Last week we attended Mecum's Orlando sale. Next week we'll head to Monterey.
Did Orlando give us any hints for Monterey? Maybe.
Five of Mecum's top-10 sales: Corvettes, with five of them modified with big wheels, late-model engines and updated trimmings.
The week’s top two sales tied at $352,000: a very original, low-mileage 1970 Mustang Boss 429 and a 1961 Corvette updated with a Gen V 6.2-liter engine, Art Morrison chassis, C7 Corvette suspension and low-profile tires wrapped around alloy wheels.
Other modified Corvettes from Mecum’s top-10 list:
The lone stock Corvette to crack the top 10: a 1967 Corvette L89 convertible that had received an NCRS Top Flight award.
10 more takeaways from Mecum’s Orlando sale:
Which way is the muscle car market heading? A 1970 Plymouth Superbird with the 440 and six-pack setup–a legend in the field–went unsold at $200,000. No. 1 price on it is $220,000, but Hagerty shows declining values.
Perhaps not all Porsche 930 prices are sliding. This slant nose built by Porsche’s Special Wishes program got $286,000. (No. 1 prices are now down to about $200,000.)
Always a big question: What will Shelbys bring in at Monterey? This 1967 Shelby GT500–factory air and a four-speed–went for $231,000, so almost No. 2 money.
Mecum offered a few clean, stock Fox-body Mustangs, with a red GT bringing in $38,500. Hagerty says that the best of the best is currently worth $30,600.
Are late-model Japanese classics today’s hot thing? This Japanese-market 1996 Honda Integra Type R went for $27,500. U.S. sales didn’t start until the following model year.
[Could your next classic come from Japan?]
Someone paid $18,700 for a very presentable 1991 Corvette ZR-1 in Turquoise Metallic; that’s just a tick more than No. 3 money. (A prototype ZR-1 went for just $27,500.)
Cool cars can be found at nearly any budget: A very clean 1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe went for $9900.
Mecum offered about a dozen Corvairs–all stock or at least looking period-correct. The Rampsides performed best–$23,100 and $24,200–with a Corsa Convertible going for $23,650. A 700 sedan brought in $9900.
Rally cars are hot. This 1990 Peugeot 205 GTI–no provenance given–brought in $49,500.
Did someone steal this Land Cruiser? Prices have zigged and zagged a bit, but a top FJ40 should bring in close to $80,000. This 1976 Toyota HJ-45 Land Cruiser Pickup–a different take than the usual–went unsold at $28,000.
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By David S. Wallens
Photography by David S. Wallens; Lead Photograph Courtesy Mecum Auctions
