Prior to the auction, all vehicles are on dis-
play in various buildings at the Indiana State
Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. This FY1 Lemon
Twist 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda is one of 14
such convertibles built in 1970, and one of nine
equipped with an automatic transmission. The
’Cuda sold for $1,980,000, resulting in a tie
with a 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach for
the third highest sale price of the auction.
The factory Monaco Orange 1969 Chevelle
SS396 convertible from Arizona, equipped
with the L35 325hp engine with Turbo 400
automatic and factory A/C, looked to be a hot
prospect for summer cruising. The car sold for
$68,200, a happy price for all parties.
This factory Tuxedo Black 1967 Camaro was
nicely equipped with a 396 big-block engine,
a four-speed transmission, and a 12-bolt rear-
end. The body was straight, solid, and fresh.
Recently restored, the Camaro sold for a rea-
sonable $39,050.
The memorabilia went for crazy money,
especially those items that had any type of
emotional attachment to past memories.”
A Mecum auction not only presents the
highest quality muscle cars setting new
world pricing records, it’s also a place to
buy very nice driver muscle cars or classics
at relatively inexpensive prices. Ardito cau-
tions, “We don’t own the cars; we’re only the
middle man, the auction house. The respon-
sibility is still to carefully check out any car
at any auction, or at least have someone
look at a car before making a purchase.”Mopar collector Tim Wellborn, with his
wife Pam, owns and manages the Wellborn
Muscle Car Museum in Alexander City,
Alabama. He has amassed a wonderful
collection of Mopar muscle as well as vari-
ous token “trade-ins” that are on display.
Commenting on the amount of money
spent above expected values, Wellborn
explained, “Some auctions might be about
big egos and showing off the money you
had. But if you’re a car guy, the energy
level in there gets you totally fired up for
the car hobby.” You don’t have to love Mopars to love this
Sassy Grass Green V-Code 1971 440 Six Pack
’Cuda. Adding to its desirability is the heavy-
duty four-speed transmission with the Super
Track Pack Dana 60 rear with 4.10 gears.
Shaker hood, front and rear spoilers, and
billboards made this car a standout. Falling
somewhat short of estimates, the ’Cuda sold
for $143,000.
Dana Mecum is a constant and enthusiastic
presence at these auctions, seen here with
the blue hat, blue vest, and red shirt. The day-
two 1969 Dodge Daytona is an unrestored
440/375hp car with custom paint, 16,800
original miles, and the Dana 4.10 Super Track
Pack. The former MCR feature car (“Day-Two
Daytona,” Sept. 2017; bit.ly/2XHP38Q) was
bid up to $120,000 and did not sell, but it is
soon likely to make a wing-car enthusiast very
happy.
“The energy
level in there
gets you totally
fired up for the
car hobby”