Mecum to auction McDorman Collection

1955 Corvette Test Mule

MARENGO, Ill. - Mecum Auction has announced that the McDorman Collection — 25 unique vehicles from noted collector and Chevrolet dealer Bob McDorman — will cross the auction block during Dana Mecum's Original Spring Classic Auction, May 13-17 in Indianapolis, Ind.

McDorman has an impressive collection in Canal Winchester, Ohio, and occasionally works through his extensive collection of nearly 300 cars to sell duplicates and make room for something even more unique. Included in the cars up for bid is the world's first true high-performance Corvette: the 1955 Corvette Roadster Test Mule EX-87 (Lot F208).

In the early 1950s, Chevrolet chief engineer and three-time Indy 500 winner Mauri Rose had Daytona legend Smokey Yunick installed an experimental V-8 engine into a 1954 Corvette test mule, which was given the factory designation EX87. When testing was completed, the mule was given to Zora Duntov at Chevrolet Engineering to prepare for a high-speed record run at Daytona Beach in January 1956.

1964 Ozzie Olson Styling Car

Duntov modified the Corvette by increasing the engine displacement from 283 to 307ci and ordering a special camshaft that became the famous "Duntov cam." The Corvette Roadster Test Mule hit a record 163 mph at GM's Arizona Desert Proving Ground in 1955. Today, the Corvette has been restored to its original configuration as Duntov's famous record run car.

Also crossing the auction block is a 1964 Corvette Coupe Ozzie Olson GM Styling Car (Lot F210). Custom built by Bill Mitchell for industrialist Ozzie Olson, founder of the Olsonite Toilet Seat Company and famed sponsor of a series of Dan Gurney-built Eagle Indy 500 race cars, the 1964 Corvette coupe features a 327-cid/300-hp engine, automatic transmission, unique side exhaust, air conditioning, Pearl Blue exterior, Blue Line tires on chromed wire wheels as well as custom taillights, floor grates and vanity mirrors. 

In 1979, Corvette restorer and former GM executive Werner Meier, owner of Masterworks Automotive Services in Madison Heights, Mich., purchased the Ozzie Olson Corvette. He put about 1,000 miles on the Corvette over the 25 years he owned it, including a drive to the Gilmore Museum where it was displayed for 12 years until going into the famed McDorman Collection.

"Bob McDorman's collecting goal is to replace the rare with the ultra-rare, and we're excited to help him consign some of his most notable cars at the Indy Spring Classic Auction," said Dana Mecum, president of Mecum Auction. "With the addition of the McDorman Collection, we will be offering bidders an unprecedented stock of investment-grade Corvettes that attendees can add to their own collector car inventory."

The entire list of cars may be viewed at www.mecum.com by clicking on the "Collections" link on the home page.

The Original Spring Classic Auction will be broadcast live on Mecum's popular television series, "Mecum Auto Auction: Muscle Cars & More" on HD Theater - Discovery Communications' first 24-hour high-definition cable network, offering compelling real-world and motorized content.

Held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the auction is open to the general public in the Toyota Blue Ribbon Pavilion. Tickets are available at the door for $10.

Consignment, bidder, event and accommodation information is available online at www.Mecum.com or by calling 815.568.8888.

Schedule:
Original Spring Classic Auction
Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Ind.
May 13-17, 2009
Price: $10
Vehicle Check-in: Monday & Tuesday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Wednesday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Preview: Gates open Wednesday through Sunday at 9 a.m.
Vehicle Auction: Wednesday - 2 p.m.
Thursday through Sunday - 10 a.m.
Neon Auction: Saturday - 7:30 p.m.
Auction will take place in the Toyota Blue Ribbon Pavilion. Cars will be displayed in four additional buildings and outside.