Cobras, ‘Cudas and a Cheetah are some of the featured wildlife habituating Mecum Auctions’ 32nd annual Indianapolis sale, with around 2,000 collector cars crossing the block during the six-day event.
The auction, which starting Tuesday and continues through May 19, features a wide and varied selection of vehicles, headlined by the acclaimed Steven Juliano Estate Collection that features “four of the rarest and most correct Shelby Cobras in existence, three of the storied original Plymouth Rapid Transit System factory show cars, an original Cheetah race car and thousands of pieces of the rarest original muscle-car-era Road Art in existence,” according to the Mecum catalog.
Also on the docket are a collection of 15 two-seat Ford Thunderbirds, a majority of them performance-tuned F-Code cars, coming from renowned Thunderbird restorer Amos Minter.
All told, vehicles from 19 collections are included in the sale, including such other important groupings as the Jim Wangers Collection, the Zandee Collection, the Vintage Dream Car Collection, the Waterford Collection and the Academy of Art University Collection.
Flying a bit under the radar at Indy is an unusual low-mileage survivor, a 1973 Chevrolet Camaro Type LT coupe coming from single ownership and showing just 18,000 miles on its odometer. The fully load Luxury Touring model is equipped with the total lineup of sport/performance and deluxe features, including a Turbofire 350cid V8 with 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, linked with a 4-speed manual transmission and Positraction rear.
“The Camaro LT option was a way to offer a package of upgrades throughout the vehicle in lieu of multiple single options, making these among the most deluxe releases on this body at the time,” Mecum says in the catalog description.
The Camaro was sold new to the current owners, Tom and Karen Buelow, by Dale Chevrolet of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and it comes with the original window sticker and hand-written sales receipt, as well as the owner’s hand-written maintenance log.
The treasured time-warp Camaro, which is on the Thursday docket, is in immaculate unrestored condition, Mecum says.
“Still wearing its original Midnight Blue paint, the car was further dressed up with front and rear spoilers, bumper guards, door-edge trim and thin-line chrome rocker moldings,” the catalog says. “Inside, it retains the black cloth interior with light-blue inserts, factory air conditioning, Soft Ray tinted glass, Delco AM/FM radio with rear-seat speaker, floor mats, factory floor shifter and 4-spoke Type LT sport steering wheel.
“Rally wheels are wrapped in Firestone Wide Oval tires, with the unused spare remaining in the trunk.”
For more information on Mecum’s Indianapolis sale, visit the auction website.
