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Mecum Spring Auction at Indy

Mecum Spring Auction at Indy

1970 Boss 429 Mustang
At the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy this weekend a rare Calypso Coral 1970 Boss 429 Mustang, Lot # S167, sold on Saturday. Only a handfull of Boss 9’s ever wore a coat of Calypso Coral paint (looks orange in the lighting.) This one sold for $255,000 .

 

Mecum Spring Auction at Indy

At the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy the action got pretty intense as the big-time cars came up to the block.  The biggest sale of the 27th Annual Mecum Spring Classic this weekend happened when  a 1963 Shelby Cobra 289 sold for a whopping $885,000. The auction hall was packed with buyers and the bidding created the most intense feeling of anticipation for a crowd that was on the edge of its chair as the hammer came down. Click the video window to experience the sale:

Although the auction started on Tuesday, most of the top cars were in the “Prime Time” Saturday lineup here at the fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Hundreds of muscle cars and classic specialty cars were one hand on Saturday to cross the block and be sold when the hammer dropped.

There were lots of surprises here on Saturday. Sellers eyes grew big as top cars were being bid up over $100,000. The 2014 edition of the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy is turning out to be an interesting study in classic car values. Our photo-journalist Bob Boberg was at the show and has some reports for us today.

The Mecum Spring Auction at Indy will run through Sunday, May 18, 2014. It is the 27th Annual Spring Classic Auction by Mecum held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Over 2,000 vehicles were scheduled to cross the block this week. There were some top quality muscle cars for sale here. And we were impressed with some of the famous race cars which would sell, many with incredible pedigree and documentation.

Here are some of the high profile cars we saw on Saturday.

1963 Shelby Cobra
Lot # S134 is a real 1963 Shelby Cobra 289, CSX2135, an early demo car used for testing. It sold early Saturday afternoon for $885,000.
1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda
A real deal 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda in Sherwood Green metallic finish with black Hemi billboards was one of only 108 Hemi Cudas produced in 1971. It was the last year of the Hemi Cuda. This one sold for $260,000.
1970 Chevelle LS6 Convertible
Lot # S130 is a very rare 1970 Chevelle SS LS6 Convertible that came from the factory with the 454/450 hp monster motor, the biggest big block of them all. Mecum has it appraised for $375,000 to $400,000. If my memory is right there were only about 16 of these ever built. It sold early Saturday afternoon for $235,000.
1968 Yenko Camaro
This is one of the first Yenko Camaros built for 1968. It is a 1968 Yenko Camaro SS built at Don Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Significantly, it is one of the first group of 20 cars, as documented in a June 5, 1968 memo from Donna Mae Mims of Yenko Chevrolet to Vince Piggins. They say it has just 1,304 actual miles. Lot # S152.  The actual price that this one sold for was $320,000. 
1964 Ford Thunderbolt
Cars On Line newsletter readers will remember the “Nazy Crate” 1964 Ford Thunderbolt, a real deal Thunderbolt with known racing pedigree. We featured it in our newsletter last year. It was lot # S162 on Saturday afternoon. The high bid was  $215,000 as it did not meet reserve.
1966 Hurst Hemi Under Glass
The famous wheel-standing 1966 Hurst Hemi Under Glass Barracuda sold for $195,000  at the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy on Saturday, Lot # S187.
1969 Camaro ZL1
A real deal 1969 Camaro ZL1 was Lot # S218.1 at the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy on Saturday. They say this one is in racing trim and has racing pedigree. It is #65 of the 69 ZL1’s ordered by Fred Gibb Chevrolet in Illinois. It is a double COPO 9560 and 9737. It was not sold on Saturday but was bid up to $340,000.
1968 Shelby GT500KR Convertible
Very early on Saturday a 1968 Shelby GT500 KR Convertible in Royal Maroon finish crossed the block for $267,500. This sale was a return to pre-recession level pricing here at the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy.
1963 Pontiac Catalina "Swiss Cheese" race car
The 1963 Pontiac “Swiss Cheese” Catalina was an attempt by Pontiac Motors to create a lighter weight Catalina to increase straight line speed at the race tracks. First the chassis was altered by cutting the inside section away from the boxed rails, leaving a U-shaped section. Then approximately 120 holes were drilled in the sides of the frame rails, removing as much material as possible. Thus the name “Swiss Cheese.” These cars are rare. This one is a real find for race car collectors. Lot # S158 is the most famous “Swiss Cheese” Catalina having been campaigned by Packer Pontiac, known as the largest Pontiac dealership. It did not sell but was bid up to $525,000 on Saturday.
1970 Plymouth Superbird
A famous 1970 Plymouth Superbird was custom equipped back in 1970 by NASCAR’s Ray Nichels to perform testing on jet aircraft for the EPA. This one-of-a-kind Superbird was restored to Nichels Engineering specs with extensive documented history. It went through on Saturday at the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy although it did not meet reserve. The high bid was $250,000.

Here are some of Friday’s top sales:

1969 Boss 429 Mustang
One of the cars to cross the auction block on Friday was an Ivy Green metallic 1969 Boss 429 Mustang, the first of four Boss 9’s to be sold here at the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy this weekend. It sold for $237,500.
1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda
On Friday night Lot # F255 was a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda with the monster 426 ci motor. It is a one-owner car that still has just 17k miles on it. It sold for $185,000 at the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy.
2005 Ford GT
With Dana Mecum standing in the background (red shirt) a 2005 Ford GT sells for $225,000 at the Mecum Spring Auction at Indy. It is a one-owner car with only 375 miles on the odometer.
1958 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
We’d been waiting to see what this beautiful 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible would sell for this weekend. It sold for $132,500 on Friday evening. This is a 370 ci Tripower car.
1937 Diamond T Pickup
Classic 1937 Diamond T Pickup Custom Express sold for $58,000. The desirable classic truck crossed the auction block at the Mecum Spring Aution at Indy on Friday, Lot # F248

 

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