More Car Pics For A Saturday

The Mecum broadcasts from Kissimmee on Motor Trend have been good for readership numbers. Yesterday, Disaffected Musings had the highest number of views and visitors in the last 30 days.

People searching for Mecum, for Barrett-Jackson, and yes, for Cristy Lee have boosted readership. Of course, the boost will fade after today’s finale.

I am heartened by the fact that the powers that be at Motor Trend have not messed with the winning formula of the Mecum telecasts. The presentation remains conversational, humorous, but also respectful of the cars and the auction. I was also very glad to see Dana Mecum back in the house. Although he did not walk the block while I was watching, he seemed actively involved.

My wonderful wife and I plan to attend the Mecum auction in Glendale, Arizona in March. It will be nice to be able to attend these auctions without paying for airfare or hotels and to be able to go home to a comfortable and familiar place every night.

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While my wonderful wife has recovered well from major surgery in early December, she is still not quite 100%. She slept in today while I attended a local car event. Without further ado, some photos:

I thought the Ferrari shown above was particularly sharp.

Now, a couple of photos of my favorite car at the event:

Obviously, I am not an objective observer, but my Z06 is not out of place here or at any other similar gathering. Hope you enjoyed the photos.

#MoreCarPicsForASaturday

#MecumAutoAuctions

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Freeform Friday

No one should be surprised that I receive emails from Mecum Auctions on a regular basis. Imagine my surprise, though, when this car showed up in my inbox. I was also surprised that I could save the photo to use in the blog.

This car is a 2021 IsoRivolta GT Zagato, of which only nine were made and that will be offered for sale at Mecum’s giant Kissimmee auction next month. Of course, Iso was the “I” car in Cars A To Z and I showed a picture of the reborn car.

Remember that the drivetrain for this car is a C7 Corvette Z06. What do you think of car manufacturers “just” re-skinning another car? I think that description is apt for the Rivolta, even if the interior is also unique to the car.

I know a market exists in restomod Corvettes for customers who want modern safety features like airbags that can’t really be supplied in standard restomods. This type of restomod is basically a C7 (or C6 or whatever) Corvette chassis/drivetrain with a C2 (or C1 or C3 or whatever) body replacing the original one. Of course, because–for example–a C2 body was built for a chassis with a 98-inch wheelbase and a C7 Corvette-for example–has a 107-inch wheelbase, the restomod body has to be stretched to fit and the result is almost never as sharp as an actual early Corvette body.

Anyway, I hope Iso (technically, the company name is now IsoRivolta) keeps making cars. I doubt they can make something as amazing as this, though:

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In another case of burying the lede, my wonderful wife and I are still waiting and hoping to exhale. The final, but most important, post-surgery result has still not been reported. We should hear today, but are taking nothing for granted.

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From Louis Armstrong, “There are some people that if they don’t know, you can’t tell them.” This piece from Why Evolution Is True is about the disturbing trend for anti-vaxxers to grasp at straws as alternative “treatments” for the damn virus, in this case Ivermectin. Supposedly, the FDA sent a Tweet that read, “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.” The link in the article took me to another article on the FDA website and not to that tweet.

All I can do is to shake my head and mutter about the scary levels of ignorance and blind adherence to ideology that have permeated the developed world. Oh, this is not just happening in the US.

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On this day in 1986 John DeLorean was acquitted for the second time in two years of major criminal charges. The second trial was on charges that he swindled $8.5 million from backers who bankrolled his failed sports car company in Northern Ireland. Of course, the first trial was related to charges that DeLorean was involved in cocaine trafficking, but his attorneys’ entrapment defense seemed to prove decisive.

Of course, even by the time of the first acquittal, DeLorean Motor Company was bankrupt and the now legendary DMC-12 was no longer being produced. While the car was far from perfect, the body was designed by the acclaimed designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro. He was “only” named the Car Designer of the 20th Century under the auspices of the Global Automotive Elections Foundation. Say what you will about its uninspiring drivetrain, but the DMC-12 did not blend in with the crowd.

See the source image

I have seen a few in person and they always grab my attention. Ah yes, what might have been…

#FreeformFriday

#NewIsoRivolta

#MecumAutoAuctions

#DeLorean

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Wandering Around

On this day in 1911, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil Company of New Jersey was guilty of monopolizing the petroleum industry through a series of abusive and anti-competitive actions. The Court’s remedy was to divide Standard Oil into many geographically separate and eventually competing firms.

