Headliners Abound At Mecum’s Houston Auction
Mecum Auctions will amass a 1,000-car offering encompassing coveted collector cars from all genres at Houston’s Reliant Center this April 10-12. With outstanding headliners ranging from American and European racers, to Pre-War Classics and Corvettes, Mecum’s third annual event is certain to be more than memorable.
The Houston event will make its way into nearly 80 million homes with portions of all three days of the event broadcast on the NBC Sports Network. Select vehicles set to cross the block in Houston are detailed below; for a complete list of consignments visit Mecum.com. Mecum’s website is updated daily with the most recent consignments including photos and descriptions of each vehicle. For more details on the Houston auction, to consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder, visit www.mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050.
Mecum will present the MidAmerica vintage motorcycle auction immediately following the classic and collector car auction on Sunday, April 13, also at the Reliant Center. The motorcycle offering will include more than 200 vintage and collector bikes.
1964 Ford GT40 Prototype GT/104 (Lot S147.1)
One of the pioneering prototypes of the now-legendary GT40 juggernaut and one of the few that remains today, GT/104 is the first to receive the lightweight chassis and one of only two famously prepared and raced by Shelby American for the 1965 season. One of the first race cars of any kind to benefit from computerized missile aerodynamics technology and the budding field of telemetry, it was crucial to the development of the GT40 into World Championship form, proving the project’s potential at Le Mans, reaching the podium at Daytona and participating in Ford’s first year in international competition. Its development involved such famous names as Lunn, Wyer and Shelby; it was driven by the top stars of the era at the world’s most famous venues. As the first ever 1965 Shelby American-specification GT40, chassis GT/104 is widely regarded as the most original and correct prototype Shelby American team car and possesses what has been described as “one of the clearest provenances… of all GT40s.”
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Styling Car – The Bunkie Knudsen Corvette (Lot S119)
One of just four Corvettes ever produced with the factory custom side exhaust, the Bunkie Knudsen Styling Car was born September 1962 at the special request of Chevrolet Division General Manager Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen. Featuring a fuel-injected 327 CI V-8 engine and 4-speed transmission, the car was discovered again in the early ‘80s and subsequently restored by Werner Meier to its unique Crimson Firefrost metallic lacquer finish with full-length White stripe. This authentic factory special has participated in multiple Bloomington Gold Special Collections and was displayed at Meadowbrook in 1988 and Amelia Island in 2012.
1974 Porsche 911S Race Car (Lot S100)
Driven by Paul Newman and Bill Freeman in the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 19, 1977, this Porsche has a storied racing history. Accompanied by pictures and documentation of its numerous days on the track, the car has been restored by race-car experts to orange no. 2 livery and is fully prepped to hit the track or the concours.
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (Lot S128)
Inducted into the Bloomington Gold Great Hall in June of 2012, this Corvette is quite likely one of the most well-preserved, lowest-mileage and exceptionally original big block 1967 Corvettes in existence. Accompanied by exquisitely unspoiled documentation, the odometer shows 2,996 miles and until its discovery in 2012 – hidden away in the garage of one Don McNamara for decades – this car had been seen by only 12 people. It had only ever been driven by lifelong-owner McNamara. Only two other people were ever known to have sat in the driver’s seat, and no one had ever occupied the passenger seat. It had never seen the rain or been washed with water. Numerous high-profile Corvette experts have thoroughly documented the car with over 4,000 detail photographs, which along with the car itself serve as in-depth educational resources for Corvette restorers.
1963 Shelby Cobra Dragonsnake CSX 2093 (Lot S93.1)
CSX 2093 was the 93rd Cobra built and is one of only eight cars modified with the Shelby-developed Dragonsnake package designed to maximize drag racing performance. Owned by Jim Costilow and piloted by drag racer Bruce Larson, later of USA-1 Funny Car fame, CSX 2093 dominated the NHRA’s A/SP, AA/SP, B/SP and C/SP classes in 1964. It set all new records in the 1965 season and won the NHRA Springnationals, Winternationals and U.S. Indy Nationals that year. The Costilow/Larson Cobra went on to win the 1966 Springnationals and U.S. Nationals. It also chalked up class wins at the 1967 Springnationals, Winternationals, U.S. Indy Nationals, and finished out the season with the World Points Championship. It continued to set records in 1968. All told, CSX 2093 held national titles in four separate classes. The Costilow/Larson Dragonsnake has been authenticated and certified by the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) as a true and correct original car and has also won that organization’s Senior Award and Race Car Certification badges. It has undergone an accurate and show-quality restoration by Ziegler Coach of Los Angeles, Calif., and is presented exactly as it competed. Offered with full documentation of its NHRA national records, this is not only the most famous and successful of the eight Dragonsnake-equipped Shelbys; it is in fact the winningest competition Cobra in history.
1910 Locomobile Model 40 Type I Demi Tonneau (Lot S159.1)
The Mecum auction in Houston provides an exemplary platform for offering pre-war classics with examples from this category laying claim to top auction results in the last two years. This 1910 Locomobile Model 40 is one of the finest of its time. Recipient of several awards including First in Class at the 2010 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance and Second in Class at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, chassis no. 2376 features a 40 HP 4-cylinder engine. The Model 40 Type I was the biggest and fastest vehicle that Locomobile produced during the early 1900s and was considered to be one of the most elegant automobiles available in the U.S. This four-passenger Demi Tonneau presents with freshly polished brass trim and brightwork, shining as the true consummate classic that it is.
About Mecum Auctions
Nobody sells more than Mecum. Nobody. The Mecum Auction Company is the world leader of collector car, vintage and antique motorcycle, and Road Art sales, hosting auctions throughout the United States. The company has been specializing in the sale of collector cars for 27 years, now offering more than 15,000 vehicles per year and averaging more than one auction each month. Established by President Dana Mecum in 1988, Mecum Auctions remains a family-run company headquartered in Walworth, Wis. For further information, visit Mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050. Follow along with Mecum’s social media news and join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.
Schedule:
Mecum Houston Auction
The Reliant Center
One Reliant Park
Houston, TX 77054
April 10-12, 2014
Admission: $20 per person per day, children 12 and younger receive complimentary admission
Preview: Gates open daily at 8 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Auction: Vehicles start at 10 a.m. each day with Road Art 30 minutes prior
TV Schedule: April 10, 3:30-6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
April 11 3:30-6 p.m. and 9:30-11:30 p.m.
April 12 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
(All Times Central)
