Mecum’s mid-April auction at Houston provided some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars and trucks that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a red  1989 Ferrari 328 GTS coupe with a tan interior and 15,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $90,000) and add some of my opinions.

Thursday, April 14th:

• 1988 brown Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with a light brown interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and 94,000 miles—$7,500 hammer price.
• 1985 red Chevrolet custom pickup track with a gray and black interior and a 454 cubic inch V8—$18,000
• 1989 red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a gray interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, an automatic, and 71,000 miles—$8,100
• 1985 black GMC Sierra mild custom pickup truck with an ostrich bench seat and a 350 cubic inch V8—$16,000
• 1982 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a tan interior and a modern stereo system—$9,000. Did the color combination affect the price?
• 1987 black Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with a tan interior and a 305 cubic inch V8—$8,000
• [one year early] 1979 red Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a gray interior and a 355 cubic inch V8—$17,000
• [one year early] 1979 brown Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a tan interior, a 4.9 liter V8, an automatic, and 75,000 miles—$9,000
• 1983 black Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a red interior, the Conquista package, and 67,000 miles—$10,500
• 1986 metallic red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior, both tops, and 87,000 miles—$18,000
• 1984 orange Chevrolet K10 mild custom pickup truck with a black interior and a 350 cubic inch V8—$10,500
• 1988 red Jeep Wrangler SUV with a gray interior, a 4.2 liter inline 6, and an automatic—$6,500
• [one year early] 1979 blue Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a black interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$13,000
• 1989 white GMC Sierra pickup truck with a blue interior and a 350 cubic inch V8—$12,500
• 1984 blue Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a blue interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$19,000
• 1988 red Cadillac Allante convertible with a black top, a tan interior, a 4.1 liter V8, and 23,000 miles—$14,000
• 1986 champagne/burgundy Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a cream interior—an ouch! at $11,500, less than 10% of the original list price.
• 1985 black/white two-tone Chevrolet Blazer SUV with a gray interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$14,500
• [one year early] 1979 beige Jeep CJ-7 with the Golden Eagle package, a brown top, a tan interior, a 4.2 liter inline 6, and a three-speed manual—$14,500
• 1987 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe with a red interior, a 305 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$9,500 for this reminder of when stock cars actually had to resemble cars you purchased at the local dealer.

Friday, April 15th:

• 1987 white Chevrolet K10 pickup truck with a gray interior, a 305 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$16,000
• 1981 yellow Jeep Scrambler mild custom pickup truck with a black interior, a 4.2 liter inline 6, and a four-speed manual—$15,000
• 1986 red Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a black top, a black interior, the Laredo package, a 4.2 liter inline 6, and a four-speed manual—at $18,000, the first vehicle of 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 early] 1979 blue Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a blue cloth interior, a 6.6 liter V8, and an automatic—$15,000
• [one year early] 1979 silver/charcoal two-tone Pontiac Firebird Tenth Anniversary Trans Am coupe with a silver interior, a 6.6 liter V8, and 10,000 miles—$36,000
• 1988 green Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a tan interior and 13,000 miles—$26,000
• 1983 black Mazda RX7 GS coupe with a red interior, a 1.1 liter Wankel two-rotor, a five-speed manual, and 19,000 miles—at $12,500, perhaps the most interesting eighties car in this auction.
• 1986 white Chevrolet El Camino SS custom pickup truck with a tan interior, an LS2 V8, and an automatic—$16,000
• 1981 yellow Chevrolet K10 custom pickup truck with a blue and yellow interior, a 383 cubic inch V8, and a four-speed manual—$21,000
• 1987 green Land Rover Defender 90 SUV with a tan top, a brown interior, a 2.5 liter diesel, and five-speed manual—$29,000
• 1980 red Toyota HJ-45 Land Cruiser SUV with a tan interior, a 3.8 liter diesel, and a four-speed manual—$38,000
• [one year late] 1990 white Chevrolet Blazer SUV with a red interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and 70,000 miles—$17,000
• 1987 red Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a black interior, a 3.2 liter flat 6, and a five-speed manual—$45,000
• 1988 blue Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a tan interior—$19,000
• 1986 blue two-tone GMC custom pickup truck with a blue interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and an automatic—$15,000
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray and black interior and 17,000 miles—$26,500
• [one year early] 1979 black and gold Pontiac Firebird Trans Am replica Smokey and the Bandit coupe with a black interior, a 6.6 liter V8, and an automatic—$18,000
• [one year late] 1990 red Jaguar XJS convertible with a tan interior, a 5.3 liter V12, and an automatic—$11,500
• 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.

