Auction Report: Mecum Houston 2024

Mecum Auctions first started coming to Houston in 2012, and the sale has since become a fixture of the spring auction season. It’s always been a fairly large sale in terms of car count and total dollar volume, although 2024 was down slightly in both measures compared to the more exuberant sales of the prior two years.

Classics have traditionally ruled the day here (a Ford GT40 sold for $7M in Houston ten years ago), but the older high-dollar cars were scarce this year, and several of those that were present didn’t meet reserve (a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing stalled out with a $1.3M bid and 1968 Lamborghini Islero did the same after a $190K bid). In fact, the top seven sales were all modern cars, and Mecum sold a whopping five one-year-old Challenger SRT Demons for a total of $998,250. There was also a ten-vehicle “Texas Movie Car Collection,” including an A-Team GMC van, which added a dose of fun even though all but a couple of the NASCAR cars were replicas.

We examined some of the more interesting cars and significant sales in detail below.

Lot S288: 1998 Toyota Supra Mk IV Turbo Sport Roof

Sold for $118,250

Chassis no. JT2DE82A2W1001377. White over black leather. Unrestored original, #3 condition.

Equipment: 2997-cc/320hp I-6, 6-speed, rear spoiler, power windows, air conditioning, modern Kenwood touchscreen.

Condition: Represented as a one-owner car with 45,013 miles. No visible modifications, but definitely a used car with aged, peeling wheels, dirt and dust under the hood, some small rock chips in the windshield, faded badges, aged brakes, worn seats, and dirt in the carpets. Despite all that, the single ownership and the unmodified condition are enough to make this Supra very interesting to the right kind of buyer.

Bottom line: When they were in their prime, Supras were often heavily modified, driven hard, or cannibalized for their tuner-friendly 2JZ engines. Since becoming rather valuable modern collector cars, though, reasonably clean and unmodified Mk IV Supras command a lot of attention when they come to market, and this one-owner car was no exception. Ten years ago, it might have sold for a third as much as this. In 2024, though, a single-owner Supra, even in slightly scruffy condition, can be a six-figure car.

Lot F64: 1984 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

Sold for $44,000

Chassis no. 1G1AP87GXEN133384. Black and gray over light gray. Unrestored original, #2 condition.

Equipment: 305-cid/190hp V-8, automatic, mud flaps, factory cassette.

Condition: Showing 277 miles that are represented as actual. It does, however, show some age, with a tiny dent on the left front and paint that looks like it has been cleaned and wiped a few too many times.

Bottom line: 277 miles on a 40-year-old car would suggest a perfectly preserved, showroom-fresh specimen, but that’s not quite what this car is. It has changed hands surprisingly often in recent years, and its results seem to vary by how close people inspected its condition relative to its odometer reading. In 2021, it sold on Bring a Trailer for $26,775, then in Scottsdale the following year for $40,700, and again on Bring a Trailer that summer for $28,560. Its most recent result was at Mecum Glendale last year for $30,800, and it brought absolute top dollar in Houston, entirely thanks to the right buyer being seduced by the mileage.

Lot S219: 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster

Sold for $209,000

Chassis no. ZHWBU26S45LA01699. Giallo Evros with black cloth top over black and yellow leather. Original, #3+ condition.

Equipment: 6192-cc/580hp V-12, paddle shifters, yellow calipers.

Condition: Represented with 19,038 miles. Has a handful of paint chips and a couple more chips in the windshield. The removable cloth top is dirty and wrinkled, likely from poor storage. Leather is wrinkled as well. This car could be a lot cleaner given the reasonably low miles and how expensive it is.

Bottom line: As far as auction appearances go, the third time was the charm for this Murci. It was a $175K no-sale in Kissimmee back in January, and a $160K no-sale at Mecum Glendale last month. Typically, bids don’t go significantly higher after multiple no-sales, but that’s what happened here. It also brought a surprisingly high price given its mileage and flaws.

Lot S113: 1938 Plymouth PT-57 Pickup

Sold for $46,200

Chassis no. 8622841. Dark blue with black fenders over black vinyl. Truck restoration, #2- condition.

Equipment: 201-cid flathead I-6, floor shift 3-speed, hub caps and trim rings, whitewalls, amber fog lights, ship hood ornament, single side-mount spare.

