Tag Archives: mecum

Duesenberg J-189

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1929 Duesenberg Model J Brougham by LaGrande

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 18-20, 2022

Photo – Mecum

There are a fair number of Model Js up for grabs in Monterey this year. We’ve featured a few of them in the last few weeks, and there are still more that we’ve featured in years past. More recently we talked about how closed cars are usually on the cheaper end of the entry into Model J ownership. But once again, this car doesn’t quite fit that bill.

It was originally bodied as a Weymann sedan but was sent back to Duesenberg in 1933 to get a factory (LaGrande) “blind quarter brougham” body put on. Still a sedan with a cloth roof, but no rear 3/4 windows at the back. The engine is a 6.9-liter inline-eight that was rated at 265 horsepower when new.

This car has known ownership history back to new and was restored in 1994. It has been in German ownership since 2007 and is now up for auction in California. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $1,100,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Indianapolis 2023, high bid of $850,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Kissimmee 2024, high bid of $675,000.

Veyron Jean-Pierre Wimille Edition

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2014 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille Legend Edition

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 18-20, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Longest. Title. Ever. One thing about supercars is they generally have very few miles on them. This one has about 1,200. Part of that reason is that people who own them generally have a bunch of other cars to drive. The other reason is that they are probably pretty terrible to actually drive.

And because they have that reputation, I guess it could be difficult for automakers to actually sell out a run. I mean, once Bugatti introduces a “more super” version of their supercar, who wants the base model? 2009’s Grand Sport (targa) Veyron begat the Grand Sport Vitesse in 2012. This was essentially the targa version of the coupe’s Super Sport trim.

The Vitesse was sold alongside the regular Grand Sport until 2015. In Vitesse trim, the car is powered by a 1,184-horsepower, quad-turbocharged, 8.0-liter W16. Just 92 examples of the Vitesse were produced, but it seems like so many of them were destined for special editions. There were about 10 special editions, and this one celebrated Jean-Pierre Wimille, who won the 1936 French Grand Prix in a Bugatti Type 57G, in addition to Le Mans in ’37 and ’39.

Just three of these were built. The colors are 1. awesome and 2. a homage to Wimille’s 1937 Le Mans-winning Bugatti “tank.” As dumb as the name is (and the car too I suppose), it’s pretty awesome looking. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $2,640,000.

McLaren Sabre

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2020 McLaren Sabre

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 18-20, 2022

Photo – Mecum

The Sabre is a car that came out of McLaren Special Operations after they asked American VIP customers what kind of car they’d want. Apparently there answer was “a Senna, but less ungainly looking.” This car is Senna based, and it was McLaren’s fastest two-seater ever when all examples were built in 2020.

Power is from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that was rated at 824 horsepower. No hybrid assist here. Just pure internal combustion power. Top speed is 218 mph. The cars were only supposed to be for the U.S. market, but apparently a few went overseas. And it’s unclear if they built 15 or 16 of them. This car is #11.

It only has low (100) miles, as many modern supercars do. Which is either because the owner’s have plenty of other cars to drive… or they are horrible to actually drive. Probably both. This might be the first one to come up for public sale, and the price will be into the seven figures. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $3,500,000.

1912 Case Touring

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1912 Case Model M Fore-Door Touring

Offered by Mecum | Frankfort, Illinois | October 1, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Case is mostly known as a producer of agricultural equipment, which is what the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company was founded to do in 1871. It’s also what the company was focusing on in 1999 when Case ceased being an independent entity. The brand lives on as a manufacturer of construction equipment (Case CE) and tractors (Case IH, as part of International Harvester).

Automobile production came in 1911 and lasted through 1927. Two models were offered in their second year: the Model L and Model M, with the latter being what is shown here. It is powered by an inline-four rated at 40 horsepower. Three factory body styles were offered, including this “Fore-Door” five-passenger touring car.

It’s thought that Case made about 24,000 cars, with about 100 left. This one is coming out of a museum. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $110,000.

Kissel D-11

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1911 Kissel Kar Model D-11 Toy Tonneau

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 18-20, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Hartford, Wisconsin’s Kissel Motor Car Company was founded in 1906, with production cars coming the following year. For the first dozen or so years, the cars were branded Kissel Kar. Their most famous product would be the Gold Bug Speedster, an early sports car.