Saturday, April 16th:

• [one year early] 1979 silver/charcoal two-tone Pontiac Firebird Tenth Anniversary Trans Am coupe with a silver interior, a 403 cubic inch V8, an automatic, and 17,000 miles—$22,000
• 1983 white Jeep CJ-7 custom SUV with a black interior and a 350 cubic inch V8—$17,500
• 1981 white/maroon two-tone Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with a maroon interior and a V8—$10,000
• 1989 black Porsche 911 Carrera 4 coupe with a tan interior—$42,000
• 1988 red/tan two-tone Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer Edition SUV with a tan interior, a 5.0 liter V8, an automatic, and 12,000 miles—$25,000
• 1983 green/white two-tone Land Rover Defender 110 SUV with a black interior, a 2.5 liter diesel, a five-speed manual, and 57,000 miles—$37,500
• 1984 black Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with a champagne leather interior and 19,000 miles—at $99,000 the highest priced stock eighties vehicle in this auction.
• 1988 blue Ferrari 412i coupe with a cream interior, a 5.3 liter V12, and a GM automatic—$40,000. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, this is almost exactly #2/Excellent money.
• [one year early] 1979 red Chevrolet Camaro Z28 coupe with a red interior, a 350 cubic inch V8, and a four-speed manual—$17,000

As one might think, trucks were strong at Houston. I was a little surprised at the number of Ferraris and Porsches for sale.

What do you think of this auction’s results?

The March auction at Mecum Kansas City provided some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars and trucks that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a black 1986 Buick Grand National coupe with a black/gray interior and 77,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $23,000) and add some of my opinions.

Friday:

• 1985 black Buick Grand National coupe with a black/gray interior and a 1971 Oldsmobile 350 engine—$5,000 hammer price.
• 1984 white Toyota Celica Supra coupe with a brown interior—$5,500 for what was probably the most interesting eighties vehicle in this auction.
• 1984 teal Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a black interior—$8,000
• 1988 gray Jeep Cherokee Laredo SUV with a red interior—$6,000
• 1981 cotillion white Cadillac Coupe DeVille coupe (natch!) with a dark carmine interior and 6,600 miles—$6,000 for this good looking car.
• 1989 silver/red two-tone Chevrolet Suburban 3/4 ton SUV with a gray interior and the fuel injected 454 engine—$7,000
• 1987 red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a red interior and 32,000 miles—$10,500
• 1984 black/silver two-tone Buick Regal T-Type coupe with a gray interior and the WH1 Designer Package—$12,500
• 1989 red Pontiac Firebird Formula coupe with a black interior and 41,000 miles—$10,000
• 1987 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe with a burgundy interior and t-tops—$12,000 for one the last of the NASCAR homologation specials.
• 1981 orange Jeep CJ-5 SUV with a tan interior—at $22,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of the sale and 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.
• 1982 light bronze metallic/almond two-tone GMC High Sierra pickup truck with a tan interior—$13,000
• 1985 canyon red Ford Bronco II custom SUV with a red interior, 42,000 miles, and a very non-standard 302 cubic inch V8 engine—$10,000

1981 silver Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior—$8,0001980 black GMC C1500 custom pickup truck with a gray interior—$11,000

1982 black Dodge Ramcharger SUV

with a red interior and 61,000 miles—$15,0001982 blue Chevrolet Corvette custom coupe with a black interior and 77,000 miles—$20,000

Saturday:

• 1989 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a black interior and 21,000 miles—$13,000
• 1980 white Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am Pace Car coupe with an oyster interior and 34,000 miles—$14,000
• 1981 blue Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a blue interior and 22,000 miles—at $16,500, the highest eighties vehicle sale of Saturday. Hagerty’s valuation tools see this as between #2 and #3 money.

Late second-generation Trans Ams and SUVs were fairly strong, but Mecum Kansas City generally lived to its bargain reputation. What do you think of these results?

