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HomeNews and EventsMecum tops $39 million for first Arizona auction

Mecum tops $39 million for first Arizona auction

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Mecum Auctions’ inaugural collector car sale in the Phoenix area generated more than $39 million in transactions, an 85 percent boost when compared with any previous first-time Mecum event.

That $39 million figure includes $5.5 million from a private sale off the block of a 2016 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, and the overall total may increase as Mecum’s Bid Goes On department continues to close several potential post-auction sales.

However, because it was a private sale, the LaFerrari Aperta is not included in the auction’s official top-10 sales listing.

The auction also drew some controversy over the authenticity of several NASCAR cars purported to have been raced by Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr.

Rollston-bodied 1932 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Berline brought $880,000 on the block with commission

After praising the State Farm Stadium venue and the auction’s promotional partnership with the City of Glendale, Arizona, Mecum chief executive Dave Magers said in the company’s news release that, “We have bold plans for future successes like this, and we can hardly wait for our 2020 return.”

Mecum announced the Glendale sale late last fall, planning a 2-day event featuring around 600 vehicles. However, so many people wanted to consign vehicles to the auction that it grew into a more than 1,300-vehicle, 4-day event, and likely will span at least 5 days in 2020.

“The City of Glendale and Mayor Jerry Weiers proved to be natural and valued partners in the promotion of this great event and that our visions for Mecum’s growth in Arizona are in total alignment,” Magers said.

In announcing the auction results, the auction company noted the diversity of the docket as displayed by the top-3 sales — a Detroit muscle car, a pre-war American classic and a late-model Ferrari exotic.

1955 Chrysler Ghia ST Special was bid to $450,000 but was not hammered sold

Top-10 sales, Mecum Phoenix 2019

  1. 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T convertible, $1,430,000
  2. 1932 Duesenberg Model J Rollston Torpedo Berline, $880,000
  3. 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO, $770,000
  4. 1970 Plymouth Superbird, $357,500
  5. 1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro, $231,000
  6. 1967 Ford Mustang fastback, $225,500
  7. 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 fastback, $209,000
  8. 2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom drophead coupe, $195,250
  9. 1962 Chevrolet Corvette convertible, $187,000
  10. 1989 Ferrari Testarossa, $181,500

(Prices include buyer’s fee.)

Dana Mecum (in red vest) keeps an eye on the action as a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette is up for bidding

Mecum’s next auction is scheduled for April 4-6 at Houston, followed May 14-19 by Dana Mecum’s 32nd Original Spring Classic at Indianapolis.

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Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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