Excitement Over American Muscle Continues to Grow!

MCACN 2016 Sneak Peek*

 

 

1974 Super Duty Trans Am

Getting ready for the 2016 MCACN Show!

Owner; Lance Lindenmuth, Nebraska

 

 

AUCTION ACTION FUELS THE EXCITEMENT OVER AMERICAN MUSCLE

Now that the auctions have wound down and the big orange Reliable trucks are delivering cars all across the country to new caretakers, we can certainly see that the excitement and passion for the cars that we love is indeed alive and well. Looks like 2016 is going to be a great year for all of us!

 

 

Kicking things off in Kissimmee, Florida the Mecum Monumental Muscle Auction was a huge success with nearly 3,000 vehicles crossing the block. “The jump in totals, the rise in individual vehicle values and the 78-percent sell-through rate we achieved are evidence of the extremely high quality of the vehicles and Road Art offered at the 2016 event, as well as the strong demand. It’s a clear indication of the thriving state of both the collector-car and memorabilia markets,” stated Mecum Auctions’ President and Founder Dana Mecum. Of course, the “Monumental Muscle” that crossed the block Friday was a highlight, with nearly all of the cars that you saw at MCACN going home to new owners. All three of the 426 Hemi E-Body convertibles found new owners, with each going to new individual owners. The Sublime Challenger brought a record smashing $1,650,000.00 (going to a Chicago area collector!) while the Sno-White ‘71 Hemi ‘Cuda brought $2,300,000.00. Some may be surprised to hear that it was the ‘70, not the ‘71, that drew the highest bid selling for $2,675,000.00 to long time MCACN participant/supporters. As an FYI, although the ‘71’s generally command a higher price, in this case the ‘71 was an automatic while the ‘70 was a Pistol-grip 4-speed. All three were prime examples and it was great having them in the Mecum Auctions display at MCACN! Other notable “SOLD!” cars that were at MCACN include the wild King Cobra ($525,000.00) and several of our good friend Wayne Schmeeckle’s cars, including the ultra low mile unrestored original B5 Blue Superbird. Yes...the Mopars may have stolen the spotlight, but there were prime examples of Yenko’s, Baldwin-Motion’s, Boss Mustangs and darn near everything else you can think of. Bottom line is that this was one of the most successful auctions in Mecum history. Congrats go out to our Title Sponsor for once again making Muscle Car history!

 

Mecum Kissimmee 2016

Out west we saw a different story unfold, as many Mopars sold, but many at “bargain basement” prices. I saw a very well documented Rod Shop Pro Stock Challenger hammered at a mere $40,000.00 and Challenger T/A’s and AAR ‘Cuda’s were all over the map, with some downright cheap and some considerably higher. And then we have the various Pontiac Trans Ams; yes...several ‘73 and ‘74 Super Duty Trans Ams did well, including the gorgeous Gold Concours winning white ‘74 S.D. that we saw at MCACN, but what was up with the 1980 that sold for $100,000.00, or the ‘79 Anniversary Edition at a whopping $187,000.00, including fees? Sure, they are great cars and they were both “still in the wrapper” fresh with ultra low miles, but were you ready for that? Apparently two very qualified bidders were! I have to believe that this is an indication that we have some new younger enthusiasts entering the market...with plenty of disposable income to bring to our hobby. Indeed...this is good news for our hobby.

 

Over at Russo and Steele Stefano Bimbi of Nickey Performance brought the house down selling the MCACN Muscle Car Review Magazine cover cars display 1970 Olds 442 W-30 convertible for an auction record sale price of $308,000.00 including auction fees. Again, this is an example of a truly outstanding car, in this case what may be the finest unrestored original W-30 4-speed convertible in existence. We understand the new caretaker is from Florida, and we hope he becomes a MCACN regular! Stephen Minore, our MCACN Oldsmobile Senior Judging Consultant was on hand to explain the significance of this car and he did a great job, adding to the excitement. Congrats go out to Stefano and also to the new owner.

 

 

Another notable pattern I witnessed this year was with our friends from north of the border. With the less than favorable exchange rate, it is now a good time for Canadians to sell, instead of buy. Since many prime examples made their way over the border over the past 10-15 years, we now see an influx of great cars coming back. One of my favorites was an absolutely stunning Turquoise ‘68 Hemi 4-speed Charger that a good friend of ours sold. I am happy to say it is going home to The Brothers Collection, making this a win-win for buyer and seller. And in case you are wondering why he decided to part with it, let me say we will be making an announcement soon that will bring something entirely new to the MCACN show involving this gentleman.

 

Mecum Kissimmee 2016

So in my opinion we are now over the hump, with just a few more months of lousy weather for those of us in the midwest. There is no doubt that the excitement level is high and it is great to see that there is a pattern towards seeing some newer younger enthusiasts coming in to the hobby. We may have highlighted some of the “big bucks” cars from the auctions, but I can tell you there were plenty of entry level and mid range cars that changed hands. I don’t see any indication of people leaving the hobby, but I do see plenty that are upgrading and expanding their collections, or in some cases, downsizing but concentrating on better cars. And that is where MCACN comes into the picture.

 

Having documentation, including respected awards and judging by marque experts clearly goes a long way for both buyers and sellers. Think about it; wouldn’t you feel better purchasing a car with full docs and history along with recent awards and judging sheets from the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals? In just seven short years, we have clearly established the MCACN show and related awards to be among the most coveted and respected in the industry. Think about that the next time you buy or sell, as it is clear that the highest prices paid and the finest cars offered are presented with proof of MCACN, NCRS, MCA, SAAC and Bloomington Gold judging history. We are proud to be among the finest, and we remain committed to the utmost integrity in our Judging and awards. Bottom line is that all of these awards are earned, not handed out to anyone who just pays a fee!

 

Mecum Kissimmee 2016

So that is my take on the January Auction Action. Congrats go out to all of you who sold cars and also to everyone who was able to purchase the car or cars that you went after. I met with plenty of excited “new” owners that will be joining us this year and many of our regular participants and friends, once again assuring that we will continue to “raise the bar” with the absolute best of the best and the rarest of the rare when we return to Rosemont, (suburban Chicago), Illinois, November 19-20, 2016.

THANKS for the continued support!

The Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, aka MCACN (“Ma-Kak-aN”) is the world’s largest all-indoor specialty event devoted to Muscle Cars, Dealer-built Supercars and the finest and rarest Corvettes. We will again fill nearly 400,000 square feet of exhibit space at the beautiful Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, (suburban Chicago) Illinois. Over 500 cars and 200+ automotive only vendors will be on hand. We have FIVE area Official Host Hotels lined up now offering special deals and perks for MCACN spectators and participants, with direct booking links here; To submit an application for your car, click here. To submit an application for vendor space, click here.

Title Sponsor; Mecum Auctions. Presenting Sponsor; Bill Stasek Chevrolet.

Next week, National Media Coverage is starting to hit the stands...is your car in the magazines?
 

 
 

Bob Ashton
MCACN LLC
Managing Member

www.mcacn.com