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

Tuesday:

• 1989 white Ford Econoline box van with a red and black interior and 170,000—$3,800 hammer price marks an ignominious beginning for eighties vehicles at this auction.
• 1981 ivory Mercedes-Benz 280CE coupe with a palomino interior—$6,500
• 1981 chiffon white Porsche 928 coupe with a brown interior—$5,000
• 1986 silver Maserati Spyder Bi-Turbo convertible with a beige interior—$7,200
• 1981 pearl gray/dove gray two-tone Citroen 2CV Roll-Top sedan with gray interior—$16,500 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.
• 1981 stainless steel Delorean DMC-12 coupe with a gray interior and 13,000 miles—$27,000 makes this the highest eighties vehicle sale of Tuesday.
• 1984 silver/orange two-tone Chevrolet C10 custom pickup truck with a black interior—$16,000
• 1989 flint gray/silver blue two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with a blue interior—$13,000

Wednesday:

• 1988 signal red BMW 635 CSi with a tan interior and a salvage title in its past—$6,500
• 1981 charcoal metallic GMC Sierra Classic pickup truck with a black interior—$7,000
• 1981 classic white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a cinnabar interior and 43,000 miles—$17,500
• 1985 signal red Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a parchment interior and 59,000 miles—$17,000
• 1982 tan Toyota 4×4 SR5 pickup truck with a tan interior—$22,000
• 1986 burgundy Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a gray interior—$8,200
• 1987 sinister black Buick Grand National coupe with a black and gray interior—$23,000
• 1980 dark claret Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a claret interior and 24,000 miles—$18,000
• 1989 gray Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a gray interior and 21,000 miles—$33,000
• 1984 oxford white Ford Mustang GT 350 convertible with a canyon red interior and 101 miles—$65,000
• 1986 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck with a black interior and 1,200 miles—$24,000
• 1989 gold Corsair convertible with a tan interior—$27,000 for this “neo-classic”
• 1981 stainless steel Delorean DMC-12 coupe with a gray interior and 7,700 miles—$58,000
• 1980 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe with a tan interior and 750 miles—a rather stunning $100,000.
• 1984 white Porsche 935 custom coupe with a tan interior—$100,000

Thursday:

• 1987 red Ford Mustang GT hatchback with a red interior—$5,000. Why bring this car to auction?
• 1985 white Toyota FJ-60 custom SUV with a gray interior and a Chevrolet V8—$20,500
• 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior, an L82 engine, and 15,000 miles—$19,500
• 1981 gold Mercedes-Benz 380SLC coupe with a tan interior—$6,000
• 1985 black AMC Jeep CJ-7 Scrambler custom pickup truck with a black and gray interior—$18,000
• 1989 dark blue Lotus Esprit Turbo SE coupe with a beige interior—$15,000
• 1985 white Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with an aegean blue interior—$26,500
• 1989 charcoal with woodgrain Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with a tan interior—$17,000
• 1980 black/yellow two-tone AMC Jeep CJ-5 very custom SUV with a black and yellow interior—$38,000
• 1985 bright red Porsche 911 Carrera coupe with a black interior and 74,000 miles—$33,500
• 1988 british racing green Rolls-Royce Corniche II convertible with a tan interior and 68,000 miles—$58,000

Friday:

• 1986 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a red interior, the 4+3 manual transmission, and 1,200 miles—$25,000
• 1984 silver Mercedes-Benz 300D seven passenger limousine with a blue interior—$17,000

Saturday:

• 1982 grand prix white Porsche 911 SC coupe with a brown interior and 98,000 miles—$30,000
• 1986 gray Land Rover Defender custom pickup truck with a black interior—$94,000
• 1987 black Buick Grand National GNX with a gray and black interior and 294 miles—$115,000
• 1989 black Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with a black interior and 12,600 miles—$165,000
• 1983 guards red Porsche 930 Turbo with a black interior and 33,000 miles—$85,000

Sunday:

• 1982 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior—$13,000
• 1988 pearl white Lotus Esprit Turbo Anniversary Edition coupe with a blue interior—$18,000

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

The January auction at Mecum Kissimmee that kicks off the auction year always provides some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars and trucks that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a tan interior and 16,000 miles that was a Miami Vice “hero” car was a no sale bid up to $475,000) and add some of my opinions. Mecum Kissimmee is a huge event (about 3,000 vehicles), so I’m going to separate it into two posts—this second covers from Wednesday to the final Saturday.

