First back-to-back $200M+ auctions
-
Vintage ‘Vettes show what’s under the hood. A record 4,200 cars crossed the auction block at 2023 Mecum Kissimmee, and 3,180 sold for $234 million, also records. PHOTO/TERRY LLOYD
This year’s Mecum Auto Auction, held at Osceola Heritage Park from Jan. 3-15, posted $234 million sales. That broke last year’s record of $217 million, and is the very first auto auction to have back-to- back years exceeding $200 million in sales.
As expected, the highest price paid at the auction was for a red 1992 Ferrari F40 that went for a whopping $3.135 million, one of only 200 Ferraris made in the U.S., and a 1970 Pontiac GTO went for a cool $1.1 million. Overall, the top 10 sales totaled over $16 million, and 13 vehicles gaveled for at least $1 million.
Other records were broken all around. Of the record 4,200 vehicles consigned to Mecum Kissimmee this year, 3,180 of them were sold. There were also both record numbers of registered bidders and spectators.
There was over $4 million in Road Art sales, with 1,255 items offered. The top Road Art item was a 1950s DeSoto Plymouth double-sided neon sign that sold for $118,000.
Mecum’s charity of choice, Curing Kids Cancer, clearly benefitted greatly from this year’s auction. While overall figures are not yet available, a “Mecum-Sold” clock was auctioned off for the charity at 1 p.m. each day, and the first clock sold on Opening Day went for $10,000. In addition, the $45,000 proceeds from the sale of a vintage Corvette also went to the charity, which has received well over $10 million in donations through Mecum since 2012.
Osceola Heritage Park/ASM Global General Manager Robb Larson said the 2023 version of Mecum Kissimmee was much bigger and better than the past ones.
"We joke that 'We'll move water" for Mecum, and we did," he said. "Where water used to be (on property) they now fill with cars.
"Our team did a great job. Every year it's getting bigger. When it grows, I always get excited before I get nervous about where to put things, like added parking. We closed Shakerag (Road) for the first time to accommodate pedestrians."
Added to the challenge is what happened after the car auction — OHP hosted a weekend national cheerleading event, and comedian Jeff Dunham sold out the arena just 10 days after the auction closed, requiring quick turnaround and disassembly of the event's tents and other structures.
"Mecum is so great to work with," Larson said.
And, there's no time to catch a breath, as the Osceola County Fair and Silver Spurs Rodeo will take over OHP in just over a week.
Mecum will be returning to Central Florida this July, with over 1,000 vehicles already listed for bidding.
