Mecum’s three day auction in Monterey included a lot of vehicles from the 1980s—fully 8% of the 650 lots. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a red 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO coupe with a black interior and 7,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $2,200,000) and add some of my opinions.

Thursday, August 18th:

• 1980 black MG MGB Limited convertible with a black interior, a black top, a 94 bhp 1.8 liter inline four, a four-speed manual, and 77,000 miles—$4,750 hammer price.
• [one year early] 1979 black Porsche 928 coupe with a cork interior, a 219 bhp 4.5 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and 30,000 miles—$35,000
• [one year early] 1979 bronze Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo coupe with a black interior, a 265 bhp 3.3 liter flat six, a four-speed manual, air conditioning, a sunroof, and 103,000 miles—$80,000
• 1989 british racing green Jaguar XJS coupe with an ivory interior, a 262 bhp 5.3 liter HE V12, and an automatic—$27,000 for this vehicle once owned by Frank Sinatra.
• 1986 white London Sterling limousine with a 2.3 liter inline four, an automatic, and 11,000 miles—$12,500
• 1989 blue Chevrolet Camaro race car with a gray interior—$9,000
• 1988 red Ferrari 328 GTS coupe with a tan interior, a 260 bhp 3.2 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and 30,000 miles—at $55,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale on Thursday.
• 1987 blue BMW M6 coupe with a gray interior, a 256 bhp 3.5 liter inline 6, and a five-speed manual—$22,500 for this handsome car.

Friday, August 19th:

• 1982 chiffon white Porsche 911SC Targa with a beige interior, a 180 bhp 3.0 liter flat six, and a five-speed manual—$35,000 makes this the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
• [one year late] 1990 white and blue Lola T90/00 Valvoline Indy Car driven by Al Unser, Jr.—$82,000
• [one year early] 1979 black Volkswagen Super Beetle Epilogue Edition convertible with a black interior, a black top, a 67 bhp 1.8 liter flat four, a four-speed manual, and 2,500 miles—$34,000
• 1986 red Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a tan interior, a 380 bhp 4.9 liter V12, a five-speed manual, and 16,000 miles—$132,500
• 1988 red BMW M6 coupe with a tan interior, a 256 bhp 3.5 liter inline six, and a five-speed manual—$90,000
• 1988 guards red Porsche 911 Carrera coupe with a tan interior, a 207 bhp 3.2 liter inline six, a five-speed manual, and 7,500 miles—$68,000
• 1989 red Ferrari 328 GTS coupe with a tan interior, a 260 bhp 3.2 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and 2,100 miles—at $190,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of the entire auction.
• 1986 black Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo coupe with a black interior, a 282 bhp 3.3 liter inline six, a four-speed manual, and 16,000 miles—$125,000
• 1988 grand prix white Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo factory slant nose convertible with a navy blue top, a navy blue interior, a 282 bhp 3.3 liter inline six, a four-speed manual, and 30,000 miles—$125,000
• [one year early] 1979 yellow BMW 320i very custom coupe with a black interior, a 4.6 liter V8, a manual, and 24,000 miles—$17,000

Saturday, August 20th:

• 1982 slate gray Porsche 911 very custom coupe with a black interior, a 316 bhp 3.6 liter flat 6, and a four-speed manual—$82,500
• 1987 black Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a tan interior, a 380 bhp 4.9 liter V12, a five-speed manual, and 23,000 miles—$120,000
• [one year early] 1979 black Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo coupe with a black interior, a 265 bhp 3.3 liter flat six, a four-speed manual, and 64 miles—$320,000
• 1984 red Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole coupe with a tan interior, a 230 bhp 2.9 liter V8, and a five-speed manual—$56,000

Ferraris and Porsches looked strong at this auction, which makes sense given the timing and location. What do you think of the results?