Guck Foogle has a de facto monopoly in internet search and Fack Fucebook has a de facto monopoly in social media. The two companies have a de facto duopoly in digital advertising. Both companies have engaged in abusive and anti-competitive actions. Why have they not been broken up?

Our so-called representatives are asleep at the switch. We are governed by an unholy alliance of special interest groups and overly ideological politicians. Of course, a scary proportion of our “representatives” don’t even understand how Guck Foogle and Fack Fucebook work. They also don’t seem to understand the scary amount of power that all tech giants have, way too much power for a democracy to function properly.

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Besides a cloud-based DVR that seems to have a mind of its own, the other annoying thing about Hulu + Live TV is the excessive number of promos for shows that seem beyond stupid, including some of its own original programming. I won’t dignify the show by mentioning it by name, but the show–a Hulu original–reviewed in the linked article seems to be the definition of unappealing to me.

I know I will sound like an old fogy, but whatever happened to “real” comedies with clever writing, character development, AND live studio audiences?! I also think that political polarization and political correctness have ruined the “entertainment” industry.

I always make sure I have several Mecum broadcasts on my DVR so that when I feel like watching TV I will have something to watch. It’s too bad that the Hulu DVR “forgets” to record them from time to time.

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Well, I have taken the plunge and made the deposit for the work on my Z06. For many reasons, I have decided against the more invasive work that would have included the installation of a new camshaft, but would have also meant much more HP/Torque. This job is a “bolt-on” application.

Part of the job will include installation of an aftermarket heat exchanger for the supercharger in addition to a supercharger fluid expansion tank that adds 2 gallons of capacity to the stock system to slow the rise of intake air temps. More horsepower means more heat and in Arizona heat is already a concern.

It is possible the work could be done in late July, right after the expiration of my powertrain warranty. Oh, as if the car didn’t sound good enough as is, the new headers with a high temperature ceramic coating should make it sound even better. What does my car sound like now?

You know what the car looks like…

#WanderingAround

#StandardOilCoOfNewJersey

#GuckFoogle

#FackFucebook

#ModernSitcomsAreNotFunny

#MecumAutoAuctions

#MyZ06

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Full Immunity Friday

Today marks two weeks since my wonderful wife and I received our second doses of the Pfizer vaccine against the damn virus. Supposedly, that means we’ve reached “full” immunity. Of course, Pfizer’s CEO has recently remarked that he thinks people will need a third shot within a year. Let’s hope that research currently being conducted to create a universal coronavirus vaccine will bear fruit.

Our reaching this “milestone” does mean our behavior will change. I will resume dining at restaurants on a more regular basis, but still will insist on sitting outside. It’s a good thing we’re in Arizona as we can dine outside the majority of the year.

We will probably resume indoor shopping, but will try to restrict our time indoors and will continue to wear masks. We will attend car events again, but only those being held outdoors.

About 38 percent of the US population has received at least one shot of a vaccine and about 24 percent is fully vaccinated. Although recent polls suggest that the proportion of people who claim they will “never” receive a vaccination is declining, that proportion still exceeds 20 percent. Every non-vaccinated person is another potential host for the virus to replicate and to mutate.

If you haven’t already done so, please get vaccinated.

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Speaking of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has finally issued a formal recommendation to halt the sale of live animals at so-called “wet” markets. The WHO statement includes the “guidance” that animals–particularly wild animals–are the source of more than 70 percent of all emerging infectious diseases in humans, many of which are caused by novel viruses like the one that has wreaked so much havoc since early last year.

I seriously doubt the WHO recommendation will be obeyed by those countries where the practice exists of selling live animals in the same place people can buy food and other items. I smell hypocrisy in the views of many who think we should all be vaccinated, but that we don’t have the right to recommend to other countries how their citizens can shop. If wet markets didn’t exist in China and in other places in Southeast Asia, the last year would probably have been a lot different.

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Some (hopefully) calming photos for a Friday:

Both of those photos that include the beautiful blossoms on the Ocotillo are from the east side of our house. The view showing the mountain faces north and graces our presence virtually every day. The exception, of course, is those very rare days with low clouds and precipitation.

Once again, I don’t know if my tune will change during the long and very hot summer here, but so far I remain captivated by the scenery and the weather.

