Norsjo Shopper

1972 Norsjo Shopper

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2024

Photo – Mecum

The Shopper is barely a microcar, it’s almost more of a mobility scooter – the kind you find at the grocery store. It has a single seat and is usually equipped with a small basket behind the seat to place your goods. This one has been retrofitted with a metal basket and Coke graphics everywhere.

Norsjo M.V.A.B. of Forshaga, Sweden, built the prototype Shopper in 1962, and they remained on sale for a few decades afterward. The front canopy here tilts to the side, and power is provided by a 47cc two-stroke single that could push this three-wheeler to about 35 mph.

These aren’t very common, especially in the U.S. This one doesn’t have a title but does seem to have a reserve, which is kind of odd. Click here for more info.

1917 Case Touring

1917 Case Model T Touring

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2024

Photo – Mecum

Jerome Increase Case founded the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company in 1842. By the end of the 1800s, they were one of the largest producers of steam traction engines. Gasoline-engined tractors appeared in 1895, and about 15 years later, they would parlay that knowledge into road cars.

Case-branded road cars were available from 1911 through 1927. The Model T of 1916 and 1917 was powered by a 40-horsepower, inline-four. Two body styles were offered in 1917, a roadster and a touring car, both retailing for $1,190.

The catalog only has four photos of this car, so there’s not much info to glean. It does look nice, especially on unpainted wood-spoke wheels. Click here for more info.

EMF Touring

1910 EMF Model 30 Touring

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2024

Photo – Mecum

Everitt-Metzger-Flanders was relatively short lived – around from just 1908 to 1912. But those three names were all over the place in the early days. Everitt built bodies, Metzger helped get Cadillac off the ground, and Flanders was Ford’s production manager.

The Model 30 was their only product, and in 1910, it was only offered as a five-passenger touring car. The 3.7-liter inline-four engine made… 30 horsepower. It’s obviously been restored, and is said to have spent its recent life as a parade car.

E-M-F built ~15,000 cars in 1910. They don’t come up for sale all that often, but this EMF is… unbelievable. Click here for more info.

Split-Window Corvette

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2024

Photo – Mecum

Ah, the split-window ‘Vette. The C2 was the second generation of the Corvette and was produced from 1963 through 1967, a relatively brief time, especially considering how long the C3 lasted. The “Sting Ray” launched in ’63 in coupe and convertible forms, but it’s the coupe from this year that is a standout, styling-wise, amongst all Corvettes.

The split rear window was only available on 1963 coupes, as Zora Arkus-Duntov disliked the design (and it really was bad for rearward visibility). A 327ci (5.4-liter) V8 was the only powertrain option in the first year, though it could be had in four states of tune.

This car has the top engine option: the “fuelie” – meaning it had Rochester mechanical fuel injection for an output of 360 horsepower. This is a restored car and is finished in Silver Blue. Split windows command a premium, as do Fuelies. So this is a double premium: an estimate of $350,000-$400,000. Click here for more info.

GMC Syclone

1991 GMC Syclone

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2024

Photo – Mecum

In the early 1990s, GMC went a bit nuts and produced two legendary performance trucks. First came this, the Syclone, which was a performance-oriented version of the Sonoma. The following year they’d launch the Typhoon, which was a hot Jimmy, which is a weird thing to type.

All but three Syclones were built for the 1991 model year – 2,995 of them to be exact. Power is provided by a turbocharged 4.3-liter V6 that made 280 horsepower. The truck also got all-wheel drive and was the first pickup with four-wheel ABS. It could hit 60 in 4.3 seconds. Pretty good numbers for its day, truck or not.

These are some of the coolest pickups ever made and are the grandad of every performance pickup that came after. You can read more about it here.

Manta Mirage

1976 Manta Mirage

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2024

Photo – Mecum

The Manta Mirage is one of the coolest kit cars ever produced. Manta Cars existed from 1974 through 1986 in Costa Mesa, California. The Mirage was their attempt at a do-it-yourself supercar (for the day). The design is like two steps removed from a McLaren Can-Am car, but it is road legal.

Chevy small-blocks were the main engine option, and his one has a 5.7-liter V8. The body is fiberglass, and the whole thing weighs less than 2,000 pounds. It also has detachable gullwing doors that transform the car into a targa-like thing.

About 1,000 examples were produced in kit and turn-key form. This one looks pretty nice for a 1970s fiberglass special. Click here for more info.

Ford GT Mk II

2020 Ford GT Mk II

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2024

Photo – Mecum

From a performance – and pedigree – standpoint, Ford’s second-generation GT blew the first-gen out of the water. It arrived in 2017, and production continued into 2022 (the first gen lasted just two model years). These were more powerful, faster, and more expensive. And they had racing trophies to back it up.

The GT race car, in the hands of Chip Ganassi drivers, scored class victories at Le Mans and Daytona. So it only made sense that Ford would offer some of that racing prowess to the public. The GT MK II was launched in 2019 as a track-only variant of the road-going GT. The twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 was modified to produce 700 horsepower.

It gained a big rear wing and lost some niceties (and weight in the process). This car is #18 of 45 built and wears a Gulf livery. These were over $1 million new, and this one hasn’t been used. Click here to read more about it.

Buick Century

1991 Buick Century Sedan

Offered by Mecum | Kansas City, Missouri | November 30, 2023

Photo – Mecum

“Well hang on a minute,” you’re saying, “this is no collector car. Nor is it interesting.” Well, depends who you ask. This car, despite being old model-year older and sans chrome rear luggage rack, is a dead ringer for my first car. And I never thought I’d see the day where it rolled across a collector car auction block.

Buick launched the Century name in 1936 on their Series 60, as it was capable of 100 mph. Sadly, the speedometer on this bad boy only goes to 85. How times change. This is a Century Custom, which was the middle trim, and a sedan from this range would’ve had a base price of $13,685 in 1991. Power is provided by a 3.3-liter V6, which was optional, and made 160 horsepower.

Somehow this car only has 346 miles on it. I kind of want it. Buick built 102,435 Century sedans in 1991, with 1,600 coupes and 6,500 wagons also made. I wonder if this car, like mine, pulls the right-rear suspension down when you slam the brakes, among other odd behavior it exhibited. Click here for more info.

Carden Cyclecar

1920 Carden Cyclecar

Offered by Mecum | Online | December 2023

Photo – Mecum

Carden Engineering launched their cyclecar amidst the craze of the 1910s. It went on sale in 1914 and was designed by John Carden, who would later design tanks. This couldn’t be farther from that.

The company returned after WWI with a new design in 1919. Later that year Carden sold the design off and came up with something else, which he also sold and would eventually be produced as the New Carden from 1922 through 1925.

This car is powered by an air-cooled (apparently flat?) twin that shares its casting with the gearbox. About 1,000 of these were built, and this one is definitely in project status, coming off of static display. Click here for more info.

Marathon Delivery Van

1980 Marathon C360 Delivery Van

Offered by Mecum | Online | December 2023

Photo – Mecum

Marathon Electric Vehicles produced a lone road-going vehicle between 1976 and 1981. The company was based in Montreal, and their C-300 was a kind of odd, open-top Jeep-type thing that resembled, well, a Volkswagen Thing.

This, the C360, was purportedly purchased by Briggs & Stratton and turned into an early hybrid test vehicle. Yes, it has three axles and sliding side doors. The body is also made out of Alucobond, which is two sheets of aluminum over a urethane-filled core. The Briggs & Stratton twin is mounted up front, and the van is missing its electric motor and batteries.

Consider it a project, but an interesting one from a forgotten early electric upstart. Check out more about it here.