L AS VEGAS IN EARLY November is quietly shaping up to be a car lover’s dream. The annual automotive aftermarket extravaganza of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show butts up against Mecum’s auction at the Las Vegas Convention Center, making for a one-two punch of not only finding your dream ride, but sorting through three million square feet of products that will give you plenty of ideas regarding what to do with that dream ride once your name is on the title.
As always, an eclectic mix of cars greeted us and potential buyers. This year’s $22.8 million over three days at the auction felt big, but consider that in ’22, Mecum’s extravaganza in the LVCC North Hall took in a record $27.5 million over just three days — a figure that topped their previous Vegas high by nearly 10 percent and topped the ’21 event by a whopping $5.2 million. Settling down to 2021 levels is not a bad thing. Sell-through improved slightly year-to-year: 76 percent in ’23 compared to 74-and-change percent in ’22, but with more lots available at the event, the per-car
