7 Exciting Cars at Mecum Indy 2017
We take a quick look at some of the highlights from the Mecum auction block
Mecum Auctions lean heavily toward the classic American muscle side of collector cars. However, the upcoming Mecum Auction in Indianapolis includes some very interesting foreign sports cars. The auction, which will be held May 16 to 20 at the Indianapolis Fairgrounds, should bring out bidders for a bevy of droolworthy poster cars and serious conversation pieces. Let’s take a look at some of the items of interest.
1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4
While this restored 365 GTB/4 isn’t going to cost more than some countries’ Gross Domestic Products, its concours-quality will bring a pretty penny. Under the hood, the rebuilt 4.4-liter V12 was cast from all aluminum with a dry sump system. The noise, as you’ll imagine, represents everything great about the Prancing Horse. The Pininfarina styling remains classic Ferrari: Even sitting still, it gives the impression of speed.
Mecum Estimate: $625,000 to $750,000
Listing: Lot F137
1967 Ferrari 330 GTC
This ‘67 is one of 600 GTCs and it includes a numbers-matching engine with about 1,000 miles on a rebuild. Mecum says this is not a world-stopping, food-service-clean example, but it represents one of the most beautiful Ferraris in good driving condition. The 330 is a beautiful grand tourer, that could make a contemporary Aston Martin DB6 look ungainly in comparison.
Mecum Estimate: $550,000 to $675,000
Listing: Lot S181
1990 Ferrari 348TS
Few will consider the 348 a particularly collectible Ferrari, but its place in the marque’s history carries significance. Arising from the 308 and 328 models, the 348 borrowed styling elements from the more outrageous 512 Testa Rossa. However, this car also spun off the first Ferrari Challenge cars, which continue on today. This one comes in classic Rosso Corsa and the Testa Rossa-style door treatment could satisfy an ‘80’s kid with a 512 poster on their wall for reasonable money.
Mecum Estimate: $60,000 to $80,000
Listing: Lot F189
1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary
Speaking of 1980’s poster cars, this 25th Anniversary Countach sits atop the zenith of the aspirational market for kids of that era. How can you not love the crazy lines all over this thing? The Lambo’s design just shouts, “You don’t want to mess with me.” Lamborghini sold only 657 Anniversary Editions and this very-loud-red example has driven fewer than 6,500 miles since new.
Mecum Estimate: $275,000 to $350,000
Listing: Lot S214
1967 Toyota 2000GT
And now for something completely different. Collectors clamor for the 2000GT because of its elegant design that was far ahead of its time. Toyota sold just 62 in the United States out of the entire 351-car production run. That makes this one of just 62 with left-hand drive and it features mostly original parts. Few would argue that the 2000GT stands as the most desirable Japanese car ever built and this one looks particularly stunning in this shade of red.
Mecum Estimate: $750,000 to $900,000
Listing: Lot S202
1989 Porsche 962
Porsche has no equal in sports car racing’s long history and the 962 was the last of a line of prototypes to conquer all comers. Like most cars of the Group C era in the late 1980s, the 962’s functional styling can be seen echoed in modern Le Mans Prototypes. This particular 962 raced for Busby Racing and won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1989 after a runner-up finish the year before. Derek Daly, Bob Wollek, and John Andretti took the Daytona win and now the car is up for sale after a restoration in the early 2000s.
Mecum Estimate: $1,500,000 to $2,000,000
Listing: Lot F145
1996 Porsche GT2 Evo
As the highest-horsepower air-cooled Porsche ever built, the GT2 Evo enjoys a strong collector market. It was essentially a race car built for street use and everything about it is perfectly crazy: Massive wing, 600 horsepower, table-sized intercooler, roll cage, and racing seat. Porsche only built 11 of these crazy things and this car’s single owner put few miles on it, making this a fabulous relic from the end of the air-cooled 993s.
Mecum Estimate – $1,000,000 to $1,500,000
Listing: Lot F192