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No one should be surprised by the fact that I receive regular emails from Mecum Auctions. The most recent one contained this photo:

Once again, it is not my intention to violate any copyright laws, but I didn’t see any note not to share the photo. 56PackardMan, who has now been missing from the blogosphere for almost a year, loves these ’34 Packards. My wonderful wife and I do, as well.

Only 960 Packard Twelves were produced in the “11th Series” across three models: the 1106, 1107 and 1108. Some 11th Series cars were actually produced in 1933 when Packard felt it was above the industry practice of designating cars by model year.

While my wonderful wife and I will not be attending the Mecum Indy event this year, we are closer to finalizing arrangements to attend this year’s Monterey auction in August. Hey, why did we get vaccinated if we’re not going to resume a more “normal” life?

Enjoy your weekend!

#FullImmunityFriday

#GetVaccinated!

#WHOGuidanceOnSellingLiveAnimals

#DesertPhotos

#MecumAutoAuctions

#1934PackardTwelveConvertible

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Twelve Five Twenty

In the latest episode of People Vote With Their Feet comes the news that, apparently, Elon Musk is moving from California to Texas. Let’s see: you can have much of your income taxed at the state level at 13.5%–California’s highest bracket for those “evil” wealthy people and the highest state income tax in the country–or you can have it taxed at zero as Texas has no state income tax. A person doesn’t have to be as smart as Musk to make that choice.

Some extremely misguided people (I am being kind in my characterization) who seem to fail to realize that the US is a federal republic and not a unitary one think all states should have the same laws, taxes, regulations, etc. Wrong!

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

That is the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution. Many would argue it has been largely ignored and that many federal regulations are implemented without the federal government’s right to do so having been delegated by the Constitution. Still, different states have the right to have different laws unless those laws have been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

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Has it really been nine days since Thanksgiving?! It really seems like two or three days to me.

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That is a picture of our desert home. The money shot would show more of the east side of the house and the amazing mountain views behind, but it would also show our address number, which is not a good idea in this day and age. We’ve been in the house about four weeks and we’re still unpacking, still having repairs/upgrades done. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll be “done” by the end of January.

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I am a big fan of Mecum auctions, and was long before Scott Hoke and I became friends, but have been somewhat critical of the recent dockets that, in my opinion, have too many Mustangs and pickup trucks. (That criticism applies to Barrett-Jackson dockets as well.) The current auction (which can be seen on NBCSN) from Houston has a lot of those, but has redeemed itself with some cars like this:

See the source image

This is a 1956 Studebaker Sky Hawk and the picture is, ironically, from Mecum and is a lot offered at their 2016 Dallas auction. For the nth time, Mecum does not allow online photos of lots from recent auctions to be captured.

The ’56 Sky Hawk consigned to the current Houston auction was bid to $12,000, but did not sell. The four Hawk models for 1956 sold 19,165 units (the ’56 Ford Thunderbird sold 15,631), of which only 3,610 were Sky Hawks.

Of course, the Hawk line was a remodeled version of the classic “Loewy coupes” that were actually designed primarily by Bob Bourke. Without the fins that appeared on some of the other Hawks, the Sky Hawk very closely resembles those classic coupes. This is my favorite of the four ’56 Hawks as I think it looks the best; the Flight and Power Hawks had visible B pillars and the Golden Hawk had larger rear fins that look out of place to me.

While this car wouldn’t make my Ultimate Garage 3.0, it wouldn’t be far off. Sacrilege though it might be to some, if I somehow acquired one of these I would certainly make a restomod out of it and might even have that hood scoop made functional.

Is anyone else, besides me and Stephen Cox, a big fan of Studebaker Hawks?

#TwelveFiveTwenty

#PeopleVoteWithTheirFeet

#ElonMusk

#DesertHome

#MecumAutoAuctions

#ScottHoke

#1956StudebakerSkyHawk

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Out Of Gas

Yes, I have run out of gas while driving, but that’s not what I am writing about today. In this post I wrote about a current medical condition. While the prescription was filled later that day and I have now been taking the medication for ten days, my symptoms have not improved.

This condition is leading to very poor sleep, both in terms of quantity and quality. As a result, I am extremely fatigued. (Yes, I have informed my medical provider of the lack of improvement. I am waiting for a response; I wish I still had a concierge doctor.)

