Auctions have become more than a way to sell cars. They are television productions, and if you are lucky enough to attend one, they are huge car shows. These events gather an impressive array of machines, from wild customs to low-mileage stockers, and there is something for everyone to enjoy.
One such purveyor of these impressive traveling sales productions is Mecum Auctions, which recently hosted its 25th-anniversary celebration of The World’s Largest Collector Car Auction from January 2-14 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.
The auction drew more than 4,000 consignments, and we traversed every row of cars to track down all the Mustangs on the property and pick our favorites on hand. There were many great Mustangs on hand from every generation, which made it tough to choose, but ultimately a range of classic and Fox Mustangs rose to the top of our list…
To be fair this author was never really a convertible guy, nor is he a big fan of the two-tone paint scheme available on Fox Mustang GTs. That said, there is still something so nostalgic about seeing one of these cars in stock form, right down to the turbine wheels. This one showed just shy of 50,000 miles on the clock and is stock except for a Hurst shifter atop its T-5 five-speed manual transmission. Moreover, the Marti report included with the car says it is one of just 36 examples with this option package. It sold for $25,300, which is nearly $8,000 more than it sold for new, but still a bargain given the impacts of inflation.
You can’t go wrong with a ’69 Mustang, and this low-mileage example powered by the legendary Boss 429 is special. A sleeper in all white, it sports just 27,702 miles on the odometer, and is one of just three reserved that year by Ford Motor Company, likely meaning it was earmarked for a Ford employee. Though its interior was re-dyed black by the experts at SEMO Classic Mustang, it still features a numbers-matching drivetrain including its rare T-motor option, which features magnesium cylinder heads. It hammered for a whopping $440,000 in Kissimmee.
There were a lot of great classic Mustangs on the property at Osceola Heritage Park, and several of the standouts were from the late ’60s. Unlike the previous pick, this one is far from stock, but still really cool, and it sold for $101,200. A centerpiece of this custom build is a modern Coyote engine backed by an automatic transmission. Painted in a custom can burgundy paint, it sports a spruced-up interior featuring custom bucket seats and a B&M shifter. The high-revving 5.0-liter engine underhood provides plenty of power and speed and it is balanced by a set of Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes.
Somehow the convertibles stood out at Mecum, and a Shelby convertible is always a standout — especially if it is supercharged. This example is Candy Red 1968 GT350 with white stripes. Looking like a fun cruiser with the performance to back up its image, this drop-top is motivated by a 302 boosted by the ball-drive Paxton supercharger available in that era. It has seen some travel with more than 96,000 miles on the odometer, but it was expected to collect more than $110,000. Instead, it went unsold at the auction, so if you are in the market, it might still be out there.
If you haven’t noticed yet, this scribe has a soft spot for Fox Mustangs, and seeing the stockers is a real nostalgia trip. Again, not being into convertibles doesn’t prevent appreciating one that has only 28,103 miles. Still sporting the original top, this GT is powered by a 5.0-liter engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Better yet the gray interior is still in great shape. This time machine hammered for $27,500 in Kissimmee.
Based on a Dynacorn 1968 Mustang body, this replica is more than just a restomod it is a high-performance replica. Under its hood is a 351W based on a Dart block that was built by Evan's Speed Equipment in El Monte, California, and boosted by a pair of Garrett turbochargers. That potent powerplant is backed by a TREMEC six-speed manual transmission and an RRS three-link rear suspension. Its exterior is augmented by a custom splitter, canards, and side skirts with integrated exhaust ports. Best of Show Coachworks in Escondido, California, sprayed it in black. It sold for $143,000 at Mecum.
Ben Smith designed the first retractable hardtop for the 1957 Ford Skyliner, and Ford enlisted him to develop a retractable hardtop for the 1966 Mustang. This is one of three prototypes developed to see if this was a viable move for a production pony car. It didn’t take off, but this rare example hit the block at the first Mecum auction of the year. Repainted in Ivy Green Metallic, it features a fiberglass roof and trunk lid. Motivated by a 289 and a C6 three-speed it hammered for just $81,400 at Mecum.
When it comes to Fox Mustangs, some special machines rise above the crowd, and Mecum Kissimmee brought out two of them. This 1991 Mustang SAAC Mk1 is the closest thing to a Shelby Fox Mustang that we ever saw. Modeled after the 1965 Shelby GT350, this limited-production tuner Fox foreshadowed the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra by serving as a production testbed for gear like the GT-40 induction and disc brake conversions from Ford Motorsport SVO. Delivering 225 horsepower, this SAAC Mk1 is one of just 65 produced and it only logged less than 200 miles on the odometer. It was expected to command six figures at Mecum, but it went unsold in Kissimmee. So you are telling me there’s a chance!
The far more well-known rare Fox up for auction was this 1989 Saleen Mustang SSC. Sporting a unique white/gray/yellow motif along with its signature bodywork, this limited edition Saleen carried that colorway into its interior, which also featured a unique rear-seat delete arrangement. This example is powered by a fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 paired with a five-speed manual transmission. It rides on a Saleen suspension and a set of white five-spoke wheels. It is one of just 161 examples built back then and it still only has fewer than 700 miles on the clock. It sold for a whopping $198,000 in Kissimmee.
Mecum’s first auction of the year brought out a lot of impressive stock vehicles and cool customs, but this one stole the show. A 1970 Mustang Mach 1 is an impressive ride in stock form, but Bobby Johnson took this one to another level by retrofitting it with a 2006 Ford GT 550-horsepower 5.4-liter mid-engine driveline that feeds power through a Ricardo six-speed manual transmission. Its wheelbase is extended by 2 inches thanks to a custom square-tube frame. Painted in PPG Shelby Yellow it features functional quarter-panel vents, a Corvette suspension, and Wilwood six-piston brakes. It was expected to garner $135,000 in Kissimmee, but it went unsold.
We look forward to seeing what next year’s Kissimmee auction brings to the table, but there are several more Mecum auctions on the calendar this year. The next stop on the company’s calendar is in Glendale ,Arizona, from March 5-9, 2024.
