Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (2025)

Five years ago, plenty questioned Mecum coming to the greater Phoenix area just a couple of months after the event known simply as Scottsdale Auction Week. This year, with a $56 million niche carved for itself, no one is questioning the timing anymore.

Can 2023 be considered a down year for Mecum’s Glendale event? Depends on whether you’re the glass-half-empty or glass-half-full sort. Yeah, the numbers are down from last year, although we’re not sure whether to point fingers at nervous-nellie economists who insist that a recession is coming even though larger indicators are thoroughly mixed, or to suggest that a post-COVID surge of people getting out of the house may have made 2022 a banner season. The numbers are hardly what you’d call bad: $56 million this year vs $66 million and change in ’22, a 15-percent drop; a sell-through rate of 76 percent, versus 78 percent last year; and a per-vehicle sale average of just over $44,000 versus $51,595 in ’22—also a 15-percent year-to-year change. It was also a five-day event this year, starting on a Tuesday. It’s not that it’s a down year so much as that it’s not a record-breaking one, the way most of Mecum’s year-on-year Glendale numbers have been since they started coming to the desert in 2019. A robust online bidder presence, aided by wall-to-wall coverage on cable TV, surely helped bolster the numbers.

The event’s top seller, by a wide margin, was Lot S132, 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing formerly owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation for half a century and the only known example built in Mittelgrun (medium green) with green and gray leather interior, raking in $1.815 million. Nothing else at the weekend broke out of six figures.

The Numbers:

  • Total Sales: $56 million
  • Sell-Through: 76 percent
  • Average sale: $44,198
  • Top sale: Lot S132, 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, $1.815 million
  • Legend:
  • Condition: #1=Excellent; #2=Very Good; #3=Average; #4=Poor; #5=Major Project
  • Reserve: Minimum price owner will accept
  • High Bid: The highest offer made (but vehicle did not sell)*
  • Selling Price: What the vehicle sold for*
  • Average Selling Price: Average market value of vehicles in similar condition

*All prices shown for sold lots include the buyer’s premium of 10 percent. Unsold lots include only the highest bid, when available.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (1)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1979 Jeep J20

  • Condition: Refurbished/#2-
  • Reserve: None
  • Selling Price: $19,250
  • Avg. Selling Price: $16,000

The pitted stainless, rusty vent-window frames, the rot we spotted on the front bumper, and the black-finished pickup bed all made us wonder what the seller started with underneath the smooth paint seen here. A new radio head unit lives in the dash. Most of those parts can be replaced, but what lurks beneath? Perhaps the rarity of finding a Jeep pickup, combining V-8 power and four-wheel drive with power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning, was too much for a buyer to ignore. The house estimate put it between $15k and $20k, with the sale price approaching the high end.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (2)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1950 Bentley Mk VI Drophead Coupe

  • Condition: Restored/ #2
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Selling Price: $137,500
  • Avg. Selling Price: $140,000

The Bentley Mk VI was a shortened version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith and Silver Dawn, powered by a 4 ¼-liter inline six, with chassis sent to a variety of body builders across England; Park Ward built the body for this Drophead Coupe. It was stolen three decades ago and recovered just a decade back; it appears to have gone through a comprehensive restoration, save for the tape deck wedged into the instrument panel. Neither that radio, nor the salvage title, appeared to matter a whit to the final hammer price, as it was near enough to the average, once the house’s piece was taken into account.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (3)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1975 Volkswagen Type II

  • Condition: Modified/#1-
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Top-Price Bid: $40,000 (not sold)
  • Avg. Selling Price: na

South America kept building early V-nose Type IIs into the ’70s, as witnessed by this clean example. While the “23-window conversion” exterior looked sharp (minus the so-so stainless trim we so often see on these), the engine bay was nigh on unrecognizable thanks to the dual-port 1600-cc boxer four being fed by a Garrett turbocharger and a GD8-era Subaru STI intercooler. Gauges were added, as was a Bluetooth/satellite compatible radio. Seems perfect for someone who wants to cruise PCH and arrive at their destination with time to spare. Alas, the six-figure bus crowd likes their stuff stock, and the top bid seemed low.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (4)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1955 Cadillac Eldorado

  • Condition: Restored/#2
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Selling Price: $58,300
  • Avg. Selling Price: $80,000

Cadillac’s pop-top Eldorado, launched as one of GM’s Motorama show cars come to life in 1953, remained perched atop Cadillac’s food chain for 1955. This Goddess Gold example, with a red-and-cream interior, was said to be the recipient of a recent cosmetic restoration and retains its correct dual-quad carb setup along with power steering, power brakes, power seat, and a parade boot. The only minus we could see was a windshield (presumably original) that was starting to delaminate at the edges. A sale price more than a quarter below the average meant that the new owner should be pleased.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (5)

Photo: Jeff Koch

2003 Ferrari 575M

  • Condition: Original/#1
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Selling Price: $132,000
  • Avg. Selling Price: $175,000

When the 550 Maranello showed up in the late ’90s, plenty of purists laughed. Oh look, Ferrari made a Camaro, scoffed the pundits who wouldn’t be able to afford one anyway. We wondered, 20 years on, does that early derision matter? Keep in mind, it had some miles for a Ferrari—nearly 30,000—and has had its 30,000-mile service. It also isn’t not red, and it has the automatic F1 transmission rather than the far-more-rare manual transmission. The sale price seemed low against the average, but it checked against a number of current Hemmings ads, so we’d say it was on the money.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (6)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1934 Ford