It is said that growing older beats the alternative. Sometimes I’m not so sure.

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Hard to segue from that beginning…

Readers may notice that In Or Out?, Throwback Thursday and Frugal Friday have not been appearing on a regular basis. Before I decide how and/or if I want to continue these features, I would like to read your thoughts.

At first, I was going to ask you to rate the three features in order of your interest in them. I decided that was an unnecessary manifestation of my need to make order out of chaos. Still, I would like to read what you think of those features and even suggestions for others. Thanks.

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As always, I enjoyed watching yesterday’s NBCSN broadcasts of the Mecum auctions, which are being held right now in Kissimmee, Florida. Usually, Mecum’s Kissimmee auction is held in January and is their largest event of the year. Of course, this is not a normal year. This is a second Kissimmee event for 2020.

From a still from a YouTube video comes an image of a car like the one John Kraman really liked from yesterday’s lots. For the nth time, Mecum does not allow its online photos from current or recent auctions to be captured.

See the source image

This is a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, hopefully in Granada Gold. The Mecum example, very original and looking like it’s in excellent condition, hammered for $42,000 meaning the buyer paid $46,200 all in.

I am somewhat of a heretic in that I much prefer the looks of the GM A-Body cars from 1964 to 1967 to the ones that were built later. Sorry, but something about the C-pillar and rear fender/quarter of those ’68-’72 A-Body coupes just seems off to me. Beauty is supposed to be in the eye of the beholder although I think most people are dogmatic and intolerant.

What do you think? I welcome thoughtful comments. I added that last sentence because the sum of the digits in the word count was 13.

#OutOfGas

#MecumAutoAuctions

#1967ChevroletChevelleSS

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Frugal Friday, Mecum Glendale 2020 Edition

First…in Where Is Cristy Lee? I noted her absence from the telecast of the Barrett-Jackson auction from Scottsdale, Arizona in January. Well, as some of you may know that was Motor Trend’s last broadcast of a Barrett-Jackson auction, at least for the foreseeable future. When those auctions resume they will be shown on the A&E networks (e.g. History, fyi). As Cristy Lee is under contract to Motor Trend, I assume, given that Motor Trend is part of the Discovery “empire” and that A&E is jointly owned by Hearst and Disney, I don’t think the gorgeous Ms. Lee will be on the broadcasts, anymore.

Of all of the on-air talent only Steve Magnante actually works for Barrett-Jackson. It could be almost an entirely new cast of characters the next time a Barrett-Jackson auction is held and broadcast.

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Some automotive “experts” advise not to buy a car for less than $15,000 or so at any auction as that is strong evidence, they believe, of a sub-standard car. Well, I think that all depends. Some cars can be purchased for so little money that even if they need work the total cost will still be low. Example #1 from the recently concluded Mecum auction in Glendale, Arizona is a car like this:

From autoblog a picture of a 1999 Cadillac Eldorado. The actual Mecum car was White over Tan with a faux convertible roof. Mecum’s own estimate for the price was $5,000-$10,000, granting that they have incentive to overstate the value. Anyway, the car sold all in for $3,850, which is even slightly less than Hagerty’s estimated value of about $4,500. OK, maybe this is not the best example of a frugal buy, but I think being able to buy a good-looking (IMO) Cadillac for under $4,000 is a good buy.

How many of you know what this is?

See the source image

From smclassiccars.com a picture of a 1986 Mercury Capri ASC McLaren convertible. Only 245 of these were made. They were powered by a 5-liter/302 cubic-inch, fuel-injected V-8. The Mecum example, also in Red, had just 28,000 miles. It sold, all in, for $5,775. That’s a rare, good-looking (IMO) convertible that is not a slug for less than six grand! I’m sorry, but that screams “Buy The Car!” to me.

If we weren’t about a year away from moving, which means we would have to store a new car outside and then move it across the country, we might have purchased a car like this.

#FrugalFriday

#MecumAutoAuctions

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Wednesday Return

I am aware of current world events, but except for this passage it is unlikely I will write about them. I will write, however, that it is disappointing, but not surprising, that most people seem to view what is happening today through the very narrow lens of political ideology.

By the way, if any medical professionals unaffiliated with any government agency are reading I would very much like to read your views, suggestions, etc.

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Father Time is undefeated.

