New auction at Corvettes at Carlisle

Thousands of Corvettes will make their way to Carlisle, Pa., to attend one of the world's largest gatherings of Corvettes August 24-26, at the Carlisle Fairgrounds.

New in 2007 will be the addition of an auction at the Corvettes at Carlisle event, August 24-25. The plan is to auction 160 Corvettes. This is a Corvette-only auction and the first-time that Carlisle Events has run the Corvette auction. The event will take place in the Carlisle Expo Center, one block from the Carlisle Fairgrounds.

For more information on this sale, contact Dennis Baish, auction manager, at 717-243-7855 ext. 167, or e-mail dennisb@CarlisleEvents.com

Mecum Back to the '50s Auction
B. Mitchell Carlson &
Roy Velander reporting

Mecum Collector Car Auctioneers presented its ninth annual Back to the '50s Auction at the fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minn., on June 23. Of the 218 lots offered, 109 were declared sold. This represents a 50 percent sell-through rate.

For 2007, the venue for Mecum's Back to the '50s sale moved back to its original location. However, it wasn't exactly the same as in previous years. While it was next to the Como Avenue gate, the auction was conducted in the newly constructed CHS/FFA Miracle of Birth building.

The cars consigned to the sale were a good mix of representing the collector car market, ranging from a stock 1923 Chevrolet to a stock 2002 Chevrolet Camaro. Having been extinct for a few years at this venue, there were also some European cars present. The lineup also included a selection of cars and trucks, ranging from stock mint originals to radically customized to one rotting 1956 Mercury pickup that was a bid away from becoming Chinese rebar.

Compared to the previous year's auction, there were nearly the same number of consignments and sales, so this event seems to be in a groove of consistency. Since the national trend this year has generally been between 35 to 45 percent sell-through, at a 50 percent split this was a good outing for the Mecum contingent.

Overall, there were some good buys at this sale. The top money for the day was a 1954 Corvette, which last crossed the block at Mecum's Bloomington Gold sale the previous weekend. While that car sold for what can be considered market pricing, another Corvette, a '61, was a relative bargain at $37,000.

There were also some cars that went for astoundingly high prices for their respective conditions. A '61 Corvair Monza coupe, a low number 3 condition car, sold for $4,500, and a rugged number 4 '64 Ford Galaxie 500XL convertible sold for number 3 money at $12,000.

A few years ago, it almost looked as if this venue on Mecum's circuit was on the downturn. Now, with a new home, and a stable number of consignments, the future looks good.

Mecum Bloomington Gold Auction
Bob Kroupa reporting

Corvettes at the Mecum Bloomington Gold Auction took place June 15-17 in St. Charles, Ill. Virtually all production years were represented at the auction. A total of 314 Corvettes crossed the auction block with 46 percent selling to the highest bidder. Several additional post-block sales took place after the conclusion of the auction.

Highlights of the auction include the sale of two 1953 Corvettes, rare, with a production of only 300 units. These two sold for $282,500 and $270,000, respectively. A Tuxedo black '67 convertible, with a 427-cid/435-hp engine, had been previously owned by Roby Price, a renowned Corvette collector. It was highly documented and had numerous certification awards and sold for $445,000.

A collection of five ZR-1s (1990-'95), with the original delivered miles and still on MSO, were sold as one lot for a final sale bid of $355,000. This sale is not included in the "Auction Express" published results of this auction due to having multiple units in a single lot.