RM Sotheby’s August auction in Monterey included a few eighties cars that are the absolute top of the market. Every single one met my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars that actually sold and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

• 1986 red Ferrari 328 GTS coupe with a tan leather interior, a 270 bhp 3.2 liter V8, a five-speed manual, fitted luggage, and 13,000 miles—$90,000 hammer price.
• 1982 cumberland gray Aston Martin V8 Vantage Series II coupe with a tobacco leather interior, a 425 bhp (serious power for 1982) 5.3 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and the original toolkit—$325,000. Hagerty’s valuation tools see all the money for a Series II as being $210,000; this sale may influence their value guide.
• 1989 white Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition coupe with a black leather interior, a 449 bhp 5.2 liter V12, a five-speed manual, and 7,000 miles—$210,000 for this somewhat acquired Countach taste.
• 1986 black Dodge Shelby Omni GLHS hatchback sedan with a gray cloth interior, a 175 bhp 2.2 liter inline four, a five-speed manual, and 7,000 miles, owned for many years by Carroll Shelby—I’m willing to bet that $25,000 marks the highest price that any “Omnirizon” will sell at for a long time.
• 1981 inka orange BMW M1 coupe with a black leather interior, a 277 bhp 3.5 liter inline six, a five-speed manual, and 13,000 miles—$525,000
• 1984 red Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer coupe with a black leather interior, a 340 bhp 4.9 liter boxer 12, a five-speed manual, and 3,700 miles—$255,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

Now in its third year, Mecum’s three day auction in Harrisburg included a lot of vehicles from the 1980s—fully 9% of the lots. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a 1989 white Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with a blue interior and 11,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $160,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Thursday, July 21st:

• 1981 light brown/dark brown two-tone Jeep J20 pickup truck with a tan interior, 360 cubic inch V8, and 28,000 miles—$5,500 hammer price for this unusual truck.
• 1984 white Buick Riviera Olympic Commemorative Edition coupe with a gray cloth interior, 307 cubic inch V8, and 23,000 miles—an ouch! at $4,000. Hagerty’s valuation tools see this as below #3 money.
• 1989 red Chevrolet C1500 custom pickup truck with a red interior —$11,000 for this truck which Pocono Raceway used as a support/track vehicle on NASCAR event weekends.
• 1986 red Jeep CJ-7 Laredo SUV with a black top and a black interior—$8,500
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior—at $20,000, the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
• 1985 black Buick Riviera coupe with a gray interior, 307 cubic inch V8, and 83,000 miles—$2,000. Eighties Rivieras were getting killed in the early portion of this auction.
• 1981 blue Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a blue interior, 305 cubic inch V8, and a four-speed manual—$13,000
• 1985 black Chevrolet El Camino mild custom pickup truck with a gray interior—$4,000
• 1988 white Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with a gray interior—$6,500
• 1983 black Chevrolet C10 mild custom pickup truck with a black interior—$12,500
• 1980 red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a tan interior, 301 cubic inch V8, automatic, and 91,000 miles—$11,000
• [one year early] 1979 white Lincoln Continental Mark V coupe with a cream interior and 25,000 miles—$7,000
• 1981 red Chevrolet Corvette custom convertible (yep, that would make it custom) with a red interior and a four-speed manual—$18,000
• 1985 silver green Alfa-Romeo Spider Graduate Edition convertible with a black top, black interior, a five-speed manual, and 39,000 miles—$8,500
• 1987 red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a gray interior and 22,000 miles—$13,000 for this well preserved car with the 215 bhp TPI/automatic combination.
• 1986 black/silver two-tone Chevrolet El Camino mild custom pickup truck with a gray interior and a 350 cubic inch V8 crate motor—$10,000
• 1985 white Ford Ranger custom pickup truck with a gray interior and 302 cubic inch V8—$7,500
• 1988 blue Oldsmobile stock car raced relatively successfully by Butch Miller in the Busch Series—$5,000. In general, race cars seem to do poorly at auction.

Friday, July 22nd:

• 1980 orange Chevrolet Camaro Z28 custom coupe with tan interior, 350 cubic inch V8, and four-speed manual—$10,000
• 1988 burgundy Ford Bronco custom SUV with a gray interior—$5,000
• [one year early] 1979 sand Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II sedan with a beige interior—$25,000
• 1988 red Cadillac Eldorado Designer Edition coupe with a tan interior, 4.5 liter V8, and 13,000 miles—$9,500. This same car sold at the same auction in 2015 for $10,500.
• 1985 red Jeep CJ-7 Laredo custom SUV with a red interior and five-speed manual—$17,000
• 1987 white Land Rover Defender SUV with a black interior, 2.5 liter turbo diesel, and five-speed manual—$27,500
• [one year early] 1979 black and gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a black interior, a 403 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$25,000
• 1983 red Aurora Cobra convertible with a black interior, a V8, and a four-speed manual—$31,000 for this Shelby replica.
• 1989 maroon Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a tan interior—another car with the 215 bhp TPI/automatic combo, but, at $6,500, half the price of the 1987 sold on Thursday.
• 1984 red Jeep CJ-7 Renegade mild custom SUV with a black interior, 4.2 liter inline 6, and a three-speed manual—$15,000
• 1987 maroon Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA coupe with a tan cloth interior and 6,300 miles—$17,500 for another well-kept F-body with the 215 bhp TPI/automatic combo.
• [one year early] 1979 silver/charcoal two-tone Pontiac Firebird Tenth Anniversary Trans Am mild custom coupe with a silver interior, a four-speed manual, and 51,000 miles—$33,000
• [one year early] 1979 silver/charcoal two-tone Pontiac Firebird Tenth Anniversary Trans Am coupe with a silver interior, an automatic, and 40,000 miles—$20,500
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 2,900 miles—at $46,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, this is just a little below #1 money, but only a third of what a GNX in the same shape will fetch.
• [one year early] another 1979 silver/charcoal two-tone Pontiac Firebird Tenth Anniversary Trans Am coupe with a silver interior, an automatic, and 17,000 miles—$21,500
• 1983 burgundy Porsche 911 very custom convertible with burgundy interior, a steel “slant nose” conversion, a Paxton supercharger, a five-speed manual, and 44,000 miles—$24,000 for this car that in no way resembles its original configuration.
• 1985 brown/tan two-tone Chevrolet K20 custom pickup truck with a charcoal interior, a 5.7 liter V8, and four-speed manual. $22,000 for this replica of the truck featured in Lee Majors’ Fall Guy television show.
• 1984 blue GMC Sierra custom pickup truck with a blue interior, a 5.3 liter Vortec V8, and an automatic—$13,500
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 44,000 miles—$19,000

Saturday, July 23rd:

• 1983 red, white, and blue Honda CB1100F motorcycle—$2,800
• 1988 white Jeep CJ-8 custom SUV with substantial real oak “woody” touches inside and out and a canvas top—$18,000
• 1982 gold Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a brown interior, both tops, and 49,000 miles—$12,500
• 1980 black MGB Limited Edition convertible with a tan interior, four-speed manual, and 20,000 miles—$20,500
• 1985 gray Buick Riviera coupe with a gray interior, 307 cubic inch V8, and 16,000 miles—$14,000. Why did this Riviera do so much better than the two coupes on Thursday?
• 1981 black Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a tan interior and an automatic—$11,000
• 1980 black and gold Pontiac Trans Am custom coupe with a tan interior, an LS V8, and an automatic—$22,000 buys one late second-generation Trans Am that is likely as fast as those iconic looks imply.

F-cars, SUVs, and trucks looked strong at this auction. What do you think of the results?

Auctions America’s June auction in Santa Monica include a decent amount of eighties vehicles. I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars, trucks, and motorcycles that actually sold (remember that this is not an all no reserve auction—a white 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV with a red interior was a no sale bid up to $330,000) and add some of my opinions.

Saturday, June 25th:

• [one year early] 1979 red Maico 450 motorcycle—$3,450 hammer price
• 1981 red Maico 490 motorcycle—$2,070
• [one year early] 1979 red Honda XR500 motorcycle—$1,150
• 1983 gray Harley-Davidson XR-1000 Sportster motorcycle—$12,650
• 1983 blue Harley-Davidson FLH Special Police motorcycle—$9,775
• 1985 black Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvole Cabriolet with a black top, a tan interior, a 3.2 liter V8, a five-speed manual, the original toolkit, and 11,000 miles—$46,750
• 1988 silver Porsche 959 Komfort coupe with a burgundy and silver leather interior, a 2.8 liter twin-turbo flat six, a six-speed manual, the original toolkit, and less than 5,000 miles—at $1,1250,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction is also the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
• 1984 red Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer coupe with a tan and red interior, a 4.9 liter boxer 12, five-speed manual, the original toolkit, and 8,000 miles—$308,000
• 1984 black Toyota Century sedan with a beige leather interior, a 4.0 liter V8, an automatic, and right hand drive—$19,250 for perhaps the most interesting eighties vehicle in this auction
• 1989 black Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a black interior—an ouch! at $7,425

Sunday, June 26th:

• 1981 white/blue two-tone Clenet Series II convertible with a blue top, a blue interior, a Ford V8, and an automatic transmission—$28,000 for this neo-classic
• 1987 white Porsche 911S Turbo coupe with a burgundy leather interior, the factory Slantnose option, a 3.3 liter turbocharged flat six, a four-speed manual, and the original toolkit—$178,750
• [one year early] 1979 yellow Ferrari 308 GTS coupe with a black interior, a 3.0 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and the original toolkit—$63,800
• 1989 red Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition coupe with a tan interior, a 5.2 liter V12, a five-speed manual, and the original toolkit—$291,500
• 1989 black Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster with a tan interior, a 3.2 liter flat six, a five-speed manual, and 78,000 miles (high mileage for a Speedster)—$106,700
• [one year late] 1990 burgundy with woodgrain Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with a burgundy interior and a 360 cubic inch V8—$8,250 for this final example of the breed.
• 1983 yellow once Buick/now Pontiac NASCAR #66 racecar that may or may not be functional—at $11,000, the usual unimpressive money that racecars bring
• 1985 blue and white Eagle 85GC AAR Skoal Bandit #98 Indy Car racecar with a non-functional engine—$26,400
• 1980 blue and white Penske PC7 #12 Indy Car racecar with a non-functional engine—$33,000
• 1986 gray Mercedes-Benz 560SEL sedan with a tan interior and a 5.5 liter V8—$12,100
• 1982 black Maserati Quattroporte III sedan with a tan leather interior, a 4.9 liter V8, and over 135,000 miles—$8,910
• [one year late] 1990 white Maserati Biturbo Cabriolet with a black top, a black and gray interior, and a 2.8 liter twin-turbo V6—$9,240
• 1988 black Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce convertible with a black top, a black interior, a 2.0 liter inline four, and a five speed manual—$9,350
• 1984 black Maserati Quattroporte III sedan with a tan leather interior, a 4.9 liter V8, and a damaged front end—$2,750
• 1982 dark red Maserati Quattroporte III sedan with a tan leather interior, a 4.9 liter V8, and 60,000 miles—$8,690
• 1980 red Maserati Quattroporte III sedan with a tan leather interior and a 4.9 liter V8—according to Hagerty’s valuation tools, $11,000 is between #3/Good and #4/Fair money for a 1980 Quattroporte III.

To me, the spectacular 959 sale was the highlight of this auction. What do you think of this auction’s results?

Barrett-Jackson’s inaugural Northeast auction at the Mohegun Sun casino in Connecticut included a lot of vehicles from the 1980s—fully 9% of the lots offered. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Thursday, June 23rd:

• 1987 maroon Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a gray interior, a 230 bhp L98 5.7 liter V8, and an automatic—$8,000 hammer price.
• 1981 white Chrysler Imperial coupe with a red velour interior, a 318 cubic inch V8 with the common fuel injection to 2-barrel carburetor conversion, and an automatic—an ouch! at $2,500
• 1985 light gray/medium gray two-tone Pontiac Grand Prix coupe with a gray interior, a 165 bhp 305 cubic inch V8, and 25,000 miles—$6,000. Pontiac sold about 60,000 of these cars in 1985—how many are left?
• 1988 dark blue Cadillac Sedan de Ville Designer Edition with tan interior, a 155 bhp 4.5 liter V8, and 13,000 miles—$6,200
• 1986 green Jaguar XJ12 sedan with a butterscotch interior, a 262 bhp 5.3 liter HE V12, and 50,000 miles—$4,800
• 1983 silver BMW 633 CSi coupe with a black interior, a 181 bhp 3.2 liter inline 6, an automatic, and 66,000 mile—$6,200
• 1988 black BMW 528e sedan with a tan interior, a 127 bhp (oog) 2.8 liter inline six, and a five-speed manual—$5,000
• 1981 charcoal gray metallic Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with black interior, a 4.9 liter V8, an automatic, t-tops, and 33,000 miles—$13,500 makes this the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
• 1988 buff yellow with woodgrain Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with a tan interior, a 360 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$16,000
• 1982 anthracite gray metallic Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a tan interior, a 155 bhp 3.8 liter V8, an automatic, and 137,000 miles—$7,500
• 1985 gray Cadillac Sedan de Ville with a black interior—$4,500 for this car once owned by Rudy Guliani.
• 1980 red Jeep CJ-5 SUV with a tan interior, a 125 bhp 304 cubic inch V8, and a four-speed manual—$17,000
• 1985 almond beige Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a nutmeg soft top, parchment interior, a 4.2 liter inline six, an automatic, and 7,000 miles—$26,000 makes this by far the highest original eighties vehicle sale on Thursday.
• 1980 beige Mercedes-Benz 450SL convertible with a sienna interior, a 180 bhp 4.5 liter V8, an automatic, and 69,000 miles—$13,500
• 1989 gold Avanti coupe with a tan interior, a 5.0 liter V8, and an automatic—$12,500
• 1988 black Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a cream beige interior, a 227 bhp 5.5 liter V8 (yes, 5547 cc is closer to 5.5 than 5.6), an automatic, both tops and 77,000 miles—$13,500
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior, a 3.8 liter V6, and an automatic—$20,000
• 1982 white Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a beige interior, a 155 bhp 3.8 liter V8, an automatic, and both tops—$12,000
• 1985 black Jaguar XJS coupe with a tan interior, a 262 bhp 5.3 liter HE V12, and an automatic—$11,000

