A group of excited LCOC members journeyed to Glendale, AZ, this past week to attend the Mecum multi-day auto auction at massive State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL Arizona Cardinals football team and college football’s Fiesta Bowl. However, instead of the usual green turf and yardline markers, the stadium floor was covered with bidders, guests and cars being readied for sale. Outdoors, huge tents sheltered some cars while others were exposed to the elements. LCOC members are eligible to receive discounted bidder credentials from Mecum and we were only too glad to try them out.
Among the CA contingent at the event were Ray Gonzales, Ron Cressy, Jim Ayres, Frank Wenzel, Elayne Bendel, Jeff Frank and Bob Roeper.
Compared to Barratt-Jackson, Scottsdale, which we attended a few years ago, Mecum was a much lower key event, with free parking and plenty of time for visitors to view the cars both before and after they were sold. We also were able to visit a display of recreational vehicles offered for sale on the other side of the stadium. And, if we were so inclined, we could have attended a Dodgers Spring Training game at the nearby multi-team baseball complex. Sunset thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday created amazing skies.
The Mecum auction was televised on the Motor Trend channel and some of you may have tuned in to the action to make a bid, benchmark sale prices against your own collector cars or just for fun. In this regard, a red 1970 Mark III with a white vinyl top and dark red interior sold for $31,000, which seemed high for this particular car, but this event had its share of surprises.
A couple of celebrity-associated limos brought good prices including a Daimler that once carried England’s Queen Elizabeth II and was auctioned with a likeness of Her Majesty in the back window waving regally. An Imperial limo that once transported Jackie Kennedy also did well in bidding. The One Millionth post-WWII built Cadillac was auctioned.
About 1,600 vehicles hit the auction in all, ranging from a 1929 Packard to numerous Camaros, Corvettes, custom trucks, several Ferraris and a new Tesla Cybertruck, which popular host Chris Jacobs previewed for the TV audience.
Of special interest to us were the seven cars from the late Jim Powers collection that were offered for sale late Friday afternoon. Anticipation built over two days until these vehicles finally came up for bid.
The one-of-a-kind 2004 Mark X concept vehicle was part of this lot. It drew a high bid of $100K—not trivial by any means—but not quite up to what some of us expected.
You could realistically have owned Chrysler head Lee Iacocca’s personal 1983 Imperial, also part of the Powers Collection, if you bid more than a reasonable $21,000, or Powers’ 2004 Lamborghini Murcielago for the $107.500 hammer price. His 1960 Cadillac Coupe deVille high bid was $82,000.
Powers’ black on black 1974 Lincoln Mark IV sold for $45,000 and a white 1940 Zephyr Continental Cabriolet, which he purchased a few years ago from another LCOC member, sold for $47,000. But perhaps the star of the lot was the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado that hammered down at $95,000 with TV celebrity Wayne Carini as a bidder.
Powers’ son Karl prepared these cars for the auction but inherited the entire collection after Powers passed away last year, most of which remains in South Pasadena. Eventually, the remaining collection may be opened for public view. If that happens it would be well worth a visit to have a look.
To close, here are a few of the other vehicles and specialty items from the auction. Two miniatures—a Jaguar electric car and a Lotus mini racer—hit the block. In case you are wondering that’s a Messerschmitt in the upper left below.
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