Mecum’s May auction in Indianapolis provided some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction) and add some of my opinions.

Tuesday:

• 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$8,750 hammer price.
• 1989 red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—$6,250
• 1981 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$6,750
• 1983 blue Cadillac Eldorado coupe—an ouch! at $3,250.
• 1986 white Chevrolet Corvette convertible with 45,000 miles—$8,750
• 1983 silver Jaguar XJS coupe—$6,500
• 1984 black Zimmer Golden Spirit coupe—this Mercury Cougar-based neo-classic fetched $18,500.
• 1986 silver Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$5,750

Wednesday:

• 1988 silver Toyota Land Cruiser SUV—$9,250
• 1981 blue Cadillac Eldorado Pierre Cardin Evolution I coupe. This strange looking Eldorado with a notably extended nose sold for $8,000.
• 1982 beige Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck—at $28,000 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.
• 1984 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 7,500 miles—$9,750
• 1985 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 5,600 miles—$10,500
• 1981 white Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with 9,000 miles—$21,000
• 1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with 25,000 miles—$15,500
• 1987 black Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$8,000

Thursday:

• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with 19,500 miles—$20,000
• 1988 white Tiffany Classic coupe with 17,000 miles—$16,000. Another neo-classic, this one also Mercury Cougar-based.
• 1983 red Ferrari 308 GTS Targa with 22,500 miles—$44,000
• 1986 black Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 coupe with 43,200 miles—$14,000
• 1980 white Porsche 911 coupe—$20,000
• 1982 yellow/white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am funny car driven by Don Prudhomme—the first funny car to hit 250 mph in the quarter mile. Estimated at $200,000 to $250,000, but “only” sold for $105,000—race cars of all types and all ages seem to be a challenge at auction.
• 1981 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—$13,000
• 1980 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—$15,000

Friday:

• 1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe—$13,000. Is it possible that there are actually more seats than butts for what is unquestionably the nicest and most livable of the late sharks?
• 1985 beige two-tone Chevrolet Short Bed mild custom pickup truck—$7,500
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe—$8,000
• 1981 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—real money at $32,500

Saturday:

• 1986 AM General 6×6 truck—$15,500
• 1989 red Porsche 928 S4 coupe with 16,500 miles—$50,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

Mecum’s April auction at Kansas City provided some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction) and add some of my opinions.

Thursday:

• 1985 beige Cadillac Eldorado coupe—$6,000 hammer price.
• 1984 Silver Metallic Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$3,000
• 1985 Cream Beige Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe—$4,500. These cars sold in immense numbers (134,000 coupes in 1985 alone); does this mean there will be some collector interest?
• 1982 white Mercedes-Benz 240D sedan—$4,100
• 1981 orange Jeep CJ-7 SUV—$11,500
• 1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe missing all of the exterior striping—$11,000
• 1983 red Phillips Berlina coupe. Yet another Corvette-based “neo-classic”—this C3-derived one sold for $14,500.
• 1985 black Chevrolet pickup truck—$11,500
• 1987 white Ford Mustang LX convertible – $4,000
• 1989 black Pontiac Firebird Formula coupe—$5,500
• 1985 black Chevrolet Cheyenne mild custom pickup truck—$4,250

Friday:

• 1986 gray Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$8,000
• 1980 Dark Blue Chevrolet Camaro coupe—$7,500
• 1985 medium blue/light blue two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV—$10,000
• 1988 Medium Blue Metallic Chevrolet Corvette convertible with 63,000 miles—a nice car for $9,750.
• 1985 Dark Red Metallic Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz coupe—$5,500. Why did this sell for less than the beige 1985 on Thursday?
• 1986 red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with 56,000 miles—$8,000
• 1981 black Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 68,000 miles—$12,500

Saturday:

• 1984 Red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 12,000 miles—$12,000. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for an 1984 Corvette in #1 condition is $15,300.
• 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$11,250
• 1985 red Chevrolet C10 mild custom pickup—$18,000. It took until Saturday for the only vehicle in this auction that met my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars or trucks: selling for equal to or above its original base list price.
• 1983 Ice Blue Lotus Esprit (non-turbo) coupe with 5,700 miles—$30,000. Probably the most interesting eighties car in this auction, though I don’t quite understand paying $49,809 (about $118,200 in today’s dollars) for this 140 bhp car in 1983.
• 1980 Russet Brown MGB convertible—$4,500. How much did the color drive the price down?

What do you think of this auction’s results?

This year’s Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction included some interesting vehicles. As usual, I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars (and some trucks) that sold and add some of my opinions.

Friday:

• 1982 gray Buick Electra Limited sedan—$11,000 hammer price. For 1980s cars, this auction definitely kicked off with a What? First, who saved this car for all these years? Second, who paid $11,000 for it in 2014?
• 1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe—$12,000
• 1984 Apple Red/Frost White two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV—at $13,000 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.
• 1988 Pearl White Lotus Esprit Turbo Commemorative Limited Edition coupe—$19,000. An interesting car in a good color, but what is the future for Esprit values?
• 1988 black Bentley Continental convertible—$35,000
• 1989 white Bentley Turbo R sedan—$21,000
• 1987 Raven Black Buick Grand National coupe—$20,000
• 1989 gray Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with 55,000 miles—$30,000. Eighties Grand Wagoneers have a strong following and it shows at auction.
• 1983 green Jeep CJ-7 SUV—$12,000
• 1987 white Toyota Land Cruiser SUV—$12,500
• 1985 red Chevrolet Silverado mild custom pickup truck—$11,500
• 1985 Schwarz Black Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible—$12,250
• 1983 blue two-tone Volkswagon Vanagen van—$9,500
• 1981 Gold Metallic Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—$12,000
• 1984 silver BMW 633 CSi coupe—$5,000
• 1986 black Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$7,500
• 1987 Raven Black Buick Grand National coupe with 1,786 miles—$38,500

Saturday:

• 1982 blue Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible—$4,000. Some SLs were getting killed at this auction—perhaps due to their reputation for being quite expensive to bring back if they’ve gone to seed?
• 1986 black Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with 72,000 miles—$8,000
• 1987 Raven Black Buick Grand National coupe with 981 miles—$23,000
• 1987 Raven Black Buick GNX coupe with 290 miles (the top 1980s sale in yet another auction)—$90,000
• 1988 yellow Pegasus coupe—$30,000 for this rare (only 25 built) Trans Am-based car.
• 1987 green Dodge Ram custom pickup truck—$19,000

Sunday:

• 1981 silver Jaguar XJ 6 sedan—$8,000
• 1988 white Pontiac Grand Prix Daytona 500 Pace Car experimental coupe (no complete VIN so not drivable on public roads)—$4,000. Stock looking, but not stock at all—what does the new owner intend to do with it?
• 1981 white Chevrolet Corvette mild custom coupe—$8,500
• 1980 black Chevrolet El Camino very custom pickup truck—$32,000
• 1981 red Jeep Scrambler custom pickup truck—$13,000
• 1989 blue/silver two-tone Ford Ranger mild custom pickup truck—$5,800

Looks like a lot of Mercedes-Benz SLs, turbo Buicks, SUVs, and trucks. What do you think of this year’s results?

Mecum’s April auction at Houston provided some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction) and add some of my opinions.