Just as I was perplexed and disgusted at the genuflecting shown towards the Patriots before the start of the most recent NFL playoffs, I am mystified by the notion that Tom Brady’s apparent move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fatally wounds the Patriots and makes the Buccaneers a Super Bowl contender.

Tom Brady has basically missed 20 games since he became the Patriots starting quarterback. I grant that is not a large sample, but what was New England’s record in those games? How about 14 wins and 6 losses?

Here is another chart to make the point (you didn’t think I was going to stop using charts, did you?!):

SEASON	AGE	PASSER RATING
2015	38	102.2
2016	39	112.2
2017	40	102.8
2018	41	97.7
2019	42	88.0

Yes, Brady did not have Rob Gronkowski in 2019 and his supporting cast was less than sterling. Still, when do professional athletes improve at age 43? By the way, for November and December combined Brady’s passer rating was just 80.8.

Tom Brady is the most accomplished quarterback in NFL history, but he’s only human. By the way, like most NFL fans outside of New England I am tired of Brady and the Patriots. If both implode in 2020 I won’t be upset.

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So, where was I, if anywhere, during the hiatus? See if you can guess:

That last photo contains quite a few hints (duh…). Here’s one more:

My wonderful wife and I were, indeed, in Arizona for much of my writing hiatus. We spent most of four days at the Mecum Auction which was conducted as scheduled.

Although I was not well for the entire trip (and am still not well…don’t worry, Lon, I’m not contagious) we had a great time. We spent quality time with Scott Hoke and John Kraman, hosts of the Mecum broadcasts on NBCSN. We had a nice encounter with Katie Osborne, who is also on the telecasts. You think she looks good on TV? In person she is drop-dead gorgeous and could not have been nicer to us.

The docket on Wednesday the 11th (can’t believe that’s already a week ago) was weakened by a collection of “cinema cars” that were sold at no reserve. Most of them were in poor condition and some hammered for under $1,000. I think, though, that Mecum collects a minimum fee so that even if a car sells for less than $1,000 its commissions are based on a sale price of $1,000.

We did see a lot of amazing cars, though, like the 1964 Studebaker R2 Gran Turismo Hawk shown above. My obsession with making order out of chaos leads me to pick one car as my favorite.

From the Mecum listing:

Highlights

Although I might prefer a metallic teal/gray exterior color with the red stinger hood, this 1965 Corvette is about as close to what I would want in a restomod as I have ever seen. The car did not sell, though, despite a high bid of $180,000. That is a reminder why I purchased my 2016 Z06 almost a year ago. (!) Yes, the front fenders and stinger hood are from a ’67. With a restomod I don’t care about matching parts.

Anyway, I am back and will probably resume regular posting. What’s life without a little mystery?

#TomBrady

#MecumAutoAuctions

#1964StudebakerR2GranTurismoHawk

#1965CorvetteRestomod

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Cars, Cars and More Cars

If you are among the few Disaffected Musings readers who comes for something other than cars, maybe you shouldn’t read today.

From this post by Classic Cars comes the first results for the Scottsdale auctions in 2020. According to Classic Cars, the gross sales amount for all of the auctions in Scottsdale, and there were eight of them this year (and you wonder why my wonderful wife and I want to move there…), was almost exactly the same as for 2019. Compared to the “disaster” of Monterey Car Week in August, 2019 when auction sales were off by a third compared to 2018, this result was welcome. However, 17 percent more cars were sold in 2020 than in 2019, so—obviously—the average per car was still significantly less than last year.

For whatever reason(s), the collector car market is softening. Potentially this could mean an entry point for collectors, experienced and novice alike, to get into the market.

As usual a lot of these were offered for sale at Barrett-Jackson. German or not, these are fine cars:

2004 MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 ROADSTER - Side Profile - 236083

This is a 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500 offered for sale on Wednesday the 15th, one of 22 SL500s offered at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale this year. This car sold for $17,600 all in meaning it hammered for $16,000. The copy stated that the car had only 32,751 miles.

Before I bought my BMW Z4 in May, 2016, one of the cars I test-drove was an SL500. The car was in obvious need of new brakes and I didn’t care for the extreme pushiness of the salesman. Of course, I didn’t keep the Z4 very long as I sold it in October, 2018. Maybe the child of Holocaust survivors shouldn’t own a German car. The Z4 was the least reliable car I’ve ever owned.