The 1910 Model D-10 gave way to the model D-11 for 1911. It’s powered by a 6.3-liter inline-four good for 50 horsepower. It has a four-speed manual transmission with overdrive, which would likely make it a decent tourer. As would the toy tonneau body, which is just a touring car with the rear passenger compartment squeezed in between the rear wheels.

This car was previously owned by the curator of the Harrah Automobile Collection. It’s apparently been in the same ownership since 1988. You can read more about it here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $135,000.

Marmon Sixteen Limousine

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1931 Marmon Sixteen Limousine by LeBaron

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 18-20, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Howard Marmon’s Marmon Motor Car Company was in trouble in 1931 when they launched the Sixteen, which had been in development since 1927. The timing was certainly bad, but the company found the resources to produce the Sixteen for three years before production of cars stopped.

The 8.0-liter V16 was rated at 200 horsepower and made the car one of the best American cars you could buy in 1931. Right there with V16 Cadillacs, big Packards, and Duesenbergs. This car wears limousine coachwork by LeBaron with seating for seven. It’s said to be the only limo example with dividing privacy glass left.

Less than 400 Sixteens were built across three years of production. This car has been a part of a few big collections over the years, and you can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $451,000.

BACI Neoclassic

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1994 BACI Roadster

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 15, 2022

Photo – Mecum

It’s been a while since we’ve featured an obscure neoclassic. So obscure, this one is, that even Mecum didn’t know what they were dealing with at first, labeling it an Excalibur. It’s a BACI, a roadster produced by the Besasie Automotive Company Inc. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Just 14 of these were built between 1993 and 1995, and they were based on the Ford Thunderbird of the era. This car is powered by a fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 and features Bose audio, a power-retractable soft top, and air conditioning.

Parts of the styling are supposed to be reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz Special Roadster. Maybe from the back? You can read more about this one here, and check out more angles via the photos.

Update: Sold $29,700.

2002 Firehawk

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2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SLP Firehawk

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 19, 2022

Photo – Mecum

The fourth-generation Firebird went on sale for 1993. It was kind of pointy, but if you look at the rear 3/4 of the car, you could tell the genes were there for some muscle. That became more apparent when a mid-cycle refresh came in 1998. The car got a new hood with two big intakes/nostrils up front. It was bulky and looked like a muscle car.

So, of course, on top of the Firebird there was the Trans Am, which usually specified some kind of upgraded suspension, an appearance package, and a power bump. But what do you do when that’s not enough? You go to SLP Engineering and have them turn it into a Firehawk, naturally.

These were sold through Pontiac dealerships. This example is from the final year of Firebird production, making it a final-year example of the top dog… or top bird Firebird/Trans Am you could get. The 5.7-liter V8 was tweaked to put out 335 horsepower. It’s got all of the goodies too: T-tops, a limited-slip differential, a composite hood, a cat-back exhaust, and more. This car has just 57 miles, which will make it among the most expensive Firehawks out there. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $61,600.

1934 Hudson Convertible

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1934 Hudson Deluxe Eight Convertible Coupe

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 18, 2022

Photo – Mecum

The Hudson Deluxe Eight first appeared under that name in 1934 and would continue to be produced through 1938. This first-year model was a Series LU, and nine body styles were offered that year.

Power is from a 4.2-liter inline-eight was rated at 108 horsepower when new. The Convertible Coupe featured a rumble seat and a soft top, and this one is finished in cream with orange accents. Production totals for 1934 were not released.

The age of the restoration here is unknown, but it appears to have held up well. Plus, it’s got mid-1930s artillery-style wheels, which are always a plus. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $72,000.

1995 CART Champion Reynard

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1995 Reynard-Cosworth 95I

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 13-21, 2022

Photo – Mecum

The 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series was the final season of CART before the IRL opened shop for 1996. Reynard was one of three chassis suppliers for the ’95 CART season, alongside Penske and Lola.

This chassis, no. 04, was campaigned by Team Green in lovely 1990s Player’s livery. Power is provided by a turbocharged 2.65-liter Cosworth XB V8. The competition history for this car includes:

  • 1995 Grand Prix of Miami – 1st (with Jacques Villeneuve)
  • 1995 Grand Prix of Cleveland – 1st (with Villeneuve)
  • 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series Championship – 1st (with Villeneuve)

This is an incredibly powerful, fast open-wheel race car from a glorious era of American open-wheel racing. And it gave a future F1 champ his lone Indy Car championship. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $250,000.