Auction Preview: Mecum Seattle 2015
Mecum will look to surpass last year’s sales total of $15,125,097 when 600 vehicles cross the block June 5-6 at the company’s second annual Seattle sale. The list of available automobiles is rich in both quality and quantity, particularly with pony cars and muscle cars. As always, we’ve selected five cars that we’ll be keeping an eye on.
1970 Plymouth Hemi Road Runner
Hagerty Price Guide: $66,000 – $120,000
A Hemi Road Runner remains a veritable bargain compared to a Hemi Cuda, and prices for these cars haven’t really recovered since the big dip in the muscle car market back in 2008. Mecum’s example, finished in attractive Jamaica Blue Metallic and equipped with a 4-speed, is a fully restored car and one of 59 so equipped in 1970. If a shift in the market for these larger Hemi-powered muscle cars is going to happen, this is a car to watch.
1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro
Hagerty Price Guide: $158,000 – $330,000
Any Chevrolet with the name Yenko attached to it is a star, and this car was one of the first 50 (198 in total) equipped with the factory-installed 427 and modified to Don Yenko’s specifications in 1969. In addition to the 425-hp L72 V-8, the Yenko Super Camaros received power disc brakes, a front sway bar, cowl-induction hood, high-performance suspension and heavy duty Positraction rear end. The Hugger Orange muscle car that will cross the block in Seattle is a slightly older rotisserie restoration and proven show car. GM fans with deep enough pockets will be clamoring to bid on this one.
1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88
Hagerty Price Guide: $410,000 – $735,000
Very conservatively rated at 430 hp and equipped with transistorized ignition, heavy-duty suspension and radio and heater delete, the L88 was little more than a race car for the road. Its high price and the fact that it wasn’t highly publicized by GM meant that production numbers were very low. Combined with the ground-pounding performance, that rarity (116 built in 1969) has made the L88 a darling among Corvette collectors. Mecum’s Fathom Green example stands out even further in that it is original and unrestored, and it has Bloomington Gold Survivor honors to back it up. The catalogue shows the car with 47,728 miles on the odometer, and given the current premium for preserved cars, it’s natural to expect even more interest in this car than normal for an L88.
2005 Panoz Esperante GTLM Convertible
Hagerty Price Guide: N/A
The Esperante is undoubtedly a future collectible. The aluminum-bodied, V-8-powered automobile is a low-volume American sports car with a solid motorsports pedigree, and that’s not a claim that many cars can make. Don Panoz can also be looked at as sort of a modern day Briggs Cunningham, so it’s easy to see how Panoz’s cars will likely be highly coveted in the future. Mecum’s example is a GTLM model, which adds a supercharger to the Ford-sourced V-8 to make 420 hp. It is also represented with less than 10,000 miles, making it even more appealing to a serious collector.
1999 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster
Hagerty Price Guide: N/A
With values shooting way up for other modern Lambos like the Silver Anniversary Countach, the Diablo is sure to become more desirable as well. Lamborghini only built about 300 Diablo VT Roadsters from 1995 to 2000, and Mecum’s example features special order Titanium Silver Metallic paint and is represented with just over 30,000 miles. It’s one of only a handful of exotics that will be crossing the block in Seattle, so there will likely be plenty of interest.
