The other auction America
04/11/2014
The Mecum Auctions sale in Houston will last three days, and on April 12, 2014, 1,000 vehicles will have found new owners or been returned to the consignor. A mass business that shows that there are not only high-priced auctions on the other side of the Atlantic, but also events where you can get your hands on a classic car for comparatively little money.
Vehicles drive across the carpet every two to three minutes and the current bid is announced so quickly that you are happy to see the numbers digitally. A Mercedes Benz 450 SEL 6.9 from 1979 changes hands for USD 8,500 (plus surcharges), a VW Beetle Cabriolet (with three-speed gearbox) from 1971 goes for USD 6,000, followed by a Toyota Corona from 1970, certainly not in concours condition. After all, an enthusiast bids USD 1000 and the bids go up to USD 1700, sold. The risks for the buyer are probably not insignificant, because who can tell from a distance what a car looks like under the paint ...
Old cars alternate with new ones, and the range on offer is wide. Once the car is in front of the public, the hoods are opened, the cars are briefly presented to the public and then the next one arrives. If 1000 cars are to be sold in three days, everything has to happen quickly, which makes it quite entertaining to watch. The prices look reasonable from a distance, with bids often getting stuck in the four-digit range.
And time and again, American classics that are also popular here in Europe drive onto the stage, such as a 1971 Chevrolet El Camino SS, which is said to be worth just USD 13,250. And the Datsun Fairlady 2000 from 1969? It looks pretty and from a distance it looks like a 2-3, USD 10,000 is enough to buy this classic.
Anyone who thinks that the hammer will only go down on cheap goods is mistaken, because the offer also includes higher-priced Corvettes, Pontiac GTOs, Duesenbergs and Cobras. And even an Amphicar was pushed across the carpet last night.
