Auction Results: Mecum Dallas Sale

A rare Shelby KR500 Mustang convertible, one of just five made, headed an eye-catching array of Shelby-branded Mustangs sold last weekend at the Mecum Classic Car auction in Dallas, Texas.

Achieving a hammer price of US$330,000, the Raven Black convertible with factory air-conditioning was in better than showroom condition and said to have set a new record for KR500 Shelby Mustangs.

1968 Shelby KR500 Mustang convertible

Other Shelby vehicles to cross Mecum’s auction block during a sale that spanned four days from 4-7 September included a GT500 Cobra-Jet convertible that made for US$143,000 and a virtually new (216 mile) Shelby F250 Super Baja pickup that managed US$115,500.

Another Mustang of note was Mecum’s 1969 Boss 429. Despite having a replacement, albeit age-correct, engine this distinctive white car brought with it a string of awards from prominent car shows including the 2015 Mustang Grand Nationals and cost its new owner US$280,500. 

1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback

Early Chevrolet Corvettes were easy to find at Mecum’s event and generally cheap. All except this astonishing split-window 1963 coupe that stood out due to its amazing authenticity.

As with the record-setting Shelby, this ‘Vette was a factory black car, packing a genuine fuel-injected 360hp, 327 cubic inch (5.3-litre) engine and four-speed floor-shift.

Close inspection revealed minor trim wear which is almost unavoidable during 60 years of use and 70,000 miles. However, its condition was still sufficiently remarkable to have collected a string of major show awards. It achieved a sale price of US$302,500.

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe

Mecum fielded Muscle Cars of all kinds and in all price brackets, including a very scarce (#108 of 547) Buick GNX turbo that sold for a near record US$143,000.

These used a 3.8-litre V6 similar to our Commodore motor with a Garrett T3 turbocharger and intercooler. Notional output was 206kW, but when a GNX weighing 1611kg can run mid-13 second times for 0-400 metres with just that amount of power, someone may have been reading the dyno sheet upside down.

Buick GNX turbo

Another black car – and what other colour could it have been? - attracting lots of interest at Mecum was a Pontiac; one owned for most for its life by an actor whose name will forever be linked to the brand.

Burt Reynolds bought the 1978 Trans Am in the late 1970s and kept it until 2010. The car had recently been restored but was authenticated as having been owned by Reynolds and easily outsold every other Trans Am in the Dallas sale with a winning bid of US$150,000.

1978 Pontiac Trans-Am

Bargains did exist amongst the Mecum listings and one that must have seen the new owner smiling was this 1969 Plymouth Road Runner with its date-correct 426 cubic inch Hemi V8.

Not a rusty wreck either; this looked to be a tidy car with the scarce Air-Grabber bonnet and well worth its US$78,100 sale price.

1969 Plymouth Road Runner

Mecum’s Dallas sale listed plenty of excellent older cars as well, but two stand out due to their condition and exceptional levels of provenance. 

The older of the two was a 1914 Stutz 4E Bearcat with history dating back 110 years. The documents included detailed maintenance records since being acquired by the vendors in 1951 from the original owner. 

The Stutz had twice been featured at the Indianapolis 500; first in 1952 and again in 2012. It was bid to an impressive US$2.2 million but failed to sell.

1914 Stutz 4E Bearcat

From the same Kelsey Museum collection as the Stutz came the second most valuable lot offered by Mecum and this time the top bid of US$990,000 was successful. 

This car is a rare and remarkable Auburn 12-165 Salon Speedster, one of 14 made in 1933 and in a largely original condition. Its engine is the original Lycoming V12 and the car is known to have last been repainted in the 1960s. 

Its original owner was reputedly actor Clark Gable, but nothing to document the Gable connection came with the car. 

1933 Auburn 12-165 Salon Speedster