Mecum’s Monterey sale proved that auction bargains could still be found during Car Week

A 1989 Chevrolet Camaro, built for the SCCA’s American Sedan series, sold for $9,000 – with trailer. Photos courtesy Mecum Auctions.

Though Hagerty reports a decline in overall Monterey auction sales from $397 million in 2015 to $345 million in 2016, this year’s slew of Car Week auto auctions still produced numerous event, marque and model sales records. Bargain lots may have been tough to find at some auction houses, but the variety served up by Mecum proved that bidders with more modest car shopping budgets could still find happiness during Car Week 2016.

1962 Sunbeam Alpine roadster.

Those with a passion for British cars and a budget of $15,000 or less could have taken home a “big fin” 1962 Sunbeam Alpine roadster, with what appeared to be recent paint and a refreshed interior, which sold for a hammer price of $15,000; a 1974 Jensen Healey Mk II JH5 roadster, with new floors, a new trunk and a claimed 18,000 miles, which sold for $7,500; or a driver-quality 1969 MG B GT, which sold for just $5,500. Prefer Japanese sports cars? A 1971 Datsun 240Z, reportedly restored in 2002 and in storage ever since, sold for $10,000.

1969 Dodge Dart GTS.

Fans of domestic cars had choices as well. On the muscle side, a 350-powered 1972 Chevy Nova with a four-speed manual transmission sold for $15,000, while an SCCA American Sedan-prepared 1989 Chevrolet Camaro, complete with an open trailer, sold for just $9,000 (prompting us to wonder if that price included an engine). For Mopar fans, a driver-quality 1969 Dodge Dart GTS, with its original 318 V-8, a four-speed manual transmission and a claimed 38,000 miles, went home with a new owner for a hammer price of $11,000.

1977 AMC Gremlin.

In the “you don’t see that at every show and shine” category, a well-preserved 1977 AMC Gremlin, with the 232-cu.in. six and a claimed 16,000 miles, sold for $12,000, while a presentable 1963 Buick Special convertible also found a new home for a $12,000 selling price. A 1949 Ford Custom Deluxe, said to been used in the filming of Hail Caesar with George Clooney and American Horror Story with Jessica Lange, sold for $8,250, complete with documentation on its screen history.

1966 Ford GT40 Mk I.

That’s not to say that Mecum wasn’t offering blue-chip collector cars as well, though the bulk of its top-10 list was filled out with late model exotics. Atop the standings was a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, which sold for $4.7 million, followed by a 1966 Ford GT40 MkI, said to be the first road car delivered to North America, which sold for $4.4 million; a 2003 Ferrari Enzo, which sold for $3 million; a 2014 McLaren P1, which sold for $1.85 million; a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, which sold for $1.05 million; a 2011 Ferrari 599 SA Aperta, which sold for $1.05 million; a 2006 Bugatti Veyron, which sold for $1 million; a 1965 Shelby 289 Cobra roadster, which sold for $950,000; a 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400, which sold for $790,000; and a 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO, which sold for $680,000.

For complete results from the company’s most recent Monterey sale, visit Mecum.com.

from Hemmings Daily – News for the collector car enthusiast http://ift.tt/2bUhla9