Auction Recap: Mecum’s 2014 Monterey sale

Mecum Auctions returned to California for its sixth annual Monterey sale, Aug. 14-16, 2014, and preliminary results put the event essentially on par with the 2013 outing, with a total of $33.5 million earned, including buyer’s premium. Mecum is famous for putting together post-block sales, and this figure is expected to rise by as much as $1 million by the time the dust settles.

The auction’s top sale was a 1961 Ferrari 250 Series II Cabriolet that only had 5,402 km on the odometer. The car had come out of three decades of storage in 2009 and was subsequently “rehabilitated” (as opposed to restored). Buyers were sufficiently impressed to pay a premium, purchasing the car for $2.43 million. Other high sales include the ex-Peter Revson 1972 McLaren M20 Can-Am race car that sold for $2.16 million, a 1930 Duesbenberg Model J Torpedo Berline convertible that nabbed $1.539 million, and a pair of 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwings that went for $1.485 million and $1.161 million respectively.

What set Mecum apart from other sales of the week, however, was the abundance of affordable cars. Some of those cars, like the 1967 Sunbeam Tiger Mk II convertible that sold for an astonishing $226,800, far surpassed expectations. Others, however, like the 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza hardtop coupe (sold for $9,720) and the 1969 Jeepster Commando (sold for $13,500), reinforced that even in one of the toniest zip codes in America there is still a car for every budget.

Overall Top 10 Sales:

1. 1961 Ferrari 250 SII Cabriolet sold for $2,430,000
2. 1972 McLaren M20 Can-Am sold for $2,160,000
3. 1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Berline Convertible sold for $1,539,000
4. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe sold for $1,485,000
5. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe sold for $1,161,000
6. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster sold for $1,080,000
7. 1995 Porsche 962 K8 Spyder sold for $1,004,400
8. 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible sold for $847,800
9. 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Coupe sold for $702,000
10. 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition Coupe sold for $550,000

Mecum’s next event is scheduled for Sept. 3-6, 2014, in Dallas, Texas. Among the expected 1,000 cars that will be offered are a 1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro, a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 convertible and a 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda coupe with 4-speed.