Mecum Kissimmee 2018: Don’t Miss These Incredible 1960s Corvettes
Jaw-dropping auction items include big-tank ’63 Z06, trio of classic 427s, and a ’62 Fuelie whose engine has literally never started.
The New Year brings fresh hope and a new cycle of automotive news. It also brings some of the biggest auto auctions of the year with Mecum Kissimmee kicking things off. As always, Mecum’s bread and butter remains American muscle and we’ve found three — wait, five — 1960s Corvettes that we’re really excited about from the docket. Let’s take a gander, shall we?
1963 Corvette Z06 Split Window Coupe, N03 Option
This one’s pretty special and should command at least $500,000. Chevy sold only 199 Corvettes with the Z06 special performance equipment package ($1,818) with upgraded brakes and suspension. Within that small set, only 63 came with the 36-gallon fuel tank option (N03 on the order sheet, $202.30). Chevy mandated that many of the first Z06s came with the big tank, designed for endurance racing at events like the 12 Hours of Sebring.
This one has been restored to factory-new condition in its Saddle Tan paint and carries the usual array of incredible Corvette awards and recognition we see regularly in this caliber of ‘Vette.
Lot S131 – Saturday, January 13
427 Corvette Trifecta: 1967 Corvette L71, 1968 Corvette L88, 1969 Corvette L68
The late ‘60s Corvettes remain true stunners and this owner has pulled together a trio of classics for Mecum Kissimmee. The ‘67 and and ‘69 both feature Tri-Power carb setups (three two-barrel Holleys) and make 435 and 400 horsepower, respectively. The centerpiece is the ‘68 L88, a monster with at least 100 more horsepower than the advertised 435. Chevy built only 80 of those and they tend to bring a mint.
All three cars have been lovingly restored and look tremendous. The L88 alone should bring high six-figures and the collection in total may well break $1 million.
Lots S154, S155, and S156 (All Saturday, January 13)
1962 Corvette Fuelie, Never Been Started
No, really. This Corvette’s fuel-injected 327 has never fired up. The owner originally ordered the car with engine and drivetrain shipped separately in a crate. He wanted to soup it up to go drag racing before putting it in the car. That never happened before the original owner died, so its second owner, Tom McNeil, installed the engine. However, McNeil has never started it. As the Mecum listing says, “As overused as the term is in today’s collector-car lexicon, it literally is the very definition of an automotive time capsule.”
This one includes the RPO687 heavy-duty brakes and suspension, a $333 option only installed on 246 Corvettes in ‘62. Cars are just never this original and it’s spectacular. This represents one of 11 Corvettes from McNeil’s collection up for auction. They make a good tour of the first three generations of Corvette. Aside from this incredible ‘62 Fuelie find, many can be had for reasonable money, too.
Lot S91 – Saturday, January 15
