See How Wrong (or Right) We Were About These Mecum Muscle Cars!

What we said: Of the seven vehicles from the Don Johnson collection (which is substantially a memorabilia collection) it is the 1963 Split-Window Corvette coupe that has risen to most prominence in the run-up to Dallas Mecum. Of the 14 mid-year Corvettes (1963-1967) being offered for auction at Dallas, this four-speed manual 327ci/300-hp car is neither the rarest, the most documented, nor the most capable, but therein lies the secret to this car’s allure; rank-and-file collectors seem to be searching for a bargain in the mid-year Corvette space and this one could be it, as long as the reserve isn’t too high. Things to note about this car: It’s not the prized fuelie model (like this one here [which hammered for $176,000 —ed.]) it doesn’t seem to have any NCRS documentation to accompany the sale, the exterior paint color is not original to the car, and, most important, there’s no engine bay photography supplied by the seller, which is an unusual omission given the car’s high interest level. Hagerty gives a 1963 Corvette split-window coupe in good condition like this one a value of $109,000.

What happened at auction: Interest in this 1963 split-window coupe was high and the bidding soared to $130,000. This was well over the car’s valuation but still did not meet the seller’s reserve and continued to Mecum’s «The Bid Goes On.» This was a case of the seller having too great an emotional attachment and believing it was worth more than the market currently supports. Welcome to the high end of the Corvette world!

What we said: The Yenko Chevrolet dealership of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was a notorious hub of muscle car activity in the late 1960s. Its long line of upgraded Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas leveraged the family dealership’s deep internal knowledge of Chevy’s obscure Central Office Production Order (COPO) system, allowing it to magically order hopped-up cars that few dealerships knew how to procure direct from the factory. The Yenko Nova program began in 1969 with 396ci and 427ci big-blocks but turned to Chevy’s more-insurable 350ci/360-hp solid-lifter small-block LT-1 for the 1970 model, nicknamed «Deuce» for the car’s Chevy II origins. Just 175 Yenko Deuces were built and sold in 1970, with only 10 of them bathed in Sunfire Yellow, one being this stunning four-speed example crossing the Mecum block on Friday, September 23. Hagerty gives LT1-equipped 1970 Chevy Yenko «Deuce» Novas like this one a valuation of $93,600 in good condition.

What happened at auction: This is truly a special car with a unique history, rarity, and superb documentation. Unlike the ’63 Corvette coupe above, it’s not one of many but one of a few. It’s no surprise that this one changed hands for $112,750 (hammer price plus fees).

What we said: The Oldsmobile 4-4-2—Lansing’s answer to the burgeoning muscle car market started by its intermural rival Pontiac—was the GM division’s appropriately upscale response to the 1960s performance revolution. Endowed with the genre’s typical high-performance goodies such as a powerful V-8 engine, four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual gearbox, and dual exhaust, the Oldsmobile 4-4-2 customer profile also demanded a more luxurious approach that would separate it from the herd as a gentleman’s muscle car. For 1970, GM dropped the restriction on engines over 400 cubic-inches and Oldsmobile responded with a 455ci big-block producing 365 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. The W30 performance package, found on this Mecum auction example, pushed the pony tally to 370 hp while also adding a fiberglass W-25 hood, low-restriction air cleaner, functional air ducts, aluminum intake manifold, better-breathing heads, and a new camshaft. Earlier this year at Mecum’s Tulsa auction, a similar 1970 Olds 4-4-2 with the W30 package was bid up to $85,000 with the reserve going unmet. Hagerty values a 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 with the W30 option at $74,400 in good condition, but this well-documented Oldsmobile Nationals winner could bring more!

What happened at auction: Cha-ching! When it comes to collecting Oldsmobiles, none are more sought after than 1970 442 W-30 cars. After a long and happy life with its seller it changed hands for a model-topping $121,000 (hammer price plus fees). In this case, lots of advanced interest translated into a quality set of bidders.

What we said: Mecum’s lot number S114.1, a 1959 Chevy Impala scheduled to cross the auction block Saturday, September 23, is one of the nicer examples we’ve seen in the pro-touring build style. As the car that ushered into existence the popular but short-lived «bubbletop» greenhouse style, the full-size 1959 Chevys are the pinnacle of American style and excess, made imminently more livable with the many modern chassis and powertrain components available today. The long, swoopy lines of the ’59 Impala are a strong inspiration to street rod builders today (this model built in this style is practically a meme at this point), and buyers are understandably curious about the transplanted LS3/495-hp V-8, automatic overdrive transmission, Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes, and other modern conveniences. Though the Mecum listing doesn’t call out which shop built this one, in the case of a highly modified pro-touring car with lots of customization, that could make a significant difference in the hammer price. The 14 pro-touring/restomod 1959 Chevy Impalas auctioned by Mecum since 2017 have an average transaction price (hammer plus fees) of $124,850.

What happened at auction: We got this one so right, it’s scary. With the hammer price and fees, this one went out the door for $121,000. We’ll reiterate—in the pro-touring space, the reputation of the builder does make a difference. This car might have fetched a bit more if buyers had known who built it.

