Mecum Auctions’ Los Angeles 2017 sale last week was produced at the storied Pomona fairgrounds — now Fairplex — long-established epicenter of Southern California car enthusiast thought and action. True to the facilities’ welcome to all who play in the hobby, Mecum delivered on its promise as “every-man’s auction company” to present a broad selection of vehicles “from entry-level to museum-grade” with sale prices of cars from just a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand.
There in is the carefully groomed reason that Dana Mecum’s auction company, created in 1988, has become the volume leader in “collector car, vintage and antique motorcycle, and Road Art sales” throughout the United States.
Mecum Los Angeles filled every building in the complex with every-man/woman automotive temptation. Virtually every offering would fill one’s garage with pride of ownership and include a great ride to work on Monday morning after the weekend cars & coffee exhibitions — or, in a few cases, track-day lap records.
From a carefully restored MG TD with its “same-day-acceleration” to thousand-horsepower retro-mod muscle cars filled with leather once reserved for the best of Rolls Royce, Southern California’s traditional eclectic tastes were fed.
The entry ticket was access to a fantastic car show that offered every entry for sale.
Traditional hot rods were everywhere and shared space with granddad’s favorite Oldsmobile Starfire, and gramma’s four-door mid-century Ford, now with the latest in sound and climate control.
It is curious to note how few well-restored prewar and early postwar cars — and trucks — retain their original 60-80-horsepower engines, even when period details remain authentic. Crate motors rule; think long-tour reliability powering twenty-first century comforts in a lovely old art piece for the price of a modern commuter car.
Take the plunge, check your heart monitor and motor off to your nearest Mecum Auction “event.” You might also consider bringing a trailer — as your shopping bag.
Photos by Larry Crane
When will they do it again, how about the east coast
what was the price the 1988 Ferrari Testarosa sold at?