Wednesday:

• 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with an oyster interior, the L82 engine, and 63,000 miles—$6,500
• 1988 red BMW M6 coupe with a white interior—$17,500
• 1987 red BMW M6 coupe with a white interior—$41,000 is close to all the money for a 1987 M6, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools. I prefer blue, but two bidders at Kissimmee evidently liked the red.
• 1982 black Jeep CJ-5 mild custom SUV with a black interior—$5,500
• 1984 silver/black two-tone Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds coupe with a burgundy interior, the famous Lightning Rod shifter, and 11,000 miles—at $23,000, the first vehicle in the second part of 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 black Chevrolet Blazer custom SUV with a black interior—$7,500
• 1989 burgundy Porsche 944 coupe with a black interior—an ouch! at $3,500
• 1982 black Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a gray interior and 50,000 miles—$11,000
• 1982 light pewter/opal two-tone Lincoln Town Car Cartier Designer Series sedan with an opal/light pewter interior and 4,900 miles—$14,000
• 1989 silver Cadillac Brougham sedan with a gray interior and 41,000 miles—$10,000
• 1984 white Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible with a red interior and 72,000 miles—$8,500
• 1981 maroon metallic Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a medium red interior and 45,000 miles—$10,000
• 1989 tan/woodgrain two-tone Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with a tan interior—at $24,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of Wednesday.
• 1981 burgundy Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a burgundy interior—$10,000
• 1985 balboa blue Cadillac Eldorado Commemorative Edition coupe with blue/white interior and 20,000 miles—$13,000
• 1980 charcoal Pontiac Firebird Turbo Trans Am coupe with a red interior—$17,000 is now #3 money for a 1980 Trans Am, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
• 1982 wine red Porsche 928 coupe with a tan interior and 48,000 miles—$13,500
• 1986 white Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a black interior and 8,200 miles—$12,000
• 1986 black Pontiac Fiero GT coupe with a gray interior and 4,300 miles—$12,000
• 1986 blue Chevrolet Silverado custom pickup truck with a blue interior—$15,500
• 1981 orange AMC Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler pickup truck with a tan interior—$13,000
• 1984 gold Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet custom with a black interior—$22,000. A stock #3 car is about $36,000, according to to Hagerty’s valuation tools; how much did the now-dated customization hurt the final bid?

Thursday:

• 1986 blue/silver two-tone Chevrolet K10 Silverado pickup truck with a blue interior—$14,500 hammer price.
• 1982 white Zimmer Golden Spirit coupe with tan interior—$16,000 for this Mustang-based “neo-classic.”
• 1989 pacific blue Jeep Wrangler Islander custom SUV with a black interior—$10,500
• 1985 silver/medium gray two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a gray interior, a 4+3 manual transmission, and 15,000 miles—$14,500
• 1989 orange Jeep Wrangler Islander SUV with a tan interior—$15,000
• 1987 black Buick Regal T-Type coupe with 54,000 miles—$14,500
• 1989 black Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z convertible with a gray interior and 14,000 miles—$16,000
• 1986 red Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a black interior and 29,000 miles—at $125,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of Thursday.
• 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition coupe with a silver beige interior and the factory CB radio—$11,000
• 1987 dark cherry Buick Regal T-Type coupe with a gray interior and 58,000 miles—$16,000
• 1980 silver Ferrari 308GTS coupe with a red interior and 8,900 miles—$100,000
• 1981 blue AMC Jeep Scrambler pickup truck with a blue and black interior—$26,000
• 1981 black AMC Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a black interior—$18,000
• 1984 blue AMC Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a black interior—$9,500

Friday:

• 1985 bronze AMC Jeep Renegade custom SUV with a black interior—$26,500
• 1985 red Ferrari 308 GTS coupe with a black interior and 31,000 miles—$47,000
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 41,000 miles—$25,000
• 1987 maroon Pontiac Fiero GT coupe with a gray interior and 15,000 miles—$8,000
• 1985 light gray/medium gray two-tone Pontiac Grand Prix coupe with a gray interior and 25,000 miles—$9,000 for one of the more interesting eighties cars in this auction.
• 1985 red Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole coupe with a tan interior—$64,000 made this the highest eighties vehicle sale of Friday.
• 1986 guards red Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a black interior and 40,000 miles—$60,000