What we said: The newest, fastest version of Chevrolet’s Corvette is always going to find a large pot of interested buyers, and this low-mileage (1,625 original miles), highly optioned 2023 Corvette Z06 convertible is no different. We’re fortunate that this Dallas auction example, lot F279, is a current-model-year Z06 convertible and that the seller has listed all of the major options (there are a lot!), which include the 670-hp LT4 powerplant, eight-speed dual-clutch trans, 3LZ performance package, Z07 performance package, carbon-fiber aero treatment, gray satin black graphite wheels, and a bunch more. We hit the Chevrolet.com website and replicated the build options on this car and discovered it has an MSRP of around $145,525—an amount we think will be easily exceeded for this low-mileage example.

What happened at auction: In Dallas, newer Corvettes were stacked up like pallets of mayonnaise at Costco. Scratch that. At all auctions, newer Corvettes are stacked up like pallets of mayonnaise at Costco—that’s because they’re a commodity, not a rarity. Unless you’re selling something really rare, don’t get emotionally attached. The bidding topped-out at a stratospheric $175,000 before the seller thumbed his nose. The bid goes on … this example proves that lots of advance interest does result in a higher bid ($30K by our count), but if you’re too dumb to put the right reserve on it, it’s just a waste of airtime.

What we said: The classic 1958 Chevy Corvette convertible is an icon recognized by all car-lovers everywhere. It’s therefore no surprise to find a 1958 Corvette convertible in the top search queries going into Mecum’s Dallas auction. Described in Dallas lot S155.1 as a «custom,» we’d call it a full-blown pro touring street rod, given its thoroughly modernized, 525-hp LS3, Art Morrison frame, four-wheel disc brakes, 4L70E four-speed automatic overdrive, and C7-generation suspension bits. What’s unfortunate for the seller is that the history of hammered sales of pro-touring 1958 Corvettes is not great, with most 1958 Corvette restomods historically not meeting reserve. Why, you ask? It’s a common conundrum for car builders and restorers: Do you restore it as accurately as possible, or do you turn it into a street-and-track terror—or something in between? Buyers seem to be swayed towards the restored and authenticated side, perhaps fearing the many unknown mechanical one-off parts typical of such builds. Those pro touring ’58 Corvettes that do meet the hammer successfully (just six in the past 10 years!) average $221,833.

What happened at auction: The seller walked away from Dallas as a very happy individual, seeing how it commanded a $346,500 selling price (hammer price plus fees). Lots of advance interest did result in a superior set of bidders for this one! Takeaway: Sometimes, seeing a car up-close, in person versus looking at photos, can reveal attention to detail that a camera just can’t capture. This one was clearly heads above the others!

What we said: If you want more horsepower on tap than a 2023 Dodge SRT Demon 170—and you want that power in a 100-percent street-legal, built-by-the-factory configuration—you’re going to have to be a little creative, and a lot rich! Offered for auction at Dallas Mecum as lot S125.1, this McLaren will get you exactly 10 more horsepower than the Dodge, at 1,035 hp. When you collect your 2020 McLaren Speedtail at the end of the day on Saturday, September 23, you will likely have paid more than the car’s initial MSRP of $2.3M. This example, number 77 of 106 produced, has exactly 1,237 terrifying, white-knuckle miles on it, or, said another way, it cost the original owner about 35 cents per foot to drive, and he’ll be lookin’ to recoup all 6.5-plus million of those feet. Must be nice to be a tech billionaire! Still not convinced this one’s for you? You’ll be comforted to know it comes with a tool kit.

What happened at auction: Bidders are a lot smarter than we give them credit and thankfully nobody threw truly stupid money at this clown car—bidding ran out at a «soft» $2M. The bid goes on—but we don’t think anybody’s nibbling on that one. In this case, lots of advance web interest amounted to nothing more than looky-loo-ism. The smart McLaren money went to Mecum lot S170, a 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, which sold at Dallas for $73,700.

What we said: Speculators who don’t have a lot of vehicle-specific background knowledge can sometimes set themselves up to get burned. Just ask anybody who’s ever bought a 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6 and didn’t get it painstakingly researched by an independent expert ahead of time. Fortunately for fans of classic Shelby Mustangs like this 1965 Shelby GT350 Fastback being auction at Dallas as lot S117, there are a ton of safeguards that prevent that kind of bad stuff from happening. You can actually be a straight-up idiot and not get it wrong, as long as it’s a legit Shelby with all its VINs intact, it has a Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) verification letter, and it is included in the Shelby registry. This example, a Wimbledon White 289ci/306-hp, four-speed Shelby, has all that and more. Hagerty values a 1965 Shelby GT350 in good condition at about $406,000. This one from a known Shelby collector is a five-time first-place winner at the annual SAAC meet in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. You have our permission—nay, the mission!—to bid on this one.

What happened at auction: Provided you’ve got the money, bidding on an established Shelby Mustang is money in the bank. Because the SAAC and the Shelby registry have put in place such good fraud guardrails (not to mention available Ford-specific Marti reports) there’s almost no chance a fake can slip into the mix. This one does seem to prove lots of interest ahead of auction signals lots of quality bidders, and this one didn’t disappoint with a selling price of $522,500 (hammer price plus fees).