Friday, June 24th:

• 1984 yellow Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with a black interior and a manual—$10,500
• 1982 gray Buick Electra Limited sedan with a blue interior, a 150 bhp 307 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$6,500 means that some folks were actually interested.
• 1981 white Chevrolet Corvette mild custom (paint) coupe with a saddle interior, the 190 bhp L81 350 cubic inch V8, a four-speed manual (the last “shark” with a manual), and a salvage title in its past—$7,000
• 1985 black Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a graphite leather interior, the 230 bhp L98 350 cubic inch V8, an automatic, and 14,000 miles—$11,500
• 1984 chiffon white Porsche 928S coupe with a burgundy and beige interior, a 306 bhp 4.7 liter V8, an automatic, and 40,000 miles—$27,000
• 1987 silver Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a gray interior, a 227 bhp 5.5 liter V8, an automatic, and both tops—$13,000
• 1989 orange Chevrolet S-10 Blazer very custom SUV with an orange and gray interior, a 383 cubic inch V8, and an automatic transmission—$10,000 doesn’t even cover the paint.
• 1983 red Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler custom pickup truck with a tan interior, a 4.2 liter inline six, and a manual—$27,000
• 1980 blue Chevrolet C-10 custom pickup truck with gray interior, a V8, and a four-speed manual—$27,000
• 1989 white Ford Mustang Saleen SSC hatchback with white and gray interior, a 292 bhp 5.0 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and 661 miles—$38,000
• 1981 black and gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition coupe with a tan interior, a 200 bhp 4.9 liter turbo V8, an automatic, and 3,700 miles—$85,000 makes this by far the highest original eighties vehicle sale on Friday. Hagerty’s valuation tools sees all the money for this Trans Am configuration as about $47,000, so something must have made this not particularly fast Trans Am (0-60 in about 9 seconds) special.
• 1983 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am very custom Knight Rider 2000 coupe with a tan interior, a 305 cubic inch V8, an automatic, and 74,000 miles—$29,500. These KITT replicas sell for surprisingly good money.
• 1989 desert silver Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a cream beige interior, a 227 bhp 5.5 liter V8, an automatic, both tops, and 68,000 miles—$16,500
• 1985 brown Chevrolet C-10 custom pickup truck with a tan interior, a 454 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$15,000
• 1981 silver Lancia Beta Spider Zagato with a black interior, a 108 bhp 2.0 liter 4, and five-speed manual—$8,000 for perhaps the most interesting eighties vehicle of this auction.
• 1983 silver Cadillac Sedan de Ville with a silver interior, a 135 bhp HT-4100 4.1 liter V8, an automatic, and 20,000 miles—$9,500

Saturday, June 25th:

• 1987 white Johnson Phantom coupe with a tan interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, an automatic, and 18,000 miles—$15,500 for this Camaro-based “neo-classic.”
• 1984 black Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with a black interior, a 4.2 liter inline 6, a five-speed manual, and 5,000 miles—$38,000 for this Jeep once owned by Charles Kuralt.
• 1989 red West Coast Cobra convertible with a black interior, a 500 bhp 460 cubic inch V8, an automatic, and 11,000 miles—$32,500 for this Shelby 427 “re-creation.”
• 1981 green Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler custom pickup truck with a black interior, a 401 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$37,000
• 1982 yellow Ferrari 308 GTSi coupe with a black interior, a 205 bhp 2.9 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and 42,000 miles—$55,000
• 1986 red Ferrari 328 GTS coupe with a tan interior, a 260 bhp 3.2 liter V8, and a five-speed manual—$82,000
• 1988 red Ferrari Testarossa mild custom (512TR bumpers, etc.) coupe with a tan interior, a 380 bhp 4.9 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and 21,000 miles—$130,000
• 1988 silver Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a tan interior, a 380 bhp 4.9 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and 34,000 miles—$93,000 made this the highest original eighties vehicle sale of the entire auction but still didn’t get it close to its original list price.
• 1986 red Porsche 911 Turbo custom coupe with a black interior, a 3.6 liter flat six, a four-speed manual, and 49,000 miles—$74,000
• 1985 red Ferrari GTS Quattrovalvole coupe with a tan interior, a 230 bhp 2.9 liter V8, a five-speed manual, and 55,000 miles—$61,000
• 1985 dark blue Porsche 911 Carrera Targa coupe with a blue interior, a 207 bhp 3.2 liter flat six, a five-speed manual, and 76,000 miles—$32,000
• 1988 red Ferrari GTS coupe with a tan interior, a 260 bhp 3.2 liter V8, and a five-speed manual—$55,000

I see a lot of Ferraris, Jeeps, Mercedes-Benz SLs, and Porsches. What do you think of this auction’s results?

Mecum’s December auction in Austin included a decent amount of cars from the 1980s. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a black 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary coupe with a tan interior was a no sale bid up to $260,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Friday:

• 1986 white Chevrolet Corvette mild custom coupe with a red interior and 69,000 miles—$6,250 hammer price
• 1980 black MGB convertible with a brown interior—$8,500
• 1983 red/black two-tone Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a black interior—$15,500
• 1985 black GMC Sierra pickup truck with a black interior—$14,000 means that this was the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
• 1987 silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with a gray interior—$9,500. Most Monte SS’s seem to be blue, white, or maroon—not too many silver ones out there.
• 1985 red Chevrolet Sierra custom pickup truck with a white interior—$18,000
• 1985 red Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce convertible with a black interior and 86,000 miles—$10,000
• 1981 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition coupe with a black interior—$17,000
• 1985 black Chevrolet K1500 custom pickup truck with a black interior—$15,000
• 1982 blue/white two-tone GMC Jimmy mild custom SUV with a blue interior and 2-wheel drive—$5,500
• 1989 blue/white two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer Silverado SUV with a blue interior—$9,000
• 1980 beige Jeep CJ-5 SUV with a beige interior—$13,500
• 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a silver beige interior—$11,000
• 1986 orange/brown Chevrolet C10 very custom pickup truck with a  multi-colored interior and a 454 cubic inch motor—$13,000
• 1985 white Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a blue interior—$18,000
• 1980 beige Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a tan interior—$6,500

Saturday:

• 1984 red Toyota BJ-40 Land Cruiser SUV with a black interior, a 3.0 liter diesel, and a four-speed manual transmission—$24,000
• 1981 gray Toyota HJ-47 Land Cruiser pickup truck with a black interior—$20,000
• 1988 white Land Rover Range Rover SUV with a gray interior—$7,500
• 1985 white Land Rover Defender 110 SUV with a black interior—at $60,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction.
• 1983 brown Jeep Scrambler pickup truck with tan interior, the Laredo package, and 36,000 miles—$23,000

Lots of trucks … Jeep and Toyota Land Cruiser prices continue to be strong. What do you think of this auction’s results?

Auctions America’s September auction at Auburn include a decent amount of eighties vehicles. I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not an all no reserve auction—a black 1983 Excalibur Series IV phaeton with a black interior was a no sale bid up  to $42,500) and add some of my opinions.