Saturday:

• 1988 black Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with a tan interior and 66,000 miles—$91,000
• 1987 black DeTomaso Pantera GT5-S coupe with a tan interior and 7,300 miles—$220,000 is strong money for the last and likely the best of the Panteras. This was by far the highest eighties vehicle sale of both Saturday and the entire auction, though a 1989 Porsche 962 race car with a winning race history was bid up to 2.3 million.
• 1981 beige with white top Toyota BJ-42 Land Cruiser SUV with a beige and gray interior—$44,000
• 1988 dark shadow blue with gray cladding Ford Mustang GT fastback with medium gray interior and 3,400 miles—$20,000
• 1986 white Porsche 911 Cabriolet with a black interior—$38,000
• 1988 white Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet with a black interior, a factory steel slant nose, and 58,000 miles—$135,000
• 1986 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 5,100 miles—$32,000

It’s hard to draw conclusions about Mecum Kissimmee, because there’s so much going on. A lot of high-dollar cars didn’t sell—what did sell was the usual mix of muscle cars, classic cars, and (let’s be hones) just weird cars.

What do you think of this year’s results?

The January auction at Mecum Kissimmee that kicks off the auction year always provides some interesting fodder for commentary. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars and trucks that sold (remember that this is not a no reserve auction—a white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa coupe with a tan interior and 16,000 miles that was a Miami Vice “hero” car was a no sale bid up to $475,000) and add some of my opinions. Mecum Kissemmee is a huge event (about 3,000 vehicles), so I’m going to separate it into two posts—this first covers from Friday to Tuesday (with no auctions on Monday).

Friday:

• 1980 red/silver two-tone Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a black interior—$13,500 hammer price.
• 1985 bronze Volkswagen Westfalia Camper van with a pearl interior, automatic transmission, and factory air conditioning—$6,500
• 1984 blue Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a tan interior and 46,000 miles—$11,500 for this attractive car.
• 1988 white Chevrolet K5 Blazer SUV with a gray interior—$10,000
• 1987 burgundy Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with a burgundy interior and 4,900 miles—at $16,500, the highest eighties vehicle sale of Friday and 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 light ivory Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a navy interior and 68,000 miles—$13,000
• 1988 white Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior and 68,000 miles—$11,500
• 1981 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a light tan interior and 84,000 miles—$9,000
• 1986 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior and 44,000 miles—$10,000
• 1988 gray/black two-tone Chevrolet K5 Blazer mild custom SUV with a silver interior—$12,000
• 1986 blue Buick Regal T-Type coupe with a blue interior—$9,000
• 1982 yellow Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with a brown interior—$9,500
• 1981 gray Chevrolet Camaro Z28 custom coupe with a red interior—$12,500

Saturday:

• 1988 blue Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with a blue interior and 26,000 miles—$55,000
• 1986 red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with a red interior and 15,000 miles—$21,000
• 1987 burgundy Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS coupe with a burgundy interior—$9,000 for this car shows that the range between driver and low-mileage near-perfection as being $7,500 when it comes to an eighties Monte SS.
• 1985 blue Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz coupe with a blue interior and 45,000 miles—$10,500. If only the sharp-looking Eldorados of this era had a more appealing engine than the fraught HT4100 4.1 liter V8.
• 1982 gray American Motors Deuce Cargo custom truck with a black interior—$17,500
• 1981 white Toyota BJ-40 Land Cruiser SUV with a gray interior and 12,000 miles—$38,500
• 1989 black Chevrolet Corvette convertible with a saddle interior and 19,000 miles—$16,000
• 1989 desert taupe Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior and 30,000 miles—$28,000
• 1986 white Lincoln Mark VII coupe with a red interior—$4,500
• 1987 red Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a black interior and 6,500 miles—$57,000 is good money for a 560SL, even with very low miles. Hagerty’s valuation tools see this as between #1 and #2 money; it was the highest eighties vehicle sale of Saturday.
• 1985 red Chevrolet Silverado custom pickup truck with a black interior and the 454 rat motor—$14,000
• 1986 purple Chevrolet El Camino very custom pickup truck with a white interior—$16,000
• 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a red interior and 19,000 miles—$12,500
• 1980 platinum metallic Porsche 911SC Weissach Edition coupe with a platinum interior—$55,000
• 1987 white GMC Sierra 1500 custom pickup truck with a blue interior—$19,500
• 1989 black Mini Cooper coupe with a black interior—$18,000
• 1986 red AMC Jeep CJ-7 SUV with a red/black interior—$21,000
• 1986 blue Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 with a blue interior—$5,000 for this rather beat-up looking example.
• 1989 blue Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior—$8,250
• 1984 black Dodge Ramcharger custom SUV with a black interior—$19,500
• 1986 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe with incorrect white leather seats (the rest of the interior is bronze) and the 4+3 manual transmission—$5,500

