Mecum Auctions Kissimmee sale results reach $40 million

Mecum has tabulated the results from its Kissimmee Auction and reported strong sales for the Florida sale. We'll have line-by-line sales results in a March issue of Old Cars Weekly with condition ratings by OCW auction correspondent Phil Skinner, but the following release from Mecum Auctions should whet the appetite of auction goers.

MECUM AUCTIONS REPORTS FINAL SALES FROM 2011
KISSIMMEE REACHING $40 MILLION

Rare Boats, Winning Muscle Cars Lead Results from the Five-Day Auction

MARENGO, Ill. - After five days of high-energy crowds and eager bidding, Mecum Auctions announces total gross sales (excluding buyer's premium) for its 2011 Kissimmee Auction reached an impressive $39.9 million.

With sales continuing to take place after the weekend event via Mecum's "The Bid Goes On" department, the company anticipates final totals will certainly exceed $40 million.

Nearly 1,500 cars went up for bid during the auction, which took place Jan. 26-30 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla., and had a 73% sell-through rate. Mecum's top seller ($975,000) was a rare wooden boat known as "The Last Riva" - a 1996 Riva Aquarama Special Hull #774 that was the last Riva hand-built wooden boat sold to the public.

"Our Kissimmee Auction continues to evolve each year into a larger and larger event with increased sales, greater attendance and enthusiasm, and more collectible vehicles crossing the auction block," said President Dana Mecum. "We offered a wide variety of classic cars, motorcycles, wooden boats as well as automotive memorabilia. The collector world has definitely expanded into new markets, and the Mecum Auctions team is excited and prepared to lead the charge with our popular events that deliver something for everyone's taste and budget."

The Top 10 Kissimmee Auction Sales (all sales reflect hammer prices) were:
1. 1996 Riva Aquarama Special Hull #774 (Lot S182) at $975,000
2. 1963 Shelby Cobra DragonSnake (Lot S121.1) at $875,000
3. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster (Lot F211.1) at $550,000
4. 1970 Riva Aquarama Series III Hull #416 (Lot S183) at $325,000
5. 1957 Ford Thunderbird DF Phase 1 (Lot F209) at $250,000
6. 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible Ram Air III (Lot S233) at $225,000
7. 1940 Packard Darrin Convertible (Lot S97) at $205,000
8. 2007 Chevrolet Budweiser #8 NASCAR (Lot S201) at $200,000
9. 1932 Ford Hi Boy Roadster (Lot S228) at $180,000
10. 1964 Mercury A/FX Comet (Lot F163) at $175,000

Complete results are available to Mecum InfoNet members, which is free to join at www.Mecum.com. Mecum InfoNet members can log in to see car-by-car results by visiting the Results Page.

You can watch coverage of past Mecum Auctions, including the recent Kissimmee event, every Saturday evening during their popular TV series "Mecum Auto Auctions: Muscle Cars & More" airing on Discovery Communications' HD Theater. Visit http://dhd.discovery.com for show times.

The Mecum Auction Company has been specializing in the sale of collector cars for 24 years, now offering an industry-leading 7,500 collector cars per year. Next on the Mecum schedule is the Spring Kansas City Auction, March 11-12, 2011, in Kansas City, MO. Consignment, bidder and event information is available online at www.Mecum.com or by calling 815.568.8888.

Mecum Auctions' top seller on four wheels was the 1963 Shelby Cobra DragonSnake, which sold for $875,000.

Muscle cars were Mecum Auctions' strongest sellers at its Kissimmee sale, but some of those muscle cars had fins. This 1957 Ford Thunderbird DF Phase 1 was one of those muscle cars and sold at $250,000.