forgivable given its age and originality, but it’s not too good or too preserved to restore now and it would make a straightforward project. It could also be reasonably enjoyed as-is. It is the new owner’s choice. – Well, at this price it’s already too expensive to put much money into it, anyway. Looks like the choice was made when the hammer fell at this generous price.

Lot # T106.1 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Coupe; S/N 1ZVHT88SX85178749; Silver, Blue stripes/Black leather; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $49,500. – 6-speed, Brembo brakes, SVT suspension. – Represented with 402 actual miles and no wear to speak of. One of 1,000 built. – This car cost about 80 grand when it was new, but today it’s still more depreciating used muscle car than collectible. It sold for $56,100 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale this year and even less this time around. It’s still a ton of car for the money but has no near term upside potential.

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Comments

    • Terry D.
    • July 2, 2020
    Reply

    In reference to your comment, “someone paid best of the world price for daily driver”, for the Lot # W74 1966 Chevrolet C10 1/2 Ton Pickup, I would argue that I have seen truly best of the world C10’s auctioning in the low to mid $60’s with an NADA of $72k, so no, I disagree with your assessment, on the high side, yes, but miles away from “best of the world price”.

      • rickcarey1
      • July 2, 2020
      Reply

      Terry,
      Good point. A better way of describing it would have been “expensive for what it is”.
      Rick

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