Also from Wednesday the 15th, this basically brand new car (25 miles) was offered for sale:

2019 FORD MUSTANG BULLITT - Rear 3/4 - 236593

This is a 2019 Bullitt Edition Ford Mustang. This car has a 5.0 liter, 480 HP Coyote motor mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The car sold, all in, for $49,500. You FoMoCo guys out there, how does that compare to the price of a brand new 2020 Bullitt Mustang?

Also on Wednesday, this car was offered, supposedly not long after a frame-off restoration:

1972 TRIUMPH TR6 ROADSTER - Front 3/4 - 237433

This is a 1972 Triumph TR6. My wonderful wife’s father used to own one of these although I’m not sure how he could drive it because he is well over six feet tall. The car must have made quite an impression as it sold, all in, for $55,000.

Of course, one big US car auction took place in January somewhere other than Scottsdale, Arizona. The Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida offered more than 3,500 vehicles for sale as well as some guitars. Although this is a picture of a 1964 Chrysler Imperial convertible offered for sale by Mecum, it’s NOT the one offered at Kissimmee this month (on Wednesday the 8th, to be exact). I am loathe to write this again, but Mecum does not allow online photos of its current and recent lots to be captured.

See the source image

The one offered at Kissimmee this January was beige over beige and sold, all in, for $28,600.

The majority of Mecum lots are offered with reserve so many of them do not sell, either on the block or at “The Bid Goes On” desk. From Midwest Car Exchange, a picture of a car very similar to one offered at Kissimmee and that did not sell:

See the source image

This is a 1987 Buick Grand National, but not the rare, top of the line GNX. At Mecum, a car like this was bid to $40,000 but did not sell. I REALLY like these cars and they are a sleeper contender to be the companion to my Z06. However, I would not spend anywhere near $40,000 for a car like this. I have seen these cars advertised in places like Hemmings listed between $17,000 and $25,000. Even the top half of that range is more than I want to spend, but to get one of these for $17,000-$18,500 could work.

As you can probably guess, I could go on and on (and on and on) about the January auctions and the cars offered, but I’ll stop here.

#CarsCarsAndMoreCars

#ScottsdaleAuctions

#MecumAutoAuctions

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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Frugal Friday, Mecum Auction Edition

As a change I decided to look at cars that have already been sold, in this case at the Mecum auction conducted in Louisville on September 20-21, instead of cars that are offered for sale. First, how many of you like Frugal Friday? Second, would any of you like to see it offered once a month instead of every week?

See the source image

From, obviously, gtcarlot.com a picture of a 2006 Jaguar XKR convertible. The XKR designation means the car is powered by a supercharged V-8 engine. For the nth time, Mecum does not allow the online photos of its lots to be captured from its website. The actual Mecum car was Black over Black.

According to Hagerty the average value of this car is $17,600. The Mecum lot sold, all in, for $11,550. Even ignoring for a moment the difference between the auction price and the Hagerty value, $11,550 just seems inexpensive, IMO, for a beautiful, 390-HP convertible built not much more than 10 years ago. In addition, if you had to put $3,000-$4,000 in it after purchase you would still be below the Hagerty value.

OK, how about another European high-performance convertible from the first decade of this century?

See the source image

This is a Mecum auction photograph of a 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG convertible, but not of the lot sold in Louisville in September, which was Black over Gray. These cars were powered by a supercharged V-8 that generated 493 HP/516 LB-FT of torque. (I am using the most conservative torque rating I have seen; some sources put the torque output at 590 LB-FT.) The Louisville car is said to have had fewer than 54,000 miles.

Hagerty values an average example at $24,900. All in, the car sold for $20,350. Once again, subjectively that just seems like not a lot of money for a car like this.

Many people believe that all auction cars are overpriced. While it is true that in the excitement of the moment bidders can bid up a car past what seems to be a reasonable price, it is also true that some bargains are available.

Now, a downer: I am very disappointed by the dramatic decrease in views/visitors over the past 7-10 days. Yes, I know I’m not supposed to complain about such things, especially to people who are reading the blog. Has this blog run its course? Is it just too difficult, in a sea of millions of active blogs, to gain traction without using Fack Fucebook? Any thoughts anyone has would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

#FrugalFriday

#MecumAutoAuctions

#2006JaguarXKRConvertible

#2004MercedesBenzSL55AMG

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

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