Mecum Indy 2022
“Gentlemen, start your engines!” It’s the call to go racing at the legendary Indianapolis 500. But, one week before the Memorial Day spectacle at the Brick Yard, another exciting motoring event is held across town at the Indiana State Fairgrounds – the annual Mecum classic car auction.
This was the 35th year of what has become one of the biggest and most anticipated classic car auctions of the year. For nine days of high-octane bidding, Mecum assembled a diverse collection of sports cars, trucks, muscle cars, exotics, and historical race cars. Some of these vehicles even had famous owners or drivers, including names like Steve McQueen, Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Evil Knievel, Buddy Baker, and other renowned individuals. Here was a chance to see many iconic classics and have the inevitable question answered: “How much will that classic go for?” All it requires is a trip down the auction block to get the answer. Here’s a look at what made the 2022 Mecum Indy auction so exciting.
Top Ten Sales
To make it on the leaderboard for this auction required some strong bidding. In the end, nine of the top ten sales were over $1 million, and the 10th vehicle just missed the 7-figure cut.
1965 Brawner Hawk Ford
Sold for $2,200,000
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
Sold for $1,375,0000
1969 Eagle Weslake Ford
Sold for $1,375,000
Richard Foster Corvette
Pace Car Collection
Sold for $1,375,000
1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona
Sold for $1,320,000
2020 Ford GT MKII
Sold for $1,210,000
2019 Ford GT Carbon Series
Sold for $1,210,000
2020 Ford GT Sold for $1,210,000
1965 Shelby 289 Cobra
Roadster Sold for $1,100,000
1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2
Convertible Sold for $962,500
Race Cars
There’s probably no better place to buy a race car than Indianapolis in May, and auctions like Mecum Indy provide opportunities to own true pieces of motorsports history.
At this year’s event, two significant Indy 500 cars – a 1965 Brawer Hawk Ford and a 1969 Eagle – and the race car of NASCAR lore – a 1969 Dodge Daytona – crossed the auction block The Brawer Hawk Ford was driven by Mario Andretti in his rookie year at the Brick Yard and was the one he won championships in for two seasons, the Eagle, which was driven by Dan Gurney, took second place at Indy in 1969, and the Daytona was the car that Buddy Baker drove to first break the 200 mph barrier at Talladega.
1969 Dodge Daytona Hemi
For the Mopar faithful, (or any gearhead, for that matter), a real deal Hemi car is always an attention grabber. Up for sale this year was one of these legendary streetcars that checked all the boxes for a serious collector. This 1969 Dodge Daytona not only had a big Hemi engine and a 4-speed, but it is also reported to be the most highly optioned winged car of its type. Everyone was anxious to find out the final selling price for this Daytona. Predictions were that it would probably be a member of the million-dollar club, and it didn’t disappoint. It sold for a cool $1,320,000.
Corvette Collection
The Chevrolet Corvette has been chosen to pace the Indianapolis 500 race more than any other marque in the last several decades. And, every year the car chosen for this honor is adorned with its own special paint scheme, as can be seen in this collection of pace cars. Dr. Richard Foster obtained these 18 Corvettes from the late ‘70s to 2022, and the entire group was lined up two-wide across the auction block and sold for $1,375,000. What a sight!
Supercars
In addition to the three 3rd generation Ford GT cars on the docket (which all sold over a million dollars), Mecum offered numerous other high-end sports cars. Here are some of the other supercars that would make any owner a celebrity.
Rare Special Vehicles
A larger auction like the Mecum Indy attracts some very unique vehicles – some having celebrity owners and builders, and others that have special histories. For example, there was a Chevy Blazer, owned by Steve McQueen, a ’64 Mustang that was introduced at the New York World’s Fair, and a ’37 White Tour Bus from Yellowstone National Park.
Eye-Catching Fun Vehicles
All prices include a 10% sales commission charged to the buyer.
