Bloomington Gold 2009 was held June 25-27 at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Ill. As usual, it showcased thousands of Corvettes from the oldest one to the newest. But there was plenty special about the show and the most exciting thing in general was a special collection of about 75 Corvettes that represented the high points in the marque’s styling, racing and personality car history. Each of these cars was a unique machine of great historical significance.
The Mecum Bloomington Gold Auction was also special this year, as it moved inside the resort’s Mega Center. This seemed to be a positive change, as the top 10 sales all peaked at over $10,000. Dana Mecum’s crew topped the charts with a 1968 Corvette L88 427-cid 430-hp four-speed car netting $300,000. A 1967 Corvette 427/435 four-speed convertible came in second at $196,000, followed by a similar car that realized $156,000. The heavily-advertised 1964 Ozzie Olson GM styling car pulled a $100,000 winning bid. We did note a pretty nice looking, black Midyear coupe in the after-sale lot with a “sold-for-$29,0000” sticker, so not every car in the auction was out of the average collector’s reach.
"Gunner" is one of of the most prolific authors and most visible characters in the old car hobby. He has written dozens of books about old cars for Krause Publications and is the former editor and publisher of Old Cars Weekly. His collecting pursuits range from old Pontiacs, to MGs, to retired police cruisers, to Indian motorcycles. He remains a frequent contributor to Old Cars Weekly and owns and operates Gunner’s Great Garage, a classic car restoration and gift shop in Manawa, Wis.
