HomeMediaEye Candy: Mecum's 2014 Chicago auction

Eye Candy: Mecum’s 2014 Chicago auction

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Yes, it’s an auction for buyers and sellers. However, it’s also a wonderful car show.

Mecum Auctions’ 2014 Chicago classic and collector car auction returned to the suburban Schaumburg Convention Center with an exceptional lineup of nearly 1,000 collector cars headlined by a healthy variety of American muscle, Corvettes and more.

Among the big attractions for collectors and admirers were a Bloomington Gold Survivor 1967 silver-on-red COPO Corvette convertible and a 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T. Other featured lots included two Nickey super Camaros offered from Chicago-collector Mike Guarise’s collection, as well as a Chicago-local 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A sold new from Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge and a 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 factory prototype show car.

Vehicles were up for bid all weekend. About one vehicle every two and a half minutes was the norm.

A selection of cars from the Scott Bayrach collection was especially interesting. Included were a 1950 Nash Ambassador Super Sedan, a 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Sedanette, and a 1955 Dodge Custom Lancer Royal Convertible.

By the auction’s end, muscle cars and Ford GTs dominated the sales.

Host to 936 vehicles and throngs of buyers, sellers and more than 15,000 spectators, the lineup brought an excellent variety, but it was the impressive selection of muscle that stole the spotlight and virtually every spot in top sales. With 579 of the total vehicles offered hammering sold, a 62 percent sell-through rate was achieved and total sales reached $15,267,644.

The Ford GT market has been white-hot. Auction sales were topped by three headlining vehicles, all Ford GTs. A 2006 Heritage Edition with just 182 miles took top sales honors with an impressive price of $475,000. A 2006 GT sold for $335,000 and a 2005 GT for $300,000.

A 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback, formerly from the collection of past Major League Baseball player John Smiley, brought in $200,000 and a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda sold for $185,000.

We roamed the cars and trucks assembled under the tents along with the hopeful owners who wanted to sell, bidders who wanted to seal a deal, and tire kickers galore.

There was something for everyone’s taste and for everyone’s bank account. The auction was a gallery of rolling artwork for you to admire in your garage, your driveway or cruising the streets of your town.

 

Photos by Larry Nutson

Larry Nutson
Larry Nutson
Larry Nutson is an auto industry veteran, a mechanical engineer by education and an automobile enthusiast at heart. His diverse automotive career includes a youthful stint in semi-pro drag racing, twenty-five years working for Volkswagen of America, three years of Chevrolet strategy planning at Campbell-Ewald Advertising, and a position as founding member of the Detroit-based Individual Communicators Network (ICN). He is a past chairperson of the SAE International Public Affairs Committee, has provided public relations services for SAE Congress and Formula SAE and was a consultant and sponsorship representative for the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit. Larry is the Chicago Bureau Chief for The Auto Channel and resides in Chicago.

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