Condition: There are some minor blemishes in the paint and scratches in the bed, but the wheels and tires are perfect, the interior very clean, and the chassis nearly spotless. Given tons of attention, and when was the last time you saw a prewar Plymouth pickup?

Bottom line: Plymouth had an on-again, off-again run of light duty trucks from its first in 1937 until its last in the early 1980s, but they were never big sellers and they’re all a very rare sight these days. So rare that it’s hard to say where the market is for one like this, but the mid-$40K range seems like appropriately strong money given that scarcity. That the same truck also sold at Mecum Dallas in 2017 for $40,150 further confirms that.

Lot S131.1: 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe

Sold for $176,000

Chassis no. WP0JB0936KS050498. Guards Red over black leather. Unrestored original, #2- condition.

Equipment: 3299-cc/282hp H-6, 5-speed, rear vents, modular wheels sunroof, air conditioning, Alpine CD.

Condition: Represented as one of 34 factory slant-nose 930s built for North America in 1989. Reportedly stolen from the dealership when it was new and insurance paid out before it was recovered, so it has a salvage title. Showing 39,075 believable miles. The paint and exterior plastic are a little aged but not bad and don’t show any major blemishes. Good, lightly worn interior.

Bottom line: 1989 was the last year for the original 911 Turbo (930), and was the only year the model got Porsche’s G50 five-speed gearbox instead of the original four-speed. That it’s a 1989 is enough to pique interest, and that it’s a factory slant nose (there are plenty of clones) is even better. But even though the salvage title is from ancient history, it exists and it will follow the car around. Worldwide Auctioneers sold it in 2022 for $212,800, which was a surprisingly strong result, but it came at a noticeable discount here in Houston.

Lot S350: 1966 Ford Mustang Coupe

Sold for $27,500

Chassis no. 6R07T227135. Blue over blue vinyl. Enthusiast restoration, #3+ condition.

Equipment: 200-cid/120hp I-6, floor shift 3-speed manual, wheel covers, Uniroyal tires, vintage-style radio.

Condition: Restored in 2010 and has the original drivetrain. Heavily scratched chrome. Scratched original glass. Aged body trim. Very good paint. Clean wheels. Very good interior.

Bottom line: This is about as basic and bland as a ‘66 Mustang gets, so it’s impressive that someone took the time to restore it, even if there were plenty of corners cut. It’s hard to explain this price, though. Maybe someone who had one just like it back in the day fell in love with it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a stretch to get a 289/200hp or even a ’66 GT for this kind of money.

Lot S227.1: 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish

Sold for $140,250

Chassis no. SCFKDCEP4EGJ01157. Pearl White over beige leather. Original, #2 condition.

Equipment: 6000-cc/565hp V-12, automatic, red calipers, carbon fiber exterior package, Bang & Olufsen stereo.

Condition: Represented with 9786 miles. It could use a light detailing, but otherwise still looks like a new car.

Bottom line: A second-gen Vanquish is a seriously handsome car inside and out, and the pearl paint on this one is spectacular. Alas, it’s still a 10-year-old car, and despite all the shifts in the market over the past four years, the laws of depreciation still very much apply to modern Astons. This one’s MSRP was represented as $325,000.

Lot S123: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro COPO

Sold for $137,500

Chassis no. 124379N709612. Azure Turquoise with black vinyl roof over black vinyl. Older restoration, #2- condition.

Equipment: 427-cid/425hp L72 V-8, automatic with horseshoe shifter, 4.10 Positraction, power steering, F41 suspension, hub caps, Goodyear Polyglas tires, console.

Condition: Represented as one of the last documented COPO Camaros built and with a replacement, but date-code-correct, L72 engine. Nearly spotless engine. Mostly very good paint and chrome. Clean, tight roof vinyl. Imperfect panel fit. Very good interior. A mostly gorgeous, well-equipped Camaro with light age on its restoration.

Bottom line: “Matching numbers” aren’t just a nice thing to have. They make a big difference in value, particularly on high-tier muscle cars that can have lots of minor differences and be relatively easy to clone. That this is a documented COPO built with a 427 from new is a good thing, but its replacement engine saw it discounted to #3 money even though it’s a #2 car.

***

Check out the Hagerty Media homepage so you don’t miss a single story, or better yet, bookmark it. To get our best stories delivered right to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters.