Mecum Houston 2019 Report

Mecum Houston 2019 Report

I completely forgot to do my Mecum report for Houston last year for some reason. I'm a bit OCD about things like this so I'm going to do it now. My face above is expressing my mood going in on the first day this year because my wife couldn't get away at all and I'm alone. I'm not one of those people that minds doing things by myself - in fact, I kind of prefer it. So you can imagine what a shock it was for me to realize that I prefer my wife's company at car auctions to not having her there. I'm clearly becoming domesticated. My less than 100% mood kept me from buying a lot of cars, primarily because I left early on Friday and didn't even go back on Saturday - except to pick up what I did buy. 

Anyway, I'm not going to talk about the auction - it was fine as usual. I'm just going to go straight to my "What We Did and Didn't Buy" sections.

Things We Didn't Buy

Any Micro Cars

My wife not being here meant that she missed out on her chance to get one of her recent obsessions - a micro car. There was an entire collection going through on Saturday at no reserve. I think they're cute, and they've become more collectible, but I still don't think it makes sense because you can't drive them anywhere. In the end, there weren't really any great deals so I probably wouldn't have come home with one anyway.

1965 Honda S600

If I had bought one, the one I would have wanted was this Honda. You never see these, and this one was in great condition. I think when the micro-car rage settles down, the big name manufacturers will be the ones that hold their value. Plus, it's just adorable. This one sold for $40,700, which is way more than I would have paid.

1978 Dodge Li'l Red Express Truck

I've become enamored with these lately. I think it's just because it was such a weird truck back in the day. Did you know that this was the fastest American vehicle you could buy in 1978 from zero to 100? This one was in near perfect condition and had only 12k miles on it. I decided I would bid up to $25k, but it ended up selling for nearly $30k.

1984 Hurst/Olds

I always give a cursory look to these 80's Hurst cars as well as the Monte Carlos and Buick Regals of the same era. My wife hates them. I think they're kind of fun in a retro 80's way and they don't usually cost much. This one was in just decent condition and showed about 84k miles on the odometer. It sold at no reserve for $12,650, which I think was pretty cheap. If I hadn't left early this one might have come home with me - to Nel's chagrin. 

1982 Ford Bronco XLT Lariat

Speaking of things that should have come home with me. I loved this Bronco. I loved the colors both in and out and it was in good shape. It also showed to have only 24k miles. It's usually nearly impossible to get a good deal on something like this in Houston, and because I was feeling sorry for myself I gave up even watching this go through. It sold for $10,450, and I would have paid more than that without flinching. Someone got a great deal on an appreciating classic.

2003 Ferrari 575 Maranello

I was in no real danger of buying this 575, but I think it's becoming one of my favorite classic Ferrari's along with the earlier 550. This one was a no sale at $90,000, but for that money I would have wanted to inspect the car more than I could have at the auction. I didn't really seriously consider it but they're always on my radar...just in case.

1970 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible

Every year there's a car that I see and then can't stop thinking about. Some years I end up buying it, but not this time. I loved this LeMans for some reason. You don't see many LeMans in anywhere close to this condition because everyone wants the GTO. Many LeMans have been turned into GTO clones. This one was perfect! They aren't particularly valuable, and this one sold for $20,900. I would have bought it had I been there. It had to be one of the best around.

Motorcycles

There was a giant collection of bikes that went through on Thursday at no reserve. I wasn't initially interested but then got excited and was pretty sure I would buy a bike or two. I had my eyes on one of the dozens of Ducati's in the collection and a few Japanese bikes as well. I left early because I was pouting and as I checked the results later I was really annoyed with myself. There were some great deals mixed in and I would have easily bought a few had I stayed. 

1956 Chrysler New Yorker St Regis

I had seen this car at a local event and it was gorgeous. I've started being more interested in older cars lately, and this was one I would like to have owned. The lines and the condition made it for me. It sold for $32,450, which I thought was well bought. I didn't bid for some reason - I think I was just not comfortable with my knowledge of the car, or lack thereof. 

1975 Buick LeSabre Convertible

This showed up on Thursday without being on the list. I love these old giant 70's convertibles and I want one. This one was in just okay condition but I liked the white/white combo and it only showed 30k miles. It was a no sale at $12k. I bid at $11k but gave up for some reason after that. I think in my head I wanted to buy it for $10k so I ran.

1956 Studebaker Skyhawk

This may have been the steal of the auction, and I missed it because I had just bought a car that ran through in front of it and was still signing my buyers slip. This Skyhawk had been restored and they're pretty rare. The interior was perfect and the rest of the car was okay as well. I told myself I would bid up to $20k for it and be happy. It sold for $6k! I was kicking myself. There was only one other one for sale in the entire country at the time and it was $27,500. I don't buy cars to make money, but I try to buy cars that are good deals if I can, and this was the best deal of the day.

2004 Ford F650

I wasn't going to buy this, but it illustrates that you never know what you'll see at an auction. This monster went through at no reserve and sold for $57,200.

1957 Lincoln Premier Convertible

My daughter continues to request "something pink". I just can't seem to make that happen for her. My best chance this year was this fantastic Lincoln Premier. I knew it wasn't going to happen because in researching it I found that it had already been a no sale at a previous auction for more than I was going to pay for it. I think it got pulled without running through for some reason anyway. Maybe next time Samantha.

Things We Did Buy

1990 Jaguar XJS Convertible

The only damage I did this year was this rather inexpensive 12-cylinder Jag. I've had one of these before and I liked it so when this one ran through on Thursday I snatched it up. It's been a great car and we're still enjoying it. It's kind of an old man car and I like those now (for some reason). It's in great shape and hasn't had any issues so yay.

It's a good sunny day car and that's what we use it for. Mostly it just sits. Sometimes I think a successful auction trip is one where I don't create too many issues for myself, and that's what Houston 2019 has been so it's OK I guess.

On a side note - here's my very close personal friend/stalker from last year Katie Osborn pretending not to notice me from across the room. She must not have been aware that I was sans-wife and was playing it cool just in case. It was a big change from her throwing herself at me in 2018. Way to mix it up Katie.