Mecum Auctions, Florida
The start of the 2021 auction season has been like no other. After the disruption of the multi-sale schedule in the Desert Southwest, all eyes turned to Florida, where the first major event of each new year takes place, hosted by Mecum Auctions. Its traditional kickstart occurred at the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, on January 7-16.
Safety measures didn’t deter bidder enthusiasm, as demonstrated by the sale of Carroll Shelby’s personal 1965 427 Cobra that achieved $5.94 million (all listed results include a buyer’s premium). A ’67 Corvette roadster, the first equipped with the L88-engine and a car that was campaigned by veteran racer Tony DeLorenzo, landed second after selling for $2.5 million. Mecum’s total take was an event record—$122.8 million, which included a single-day company record of just over $34 million.
The Mecum team then reconvened on January 22-23 in nearby Punta Gorda, to host a two-day “continuation” sale at the famed Muscle Car City Museum, founded by commercial real estate developer Rick Treworgy. Rick favored GM makes, particularly Chevrolets, which were offered in abundance: 175 of the sale’s 208 lots, to be exact, all sold without reserve. Therefore, it was no surprise to see the top sale of the weekend fall to a 1963 Corvette restomod that brought $368,500. Next was a 1969 COPO Camaro that sold for