  • Condition: Restored/#1-
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Selling Price: $41,800
  • Avg. Selling Price: $42,400

We’re a little surprised to see one of these—if only because we thought they’d all been hot-rodded ages ago. But no! Some slightly scratchy brightwork didn’t take away from what is otherwise a clean, straight, shiny ’34 Cabriolet. Nary a sign of hot rodding in sight—the 21-stud 221-cube Flathead is intact, as were all the other period features and fixtures. To the seller’s credit, there were a couple of caveats, like checking for a cracked block. And yet the final sale price came within a couple of tanks of gas of the published average.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (7)

Photo: Jeff Koch

2008 Honda S2000 CR

  • Condition: Original/ #1
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Top-Price Bid: $100,000 (not sold)
  • Avg. Selling Price: $75,000

Honda’s high-revving front-engine sports car once had the most naturally aspirated horsepower per cubic inch of any car anywhere; the hardcore-spec, limited-production runout version called CR (for “club racer”) offered firmer suspension, quicker steering, chassis bracing, and a removable hardtop in lieu of a folding cloth lid. This as-new example had just 2,800 miles on the odometer—nary a scuff, scratch or blemish could be found. New, the S2000 CR listed for half of its current $75,000 average value; a six-figure offer was a gift that was returned to sender. Remember this next time someone grumbles that no newer cars will ever be worth anything.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (8)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1956 Mercury Montclair convertible

  • Condition: Restored/#1-
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Selling Price: $52,800
  • Avg. Selling Price: $57,000

After brutal winters across the nation, buyers come to sunny Arizona in the spring, feel the sun and forget all about the cold—and fall in love with the irresponsible romance of the convertible. Witness this as-new ’56 Montclair convertible, said to be restored half a decade back. It’s the 1950-est it can be—painted coral and grey, wide whitewall tires, acres of blinding chrome, skirts, a Continental kit—and of course the top folds down in a fit of post-Oppenhemier optimism. And what do you know, it came within 10 percent of the published average for its model and condition.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (9)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1976 Cadillac Coupe de Ville

  • Condition: Original/#1-
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Top-Price Bid: $19,000 (not sold)
  • Avg. Selling Price: $11,500

“Odometer reads 14,000 miles,” said the writeup on the windshield. Does the seller not know? It looks like it could be. The driver’s-side seat belt guide was missing from the top of the seat—surely a sign of use?—and the driver’s-side sheet metal had some chips on the lower portion of the body. The latter was not an accident, but like something bounced up off the road and gouged the Firethorn Mist paint before it fell back to earth. But the paint shone, the chrome glistened, the leather was supple. Last of the big ’uns or not, an offer 75 percent above the average was somehow rebuffed.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (10)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1914 Ford Model T Touring

  • Condition: Restored/#2
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Selling Price: $16,500
  • Avg. Selling Price: N/A

Can any historic-car collection really be complete without a Model T somewhere in there? Despite the millions that were built, the car that put America on wheels doesn’t turn up much at the auctions we go to, so their appearance always provokes closer investigation. Built not long after Henry started building Ts on an assembly line (and surely restored at least once since that time) what’s here looked good—some signs of use but not abuse. The unpainted hood was an eye-opener. Our price guides only go back to ’26; an open Touring model like this one is valued right around this earlier example’s sale price.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (11)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1985 Chrysler Fifth Avenue

  • Condition: Original/ #1-
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Selling Price: $10,450
  • Avg. Selling Price: $2500

On the one hand, the published average says that the nicest Fifth Ave in the country is $2,500, so the notion that this example quadrupled the average was an eye-opener. But when the total price was under ten grand (before the house’s inevitable take), can over-spending really hurt that much? What’s here seemed clean, inside and out—and could even seem like a bargain if that 19,100-mile odometer is true. Sellers claimed to have spent eight grand on recent maintenance—spending that much on a $2500 car, then flipping it, is quite a gamble, but it may have paid off.

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (12)

Photo: Jeff Koch

1958 Edsel Villager wagon

  • Condition: Restored/#1
  • Reserve: Undisclosed
  • Selling Price: $44,000
  • Avg. Selling Price: $100,000

Edsels get a lot more respect today than they did when they were new; mix that fascination with the rarest body style the marque offered (the Villager wagon) and you should have the recipe for the six-figure car that the average sale price suggests. So, what happened? The look and quality of what was here was not in question. Was it the pie-pan wheel trims playing down its middle-class nature? Was there confusion stemming from the added powerboat and trailer, with a look that took the package solidly out of the ’50s? All we know is, the buyer scored.

From Your Site Articles

  • Auction News From Mecum Tulsa and Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas … ›
  • The only Shelby Mustang that Ken Miles ever drove may sell for … ›
  • A Yenko Stinger, Mazda Cosmo, and a pack of late-model Ferraris … ›
  • Mecum’s Glendale Auction: Our Favorite Cars Rocking Steelies and … ›

Related Articles Around the Web

Mecum Auctions Glendale 2023 - $56 Million Moved Over Five Days | The Online Automotive Marketplace | Hemmings (2025)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Lakeisha Bayer VM

Last Updated:

Views: 6188

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lakeisha Bayer VM

Birthday: 1997-10-17

Address: Suite 835 34136 Adrian Mountains, Floydton, UT 81036

Phone: +3571527672278

Job: Manufacturing Agent

Hobby: Skimboarding, Photography, Roller skating, Knife making, Paintball, Embroidery, Gunsmithing

Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.