Maine’s Throttle Car Club is a newcomer to the world of in-person auctions. Founded in August 2021 in the coastal town of Scarborough as a social club and vehicle storage facility, Throttle branched out into the auction business to fill a perceived need in southern Maine. The auction was held on May 20 at Throttle’s sparkling, 35,000-square-foot headquarters, with a preview conducted inside and outside the building.
Eighty-six vehicles were consigned, and 300 bidders were registered, with about half participating via the internet. The father-and-son team of Sam and Rico Minervino of Minervino Auctions brought down the gavel 31 times, for a sell-through rate of 36 percent and total sales of $1.064 million. The top seller was a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, at $120,000, followed by a 26-mile 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 at $97,000, with its proceeds split among Make-a-Wish Maine and two Blue Collar Scholarship funds. Rounding out the top five were a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS restomod, $87,000; a 1970 Ford Mustang restomod, $85,000; and a lightly modified 1973 BMW 3.0CS, $82,500. Sale prices do not