Thursday:

• 1987 beige/brown two-tone Dodge Ramcharger SUV—$7,500 hammer price. There were a lot of trucks at Houston, so kicking off with one for the 1980s vehicles fits.
• 1983 black Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible—$6,500 means that 380SLs don’t seem to do nearly as well as the later 560SLs.
• 1983 John Deere Green Toyota FJ-40 SUV—FJ-40s are really strong right now and at $20,000 this one 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.
• 1985 Silver/Gray two-tone Chevrolet Corvette mild custom coupe—$8,500
• 1981 Dark Blue Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with 55,000 miles—$20,000. These late second-generation Camaros continue to sell for good numbers. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for an 1981 Z28 in #1 condition is $25,400.
• 1988 Apple Red Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV—$13,000
• 1986 Nero (black) Ferrari Mondial convertible—at $17,000 (about a quarter of the original base price), the Mondial remains the eighties Ferrari stepchild (along with the 400, of course).
• 1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe—$13,500
• 1985 white Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with 25,000 miles—$19,000
• 1988 gray/blue two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with 92,000 miles—$13,000

Friday:

• 1981 silver (Of course! All but two …) DeLorean DMC-12 coupe with less than 5,000 miles—$26,000
• 1980 White Chevrolet Corvette coupe with four speed manual transmission—$9,500
• 1982 red Jaguar XJ-S Koenig Special coupe—at $7,000, ouch! The bodywork of this “factory special” is definitely an acquired taste, but the parts alone have got to be worth more than $7,000.
• 1985 white Chevrolet K10 pickup truck—$16,000
• 1981 Charcoal Gray Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with 15,000 miles—$16,000
• 1985 Black Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with 7 miles—$34,000 is evidently the price for a brand new 1985 IROC-Z, plastic still covering the interior, front spoiler never installed.
• 1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with 2,000 miles—$21,500
• 1981 Autumn Red/Dark Claret two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$13,500
• 1981 blue Chevrolet Camaro Z28 very custom coupe—$32,500
• 1985 black Porsche 930 Turbo coupe—at $40,500, the highest priced stock eighties car in this auction, but not quite getting back to its original $48,000 base price.
• 1986 yellow Pontiac Fiero GT “resto-mod” coupe with supercharged V6—$8,000

Saturday:

• 1985 white BMW 635 CSi coupe—$18,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

As always, the January auction at Mecum Kissimmee provided much interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars (and a few trucks) that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction) and add some of my opinions. Mecum Kissemmee is a huge event, so I’m going to separate my commentary into two posts—this second covers from Tuesday to Saturday.

Tuesday:

• 1988 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible—$6,000 hammer price
• 1982 Silver/Charcoal two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$10,000
• 1980 red Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe—at $13,000 the first car in this part of the auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these cars in bold green
• 1985 beige Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with 82,000 miles—$11,500
• 1981 black Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe—$15,500 (more strong money for the last of the second generation F cars)
• 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette 35th Anniversary coupe with 34,000 miles—$9,500 (the first of three 35th Anniversary’s sold)
• 1984 beige Jeep CJ-7 Laredo SUC with 99,000 miles—$10,500
• 1981 brown Cadillac Fleetwood sedan—$6,000
• 1980 Silver Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$13,000
• 1982 Silver Beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe—$20,000
• 1986 white Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$12,000
• 1983 blue Jeep CJ-7 SUV—$10,500
• 1982 orange Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 pickup truck—$24,000

Wednesday:

• 1984 red/white two-tone Ford Bronco SUV—$6,750
• 1987 blue/silver two-tone Chevrolet C10 pickup truck—$8,000
• 1981 black Jeep CJ-7 SUV—$9,000
• 1982 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$15,000
• 1986 red Jeep CJ-7 SUV—$17,500
• 1981 black Lincoln Mark VI sedan with 27,000 miles—$7,500
• 1987 red Ford Mustang convertible with 36,000 miles—$9,500
• 1989 red Buick Riviera coupe with 10,000 miles—$12,000
• 1981 silver (of course!) Delorean DMC-12 coupe with 10,000 miles—$29,000
• 1981 silver Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$9,500
• 1983 green Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck—$20,000
• 1987 red BMW 635csi coupe—$7,500
• 1981 red Chevrolet Blazer custom SUV—$21,000
• 1982 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 28,000 miles—$14,500
• 1987 red Ferrari Testarossa coupe—$39,000

Thursday:

• 1987 white Zimmer Golden Spirit coupe with 34,000 miles—$20,000
• 1987 white Porsche 911 Cabriolet convertible with 44,000 miles—$37,000
• 1980 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 31,000 miles—$13,500
• 1987 blue Ford Mustang custom Saleen hatchback with 25,000 miles—$16,000
• 1983 red Porsche 911 coupe—$31,000
• 1981 Red/Dark Claret two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$15,700
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with 35,000 miles—$18,000
• 1984 red Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with 56,000 miles—$5,750
• 1986 silver/gray two-tone Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe coupe with 250 miles—$37,000 (real money for a one year only NASCAR homologation model)
• 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette 35th Anniversary coupe with 46,000 miles—$16,000
• 1989 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with 31,000 miles—$12,000
• 1987 black Buick GNX coupe with 10,000 miles—$67,000

Friday:

• 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette 35th Anniversary coupe with 17,000 miles—$19,000
• 1986 white Chevrolet Corvette convertible—$10,500
• 1986 white Mercury Cougar convertible with 3,000 miles—$8,000
• 1986 white Porsche Slant Nose Cabriolet convertible—$34,000
• 1988 white Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet convertible—$60,000
• 1987 silver Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe—$13,000
• 1984 white Datsun 300ZX Turbo coupe with 42,000 miles—at $14,000 one of the most interesting 1980s cars in this auction.
• 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette Callaway convertible with 93,000 miles—$25,000
• 1985 red Jeep CJ-7 SUV—$22,500

Saturday:

• 1985 black Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with 36,000 miles—$63,000

What do you think of this year’s results?

As always, the January auction at Mecum Kissimmee provides much interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars (and a few trucks) that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction) and add some of my opinions. Mecum Kissemmee is a huge event, so I’m going to separate it into two posts—this first covers from Friday to Sunday.

Friday:

• 1984 brown two-tone Cadillac Seville sedan—$6,000 hammer price.
• 1980 brown two-tone Lincoln Mark VI Givenchy edition coupe—$5,500
• 1987 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$7,500
• 1980 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$11,000
• 1986 yellow Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—$4,500
• 1984 yellow Alfa Romeo Veloce convertible—$6,000
• 1983 red Jeep Scrambler CJ-8 pickup truck—$11,000
• 1984 Firemist Red Buick Riviera convertible—$7,500
• 1989 blue Jeep Wrangler custom SUV—$15,500
• 1988 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible—$8,750
• 1982 red Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan—$5,000
• 1988 Astral Silver Metallic Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$15,000

Saturday:

• 1989 gold Nissan Pulsar NX coupe with 12,000 miles (is it the nicest Pulsar remaining in the world?)—$6,000
• 1986 silver Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with 118 miles—at $84,000 the first car in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars: selling for equal to or above its original base list price. I’ll mark these cars in bold green.
• 1985 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 39,000 miles—$7,500
• 1986 black Buick Grand National coupe with 30,000 miles—$19,250
• 1983 yellow Jeep CJ-7 custom SUV—$17,000
• 1982 Silver Blue/Dark Blue two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 17,000 miles—$25,500 (interesting to see a non-Collector Edition 1982 hold its money)

Sunday:

• 1982 Dark Blue Metallic Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coupe with 7,000 miles—$9,500
• 1986 white/blue two-tone Cadillac Eldorado coupe with 15,000 miles—$7,250
• 1985 beige Ford LTD Country Squire wagon—$3,000 (is it worth more than that just for the metal?)
• 1987 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$11,000
• 1985 beige Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia Camper van—$9,750
• 1988 white Jaguar XJS coupe with 52,000 miles and a flood title—$4,250
• 1986 red Porsche 944 coupe—$8,250
• 1988 black  Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan—$11,000
• 1988 beige Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with wood paneling—$11,500

What do you think of this year’s results?

As always, the January auction at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale provided much interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll stay away from the “Salon Collection” and concentrate on the 1980s cars (and a few trucks) that sold and add some of my opinions.