Thursday:

• 1981 stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12 coupe with a gray interior and 13,000 miles—$19,000 hammer price for a car that doesn’t look a nice as the miles would indicate

Friday:

• 1987 violet Porsche 928 S4 coupe with a beige interior—$15,500
• 1981 red Toyota BJ42 Land Cruiser SUV with a black interior—$33,000
• 1988 black Porsche 928S coupe with a beige interior—$30,000
• 1987 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior and 48,000 miles—$26,000
• 1981 white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with a black interior and 47,000 miles—$14,750
• 1989 white Pontiac Firebird Twentieth Anniversary Turbo Trans Am coupe with a tan interior and 83 miles—$35,000
• 1987 red Porsche 911 Targa coupe with a black interior and 64,000 miles—$44,000
• 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a beige interior—$14,500
• 1989 white Pontiac Firebird Twentieth Anniversary Turbo Trans Am coupe with a tan interior—$15,000
• 1987 black Jaguar XJ12 Vanden Plas sedan with a tan interior—$18,000
• 1981 red Ferrari 308 GTS with a tan interior and 42,000 miles—$49,000
• 1983 white Excalibur Series IV roadster with a red interior—$40,000 for this most respected of all the neo-classic marques.
• 1989 black Lincoln limousine with a black interior—$13,000

Saturday:

• 1988 green Royce-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a tan interior and 10,000 miles—$29,000
• 1988 black Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a tan interior and 20,000 miles—at $102,500, the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, this is strong #2 money.
  
• 1987 gray Porsche 911 Turbo coupe with a gray interior—$72,000
• 1988 maroon Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe with a maroon interior—$14,100
• 1980 gold Porsche 911SC  coupe with a tan interior—$30,500
• 1986 black Porsche 911 Turbo coupe with a gray interior—$55,000 for this attractive car not in it’s original blue color.
• 1987 red Ferrari 328 GTS coupe with a tan interior—$61,000
• 1983 red Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole coupe with a black interior and 17,000 miles

Sunday:

• 1983 black Excalibur Series IV phaeton with a black interior—$40,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

Auctions America’s October auction at Hilton Head was on October 31st. I’ll concentrate on the relatively few 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not an all no reserve auction—a brown 1980 Toyota FJ43 Land Cruiser with a gray interior was bid up to $52,500) and add some of my opinions.

• 1982 stainless steel DeLorean DMC-12 coupe with a gray interior—$19,000
• 1989 white Bentley Turbo R sedan with a red interior and over 100,000 miles—$11,000.
• 1986 red Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with a tan interior—$80,000
• 1989 white Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition coupe with a black interior and 6,800 miles—$312,500
• 1984 red Ferrari 512 BBi coupe with a black interior and 3,600 mile—at $327,500, the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction. Prices for the Berlinetta Boxer have been in orbit; this is about #2 condition money according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
• 1986 red Ferrari 412i coupe with a tan interior and 42,000 miles—$65,000. It seems that even some 412s are benefiting from the recent increases in Ferrari prices.
• 1980 blue Ford Mustang “GT Enduro” very custom coupe with 14,000 miles—$37,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

Mecum’s November auction in Anaheim included a decent amount of cars from the 1980s. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a white 1988 Porsche 911 Cabriolet with a factory slant nose, a black interior, and 48,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $110,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Thursday:

• 1984 brown Chevrolet El Camino mild custom pickup truck with a brown interior—$7,250 hammer price
• 1986 red/tan two-tone Chevrolet Suburban SUV with a tan interior, a 454 cubic inch motor, and (oog) a salvage title—$6,750
• 1989 blue/white two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer Silverado SUV with a blue interior—$9,000
• 1982 brown/tan two-tone Chevrolet Suburban SUV with a tan interior,  a 454 cubic inch motor, and 82,000 miles—$6,000. Who was selling all these eighties Chevy SUVs?
• 1984 blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo coupe with a blue interior—$5,500. It’s unusual to see a non-SS Monte Carlo at auction.
• 1987 white Jaguar XJ6 sedan with a tan interior and 8,000 miles—$11,000
• 1983 white Porsche 911SC coupe with a brown interior—$23,000
• 1984 brown/gold two-tone Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a gold interior and 90,000 miles—$5,000
• 1986 silver Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe with a gray interior and 18,000 miles—$14,250 is decent money for one of these NASCAR specials.
• 1988 gray Zimmer Golden Spirit with a gray interior—$13,000 for this Mercury Cougar-based neo-classic.
• 1986 silver Chevrolet Corvette very custom coupe with a gray interior, a Callaway body kit, and a 383 stroker motor—$26,000
• 1985 black Porsche 928S coupe with a black interior—$8,000

Friday:

• 1980 white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Turbo Pace Car coupe with a white interior and 40,000 miles—$10,000
• 1987 black Jeep CJ-7 very custom SUV with a gray interior—$19,500
• 1988 black Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a red interior and 60,000 miles—$25,000
• 1988 maroon Lincoln Town Car limousine with a maroon interior—$7,000
• 1985 black Ferrari Mondial Quattrovalvole custom coupe with a black interior and 67,000 miles—$22,000 would be #3 money if this Ferrari where stock.
• 1982 white Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a black interior—$45,000

Saturday:

• 1980 black Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a tan interior and 36,000 miles—$15,000 means that this was the only vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
• 1987 white Porsche 911 Turbo coupe with a black interior and 40,000 miles—at $100,000, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction, though only about #4 money according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
  

Prices were generally low for most cars, though some of the nicest ones brought decent money. What do you think of this auction’s results?

Mecum’s October auction in Chicago included a decent amount of cars from the 1980s. As always, I’ll concentrate on the cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a white 1985 Land Rover Defender 110 SUV with a black interior was a no sale bid up to $60,000) and add some of my opinions. Where I have covered the specific year and model of a car in this blog, I link to it.

Thursday:

• 1985 silver Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a burgundy interior—$12,000 hammer price
• 1985 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a black interior—$9,000. Why did the 380SL fetch more?
• 1984 black Porsche 911 Carrera coupe with a black interior and an aftermarket slant nose conversion—$24,000
• 1983 white Porsche 944 coupe with a black interior—$7,250
• 1989 white Pontiac Firebird Twentieth Anniversary Trans Am with a tan interior—$17,000
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 58,000 miles—$18,000
• 1987 black K5 Blazer SUV with a gray interior—$13,000
• 1981 black Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a black interior—$12,000
• 1987 gray Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a black interior—$8,500
• 1985 white Litestar coupe with a tan interior and 108 miles—$24,500 for this enclosed motorcycle.
• 1985 cream Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz coupe with a brown interior and 15,000 miles—$11,000
• 1988 black Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z convertible with a gray interior—$12,000
• 1982 maroon Ferrari 400i coupe with a tan interior—$23,000
• 1984 black Pontiac Fiero very custom coupe with a  383 V8—$12,000
• 1984 silver Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a gray interior and 89,000 miles—an ouch! at $2,750.
• 1984 white Cadillac Seville sedan with a white interior—$3,250

Friday:

• 1984 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior and 7,800 miles—$9,250
• 1987 gray Chevrolet Camaro coupe with the 2.8 liter V6, a gray interior, and 19,500 miles—$4,000. Perhaps the most interesting eighties car in this auction; how many base coupes are left, especially with this kind of mileage?
• 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a silver beige interior and 62,000 miles—$9,500
• 1980 gray Pontiac Firebird Trans Am custom coupe with a black interior—$14,000
• 1981 black Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a cinnabar interior—$12,500
• 1983 black/silver two-tone Oldsmobile Hurst Olds 15th Anniversary coupe with a maroon interior—$8,500
• 1989 black Cadillac Fleetwood sedan with a gray interior—$5,500
• 1982 beige Jeep Scrambler pickup truck with a brown interior— $25,600 means that this is the first vehicle in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these vehicles in bold green.
• 1989 black Bentley Turbo R with a saddle interior and 55,000 miles—$15,000
• 1989 maroon Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA with a tan interior, 5.7 liter engine, and 49,000 miles—$8,000
• 1986 red Toyota FJ-60 Land Cruiser mild custom SUV with a beige interior—$25,500
• 1988 cream Land Rover Defender SUV with a gray interior—$28,500

Saturday:

• 1987 black Buick Regal GNX coupe with a gray interior and 16 miles—at $112,500, by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of the auction and a top 10 overall result. How many ultra low mileage GNX’s are left?
• 1981 black and gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Special Edition coupe with a black interior, automatic transmission, and 572 miles—$45,000 is a lot of money for a Trans Am with (best case) 150 bhp 301 cubic inch V8.
• 1982 white Porsche 930 Turbo mild custom coupe with a red interior—$50,000
• 1981 blue Chevrolet Corvette custom coupe with a blue interior, tuned port injection engine, and 35,000 miles—$16,000

Prices were generally low for most cars, though some of the nicest ones brought good money. What do you think of this auction’s results?