Sunday:

• 1988 red Pontiac Fiero Formula coupe with gray interior and 18,000 miles—$10,500
• 1984 white Chevrolet S10 very custom pickup truck—$5,000
• 1982 red Chevrolet Corvette custom coupe—$8,000
• 1987 black/gray two-tone Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup truck with a gray interior—$8,500
• 1987 blue Alfa-Romeo Spider Veloce convertible with a gray interior—$9,500
• 1986 gold Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a tan interior and 60,000 miles—$13,000
• 1987 silver Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible with a gray interior—$13,000
• 1983 white Jaguar XJS coupe with a tan interior and 53,000 miles—$4,500

Tuesday:

• 1986 white Tiffany Classic coupe with a white interior and 19,000 miles—$19,000 for this Mercury Cougar-based neo-classic.
• 1980 yellow Austin Mini 1000 with a black interior—$10,000
• 1984 light blue/medium blue two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a blue interior—$5,750
• 1986 white/brown two-tone Ford Bronco XLT SUV with a tan interior and 89,000 miles—$3,900
• 1986 maroon/silver two-tone Chevrolet El Camino mild custom pickup truck with a maroon and silver interior—$7,000
• 1987 black Buick Grand National coupe with a gray interior and 35,000 miles—$22,000 makes this the highest eighties vehicle sale of Monday.
• 1989 blue Lincoln Mark VII LSC coupe with a blue interior and 28,000 miles—an ouch! at $3,750. Mark VII’s certainly have not caught on …
• 1985 gold Porsche 944 coupe with a gold interior and 55,000 miles—$8,000
• 1982 light blue/medium blue two-tone Chevrolet Corvette coupe with a blue interior—$9,000
• 1981 silver Datsun 280ZX coupe with a blue interior and 29,000 miles—$15,000. Are the early 80s Z cars finally actually collectible?
• 1980 red Jeep CJ-5 SUV with a tan interior—$18,500
• 1980 blue Ford Mustang GT mild custom fastback with a black and blue interior—$3,500

Russo And Steele’s auction at Monterey took place from August 13th to August 15th. I’ll concentrate on the relatively few 1980s cars and trucks that actually sold and add some of my opinions.

• 1984 red Ferrari 308 GTS coupe with a black leather interior—$66,000 hammer price
• 1988 white Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with a black interior—at $86,000, the highest eighties vehicle sale of this auction
• 1982 blue Toyota FJ43 SUV—$49,000
• 1989 red BMW 635CSi coupe with a gray interior and 88,000 miles—$16,500 for this handsome coupe.
• 1989 blue Ferrari Mondial t convertible with a tan interior and 22,000 miles—$36,000. Even the nicest Mondials—and this is one of them—are still Ferrari step-children. This is #2 money, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools. The same year’s 328 GTB coupe is over $100,000 in the same condition.
• 1984 yellow Ferrari 400i coupe with a tan interior and an automatic transmission—$37,500
• 1987 Cassis Red Metallic (kind of a champagne rose) Porsche 911 Cabriolet with a burgundy interior and 43,000 miles—$43,000. This is strong #3 money according to Hagerty’s valuation tools—how much did the color hurt the bidding?
• 1989 white Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sedan with a tan interior and 36,000 miles—$16,750
• 1983 black Porsche 911 custom cabriolet with a black interior and 79,000 miles—$41,000

What do you think of this auction’s results?