Tuesday:

• 1981 green two-tone Cadillac Seville sedan—$1,000 hammer price.
• 1984 Light Briar Metallic Oldsmobile Toronado coupe with 32,000 miles—$6,200
• 1987 green Toyota custom pickup truck—$2,500
• 1987 Copper Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$5,750
• 1980 black Mercedes-Benz 450SLC coupe—$9,500
• 1989 Signal Red Jaguar XJ-S convertible (the real convertible, not the earlier targa convertible)—$6,200
• 1986 white Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$17,500
• 1986 black Mercedes-Benz 560SEL sedan—$7,500
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with 15,000 miles—at $23,000 the first car in this auction to meet my criteria for serious 1980s collectability of original cars: selling for equal to or above its original list price. I’ll mark these cars in bold green.
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe—$25,000
• 1987 Bright White Buick Regal Turbo coupe with T-tops and 39,000 miles—$18,500
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe (was somebody dumping Grand Nationals at Scottsdale?)—$18,500
• 1989 white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 20th Anniversary Edition hatchback coupe with 10,000 miles—$28,500
• 1988 red Ferrari Mondial convertible (always the 80s Ferrari stepchild)—$29,000
• 1985 Chevrolet Camaro very custom coupe—$8,000

Wednesday:

• 1986 Dark Chestnut Metallic Oldsmobile Cutlass coupe—$5,200
• 1988 silver Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$11,500
• 1984 Bright Red Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$10,000
• 1988 gray Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible —$12,000
• 1981 Beige/Dark Bronze Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$13,000
• 1987 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS aero coupe with 11,000 miles—$17,600
• 1988 Dark Red Metallic Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 10,000 miles—$12,500
• 1988 red Ford Mustang Saleen coupe—$24,500
• 1985 white Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z Live Aid coupe—$29,000
• 1988 beige Lincoln Continental limousine with 16,000 miles—$16,000
• 1982 Toyota custom pickup truck—$4,200

Thursday:

• 1987 black Alfa Romeo Veloce convertible—$12,000
• 1981 Charcoal Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coupe (really nice late second generation F-cars are beginning to come on—this one sold for $5,000 more than Hagerty’s “all the money” price)—$30,000
• 1982 gray Ferrari 400i coupe (maybe all 2+2 Ferraris get killed on the market)—$24,000
• 1981 red Porsche 911 custom coupe—$36,000
• 1980 black Mercedes-Benz 380SL very custom (it has an LS2) convertible—$30,000
• 1989 white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 20th Anniversary Edition hatchback coupe with 7,000 miles—$27,000
• 1989 white Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 20th Anniversary Edition hatchback coupe with 677 miles—$25,000
• 1982 Dune Beige Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40 SUV—$29,000
• 1982 red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am custom with a Gale Banks 611 bhp twin turbo V8 (the Car and Driver 200 mph cover car for those that remember). I think this was a huge bargain at $23,000.
• 1982 blue Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40 SUV—$45,000
• 1989 Rosso Corsa Ferrari 328 GTS targa—$59,000
• 1981 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—$35,000

Friday:

• 1986 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with 9,000 miles—$20,000
• 1980 Georgian Silver Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible with 16,000 miles (Dean Martin/Dennis Farina owned; did this add much to the price?)—$57,000

Saturday:

• 1987 black Buick GNX coupe with 11 miles (the top 1980s sale—it doesn’t seem like the GNX is a “Lost Car“—almost exactly at Hagerty’s #1 condition money)—$95,000
• 1986 black Ferrari Testarossa convertible conversion by Straman, driven by Michael Jackson in a Pepsi commercial. This drew just a little over Hagerty’s #1 condition for a “normal” 1986 Ferrari Testarossa coupe.—$67,000

Sunday:

• 1986 red Chevrolet El Camino custom—$17,000
• 1987 Pearl White Porsche Gemballa Cyrrus custom convertible—$43,000
• 1985 red Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible—$10,000

Looks like a lot of Mercedes-Benz SLs, turbo Buicks, and 20th Anniversary Trans Ams. What do you think of this year’s results?