Nearly $20 million worth of collector cars were sold by Mecum Auctions during its fifth annual auction last week in Houston, with 543 vehicles selling out of 820 that crossed the block. That number is off from the 2015 Houston sale with more than $25 million for 645 cars sold out of around 900 offered.
The three-day auction did manage to dodge the massive deluge that hit Houston on Sunday morning, just hours after the auction closed Saturday, when more than 10 inches of rain fell in a short period of time and caused widespread local flooding.
“The storm came in after the auction,” said Mecum spokesperson Christine Giovingo. “It didn’t affect us, thank goodness.”
Once again, a modern exotic 2006 Ford GT led the results, hitting $425,000 on the block Saturday for the blue-and-orange Heritage Edition sports coupe. This is the fifth time in the past year that a Ford GT has led Mecum auction results. Although later Saturday evening, a nearly identical 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition failed to reach reserve at $327,500. (All results are hammer prices that do not include auction fees.)
Two other modern exotics also broke into the top 10 sales results: a 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren in the number 3 spot, sold for $205,000, and a 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster at number 5, sold for $162,500.
The second-highest seller at Houston was an immaculate 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 in the rare color of Grabber Green that sold for $270,000. In fourth place was a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 Sport Coupe sold for $170,000.
Among the top 10 sales were a few striking bargains. Two 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427 convertibles hold down the number 8 and 10 spots, with sales numbers of just $125,000 and $117,500, respectively. Between them is a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda coupe in original unrestored condition that hammered for just $120,000.
The headline car of the Houston auction, a 1963 Corvette coupe so-called “tanker” equipped with a 36-gallon fuel tank for endurance racing, was a no sale on Saturday with bidding reaching $490,000, which was not enough to buy it.
The top-10 sales for Mecum’s Houston auction were:
1. 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition, $425,00
2. 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429, $270,000
3. 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, $205,000
4. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 coupe, $170,000
5. 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT roadster, $162,500
6. 1967 Shelby GT500, $155,000
7. 1958 Chevrolet Corvette 283/290hp, $138,000
8. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435hp convertible, $125,000
9. 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda coupe, $120,000
10. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390hp convertible, $117,500
(All results are hammer prices not including auction fees)
Next up for Mecum Auctions is its signature Spring Classic in Indianapolis from May 17 to 21. For more information, see the auction website.
mecum’s auction results are so bogus. Time after time they claim more vehicles sold and less vehicles auctioned than are reported on their website results. The result is a fabricated sell through rate.