This year’s Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction included some interesting vehicles. I’ll concentrate on the at least fairly stock 1980s cars (and a few trucks) that sold in this mostly no reserve auction (a black 1989 Lamborghini Countach Anniversary Edition coupe with 2,200 miles was a no-sale bid up to $335,000) and add some of my opinions.

Friday:

• 1986 beige Mercedes-Benz 420SEL sedan with 77,000 miles—$3,500 hammer price.
• 1985 brown Lincoln Town Car sedan with 37,000 miles—an ouch! at $2,500.
• 1986 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with 14,000 miles—$9,500
• 1986 white Chrysler Laser XT custom (some Dodge Daytona parts) coupe once owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Cotton Owens—$5,000 indicates that in this particular case celebrity ownership didn’t help the bidding much.
• 1981 black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am coupe—at $17,500 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.
• 1980 red Ferrari 308 GTSi coupe—$45,000 is between number #1 and #2 money, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
• 1982 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 6,600 miles—$26,000 is good money for a non-Collector’s Edition 1982.
• 1985 beige/tan Excalibur Series IV Phaeton convertible with 5,600 miles—$29,000 for the most-respected of the neo-classics.
• 1986 white Chevrolet El Camino pickup with the SS Choo Choo Customs package and 47,000 miles—$29,000
• 1988 yellow Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV with 55,000 miles—$10,000
• 1988 red Chevrolet Corvette convertible with 6,500 miles—$20,000
• 1986 black Ferrari Mondial convertible with 34,000 miles—$22,500
• 1988 red Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet with factory slant nose and 11,000 miles—$43,000
• 1980 green Porsche 911 custom coupe—$26,000
• 1983 green Toyota Land Cruiser FJ-40 SUV—$38,000
• 1988 black Mercedes-Benz 560SEC with aftermarket convertible conversion and 10,000 miles—$17,000
• 1989 tan Jeep Wrangler very custom SUV—$10,500

Saturday:

• 1983 black/gray two-tone Lincoln Continental Mark VI coupe with 38,000 miles—$4,500
• 1987 black Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$25,000
• 1985 silver Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible—$11,500
• 1986 beige metallic Mercedes-Benz 560SL convertible—$15,000
• 1989 green Jaguar XJS convertible with 32,000 miles—$25,000
• 1985 blue Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit sedan—$9,500
• 1980 black Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II sedan—$11,000
• 1987 black Buick Grand National GNX coupe with 362 miles—at $150,000, by far the highest eighties sale of the auction

Sunday:

• 1989 blue Jaguar XJ 6 sedan—$3,200
• 1984 red Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible—$7,200
• 1988 silver BMW 635CSi coupe—$4,500
• 1985 brown Chevrolet El Camino custom pickup—$17,000
• 1984 black Dodge Ramcharger SUV—$9,500
• 1985 white Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible with 36,000 miles—$15,000
• 1986 black Buick Regal Grand National coupe—$15,000
• 1988 black Lotus Esprit coupe—$18,000
• 1984 silver/black two-tone Oldsmobile Cutlass Hurst Olds coupe with 10,000 miles—$25,000
• 1989 cordovan Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV—$17,000
• 1984 blue Jeep Grand Wagoneer SUV—$24,000
• 1985 black Chevrolet Corvette very custom coupe—$21,500
• 1984 white Porsche 911 Carrera coupe—$25,000
• 1986 white Tiffany coupe with 18,000 miles—$26,000 for this Mercury Cougar-based neo-classic.
• 1982 silver beige Chevrolet Corvette Collector’s Edition coupe with 45,000 miles—$16,500
• 1985 multicolored Chevrolet Corvette very custom coupe—$27,500 for this “VetteRossa”.
• 1987 black Buick Grand National custom coupe—$23,000 for this coupe upgraded to GNX specifications.

Looks like a lot of Mercedes-Benz SLs, along with some Porsche 911s, turbo Buicks, and SUVs. What do you think of this year’s results?

RM Sotheby’s traditional one-day auction at Amelia Island in mid March had a few 1980s cars this year among the hundred or so total. These particular cars definitely occupy the extreme high-end for eighties cars—none sold for less than their original list price.

