R66

A 63 SWC went for $66,000 last night in the Mecum Auction out in CA last night.

It was blue with a 327. Missed all of the details, and they didn't talk about it much. They talked about 300 hp and 250 hp, but I didn't catch which it was. Didn't hear if it was numbers matching.

Seems a little low, or is it just that it was a low HP small block and not a BB?

Frankie the Fink

Auctions are crap shoots - that's low money IMO unless something is amiss...
I don't watch these circus acts nor set much store based on single unit results...that doesn't make a 'trend'...

It doesn't help that Dana's fees on both sides are approaching 1/4 of the sales price.

hope2

Circus acts push to create narrative that all split windows are worth the same. We all know, like women, each and every car is different and cannot be lumped into same basket. You can get a general ideal of value of course, but without looking, like Frankie says, crap shoot at best. Just my 2c on this caffeine filled sunday morning! One more comment, never understood why people cheer at a ridiculous high price.

65hihp

Prices on these cars are falling like rocks, especially on the cars with the least market interest, i.e. the ones with base engines and few options. As described in other threads, there is little interest in these cars by people that did not live through the era when they were new.

survivor66

What do you mean by "these cars"? Haverty's valuation tool shows my 66 BB flat to slightly rising over the past 2 years.

Frankie the Fink

The 'iconic' cars will always have a following...vintage Ferraris, E-type Jags, split window coupes, Bugati's. They transcend just being interesting facets of transportation history and have evolved into the category of mechanical art due to their aesthetic or legendary aspects.

Don't believe anybody that tells you different...

rfn026

Frankie is right - Auctions are circus acts. There is no way to tell what is going on. Between 3rd party bids and cars that are owned by the house it's all one big scam.

I've covered auctions for several magazines now. Auction coverage is a huge deal. The auction houses buy tens of thousands of dollars worth of ads every month. That means the magazines can't report on the scams.

RM wouldn't give me credentials last year at Amelia and went to my boss to complain about my coverage. My reaction was "That's it - I'm out of here."

I've reached the conclusion that auctions have truly damaged what was once a nice hobby. All of the TV hype has people believing that they're watching the real deal. They're not.

btw - I do believe in the Hagerty valuation tool though. It's far from perfect but it sure beats looking at auction results.

Richard Newton

C2Racer

I sat at a Russo Steele auction once with a guy reping Keith Martin. He had an interesting part time job. This was before the big run up of the last 2 years but his take, every dog has his day but good cars well maintained and of some pedigree hold better than the rest. He was just as amazed as I was and expecting a correction. Smart guy.

Steve

Bowtyeguy

I dont see cars dropping like rocks, I see the fall on the East Coast and it happens every year. Cars that were 60k in March are down a little now but come next March after everyone has been inside for the Winter and the BJ auction is on TV all day, that same car will be 65k. Its the time of year people had their fun and dont want to see it just sitting till Spring.

SBR

I spoke with McKeel Hagerty on how they come to their valuations on their website, he said that it was based on public transactions ie. auction results and not private sales. The problem with that is the very best of the best examples trade privately and for amounts much greater than what they sell for at auctions or what value guides say they are worth. I do agree that their value guide is just that and is far from perfect.

65 fi

The opposite is also true. There are truly good deals that sell privately as well. Either way, it doesn't seem anyone responding knows the details of the Mecum 63. It would be interesting to know such.

65 fi

Was this the car you asked about:

https://www.mecum.com/lots/CA0816-24...-window-coupe/

R66

I think it is. I was half asleep and didn't hear any details as far as restoration, drive train, frame off, miles, interior, or etc.
About the same info the link provides.