Submitted by Russ Muller Photography
Mecum Auctions kicked off their 2024 Kissimmee auction on January 2nd at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee. This year they are putting over 4,500 cars across the block, ranging from very modestly priced “entry” cars to multi-million-dollar exotics. In years past, I visited on the second Saturday to watch some of the big-dollar cars sell. Mecum has a well-established track record of selling impressive cars. But I wanted to see how they handled the lower priced cars, so I paid a visit on Wednesday, January 3rd (the second day of the auction).
Suppose you want to find your first classic car or truck, or you want a cool ride but don’t have $50k plus to spend. Where can you find the entry-level collectibles? Turns out, you can find plenty of them at Mecum. I thought it would be fun to imagine going as a first-time buyer, so I picked a few cars to watch as they went across the block, assuming I had a $20,000 budget and no specific vehicle in mind. What could I buy that I could drive to my local cruise-ins and feel good about? Here’s just a few examples. Please note that the sale price includes the buyer premium that is paid:
1961 Bel Air sedan, four door, six cylinder, three on the tree: $8,250
1966 Ford F-100 pickup, 352 cubic inch V-8, 3-speed manual transmission: $13,750
1990 Jeep Wrangler YJ, 6-cylinder, 5-speed, cool Chameleon paint: $12,100
1972 Ford Maverick Grabber, 302 cubic inch V-8, 3-speed manual transmission: $10,450
1986 Nissan 300 ZX, turbo V-6 and 5-speed manual transmission: $19,800
1989 Dodge Ramcharger, 318 cubic inch V-8, automatic transmission: $ 12,650
All of these vehicles were at least driver quality, if not better.
Okay, now that I found my first cool car, what else is there to do? This is where the fun really begins. Just outside of the auction building, I took a walk through The Room, a space setup to look at a few vintage Ferraris on display. The subtle lighting and black pipe and drape gave the room a very cool vibe, and a fitting venue to appreciate those fine machines. After visiting The Room, I strolled through several enclosed tents filled with collections of cars slated to go across the block. There were beautiful Mopars from the Wellborn museum that caught my attention, along with collections of Corvettes, Pontiacs, and other private collections. Then it was on to the open tents, where cars are on display for inspection, and then finally to the open area where still more cars are available to be viewed prior to auction.
Just when your senses are about overloaded with unique, interesting, rare, beautiful cars, there is another must-see at Mecum. Well, technically it’s a must-do: the Dodge thrill ride. Dodge has an amazing little track setup, where you can go for a ride in a Hellcat Challenger or Charger, and they are not shy about showing you just how much fun 707 horsepower can be. The glorious smell of burning rubber surrounds this little corner of the event. It really is a thrill ride, and I never miss it. Oh yeah, they even give you a free t-shirt.
I have to say, the Mecum folks treated the entry-level cars with as much care as the big-dollar cars, and the auctioneers had just as much enthusiasm for a $10,000 Maverick as they do for six-figure cars. So, if you are looking for your first cool ride, don’t miss the first week at Mecum. I will be there sometime next week as well, to watch some of my “wish-list” cars go across the block. Hope to see you there!