• 1989 Guards Red Porsche 911 Speedster convertible with tan and black partial leather interior and 6,400 miles—$264,000 for this Turbo-look version. This is actually only a little over #2 money, according to Hagerty’s valuation tools.
• 1988 Guards Red Porsche 911 Turbo convertible with champagne leather seats and 2,400 miles—$363,000 for this “slant nose”
• 1980 Nero Daytona (black) Ferrari 512 BB coupe with black leather interior and 12,000 miles—$418,000 for this lovely piece, despite the fact that it was not in its original red over black two-tone. All the money for a 1980 512 BB used to be about $225,000; obviously this is no longer true.
• 1988 Jaguar XJR-9 race car—$2,145,000 for the winner of the 1990 24 Hours of Daytona. Race cars don’t generally do well at auction; this car was a definite exception, perhaps aided by the locale.
• 1987 Guards Red Porsche 911 Turbo coupe with champagne leather interior and 12,000 miles—$220,000

The January auction at Mecum Kissimmee provided some 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—a blue 1986 Porsche 930 Turbo custom coupe with 29,000 miles was a no sale bid up to $85,000) and add some of my opinions. Mecum Kissemmee is a huge event, so I’m going to separate it into two posts—this second covers from Thursday to the final and rather spare Sunday.

Thursday:

• 1980 silver Chevrolet Corvette coupe with the L82/automatic combination and 66 miles—$24,000
• 1984 black/silver two-tone Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds custom coupe – $29,500. An interesting and unusual resto-mod which retained the original lightning rod shifter. How much would it have gone for if it was stock?
• 1981 brown Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 custom coupe—$15,000
• 1986 white Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS custom coupe with an aftermarket five-speed manual—$9,500
• 1981 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 55,000 miles—$13,000
• 1989 red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z convertible with the LB9/ automatic combination and 9,300 miles—$20,500
• 1985 red Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z coupe with the LB9/ automatic combination and 963 miles—$21,000
• 1980 platinum Porsche 911SC Weissach Edition coupe with a five-speed manual and 9,500 miles—$56,000 for this handsome car with multiple awards
• 1989 red/tan two-tone Ford Bronco II Eddie Bauer Edition SUV with 42,000 miles—$8,500

Friday:

• 1980 red Porsche 928 coupe with the automatic and 46,000 miles—$9,500
• 1987 black Buick Regal Grand National coupe with 6,900 miles—$28,000
• 1987 black Porsche 911 Carrera Targa coupe with 66,000 miles—$37,500
• 1981 red Chevrolet Corvette very custom convertible (by definition, since Chevrolet didn’t make any “shark” convertibles after 1975) with 45,000 miles—$19,000
• 1981 white Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coupe with 58,000 miles—$17,000
• 1987 black Buick Regal GNX coupe with 276 miles—at $80,000, the fourth highest eighties sale of the auction and hitting the lower limit of Mecum’s estimate
• 1983 red Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with the power sunroof and 33,000 miles—at $65,000, not quite making Mecum’s lower estimate
• 1987 white Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with power sunroof and 40,000 miles—at $85,000, the second highest eighties sale of the auction
• 1988 white Rolls-Royce Corniche II convertible with 65,000 miles—$47,000

Saturday:

• 1987 red Porsche 930 Turbo coupe with 34,000 miles—at $84,500, the third highest eighties sale of the auction
• 1987 black Buick Regal GNX coupe with 10,000 miles—at $67,500, the fifth highest eighties sale of the auction
• 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette Corvette Challenge race car with 5,300 miles, driven in five 1988 races by R. K. Smith and Brad Murphey—$45,000
• 1988 white Chevrolet Corvette 35th Anniversary coupe with the 4+3 manual, the Z51 sport suspension, and 9 miles—$38,000
• 1989 red Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition coupe with 6,500 miles—at $350,000, by far the highest eighties sale of the auction

Sunday:

• 1985 red Jeep CJ-7 SUV—$7,500
• 1988 red Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$6,000
• 1984 blue Chevrolet Corvette coupe with 60,000 miles—$4,000
• 1980 white Chevrolet Corvette coupe—$5,000
• 1988 black Porsche 944 coupe—$3,000

What do you think of this year’s results?