Following Mecum Auction’s record-setting sale in January at Kissimmee that saw more than 4,000 vehicles cross the auction block with sales totaling a record-setting $234 Million, attention is now turning to Mecum’s Arizona event happening March 28-April 1st at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium. Over the last few years, the Glendale sale has really taken off with last year’s event featuring 1,657 vehicles and $66.3 million in sales. For 2023, Mecum is now expecting an estimated 2,000 vehicles and 150 Road Art items for the five-day sale including more than 70 Corvettes that are currently consigned.
Mecum’s Kissimmee auction in January showed that Corvette sales remain very strong, especially for high-quality collectibles from the early generations, and it also illustrated that bidding for the 2019 ZR1s are showing no sign of slowing down. In fact, the Top 11 Corvette Sales from Kissimmee 2023 consisted of nine midyears and two 2019 ZR1s. Will the Glendale 2023 sale reaffirm those statistics? Let’s find out!
The Corvettes that have been consigned so far to Glendale represent all eight generations and they break down as:
• C1 – 6
• C2 – 24
• C3 – 11
• C4 – 9
• C5 – 8
• C6 – 9
• C7 – 9
• C8 – 6
Let’s take a look at three highly-collectible midyear Corvettes and a special 18-car Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car Collection that have been consigned to Glendale 2023:
1963 Corvette Split-Window Coupe
The 1963 model year ushered in a new era of design and performance for the Corvette with a complete redesign that now offered the first dedicated hardtop model. That single feature nearly touched off a civil war within the halls of Chevrolet as GM’s Design Chief Bill Mitchell wanted the split-window design while Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov argued that it hurt rearward visibility. In the end, both sides claimed victory with the 1963 Corvette being the only Corvette model to feature the unique window treatment as 1964 models were updated to offer only a single rear window.
This 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Split-Window’s documentation from the NCRS Shipping Report shows that it was originally delivered to a customer at Frontier Chevrolet in Fresno, CA. Offered in Daytona Blue with a Blue interior, the Sting Ray is powered by the most potent Chevy engine offered at the time, the L84 fuel injected 327/360-hp V8 engine coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission. The Corvette is further optioned with knock-off wheels, white-wall tires, and an AM/FM Radio. The split-window coupe will cross the auction block on Saturday, April 1st.
1966 Corvette Big Tank Coupe
Four years after the launch of the 1963 Corvette, Zora and his band of engineers continued to push the boundaries of performance and the 1966 Corvette would see the first 427 cubic inch big block engines with the big dog being the L72 427/425-hp V8. A host of innovations introduced during the C2 generation including power disc brakes and a heavy-duty suspension meant that customers could essentially build a factory-produced race car that could also be ordered with the 36-gallon fuel tank that endurance racers favored. Known as Big Tanks or Tankers, the N03 option was only offered on 66 cars during the 1966 model year run.
This 1966 Corvette Tanker was originally purchased by European racer Anatoly “Toly” Arutunoff, who bought it new at Capital Chevrolet in Nashville and then exported the car to Germany where it was raced by its owner. Eventually, the car was returned to the States and the body-off restoration was completed. The 1966 Corvette features a host of performance options that include being one of 382 produced with the J56 Heavy Duty Brakes and it was also equipped with the J50 Power brake assist. It has the K66 transistorized ignition, F41 Heavy Duty suspension, G81 Positraction, A82 headrest seats, A02 tinted windshield and the C48 heater delete. As this was once a race car, it also includes a 200-mph speedometer and a tachometer with an 8,500 RPM redline, exhaust headers, racing roll bar, and racing livery. The Sting Ray is well-documented with an NCRS certificate, original bill-of-sale, statement of origin and Homologation Recognition Form. Look for this Corvette to hit the auction block on Saturday, April 1st.
1967 Corvette Convertible
The 1967 Corvette signaled the end of the mid-year era, and like the Split Windows from the beginning of the C2 generation, the final year of C2s are some of the most collected Corvettes on the planet. This Corvette is a very rare ’67 Convertible as it’s the only example featuring an Ermine White exterior with White and Bright Blue interior that was combined with the L71 427/435 V8s. Options on the Corvette include the original matching-numbers L71 V8, K66 transistorized ignition, original Holley carburetors, and a factory-installed Muncie M21 close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission. The original buyer also selected the 3.55:1 positraction rear-end, four Kelsey-Hayes bolt-on wheels, and a factory auxiliary hardtop.
This 1967 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible was built on November 16, 1966 and sold new at Holz Motors in Kewaskum, WI. It’s a car that is well-known to prominent collectors and the ownership history is also laid out in the documentation, that includes the Corvette’s tank sticker which the NCRS validated as original. The Sting Ray has been judged multiple times at the Regional and National levels since completing its original restoration in the mid-1980s, and it would go on to score 97.4 points to earn an NCRS Top Flight Award in June 2002. The rare 1967 Corvette Convertible will be offered on Saturday, April 1st.
The Premier Corvette Pace Car Collection
One of the Main Attractions offered at Mecum Glendale 2023 is The Premier Corvette Pace Car Collection that features 18 Corvette Pace Cars spanning from the first 1978 Indy 500 Pace Car Replica to the 2022 Corvette Stingray Convertible. Eight of the Corvettes are Pace Car Editions as authorized by Indy 500 officials, and two were actual Pace Cars used in the race.
Some additional highlights of these Corvette Pace Cars:
• 1978 Corvette Pace Car has 53 Miles and is a Triple Crown Recipient
• 1986 Corvette Pace Car is a MCACN Triple Diamond Award Winner
• 1995 Corvette Pace Car is a Bloomington Gold Benchmark and Triple Diamond Winner
• 1998 Corvette Pace Car has 20 Miles and is a Triple Diamond Winner
• 2003 Corvette Pace Car has 14 Miles and is Bloomington Gold Certified
• 2005 Corvette Pace Car was 1 of 8 Official Indy 500 Pace Cars for 2005
• 2006 Corvette Pace Car was 1 of 6 Official Indy 500 Pace Cars for 2006
These 18 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Cars will be offered at Mecum Glendale 2023 on Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st.
Mecum Glendale 2023
Mecum’s Glendale 2023 auction is scheduled for March 28-April 1st at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. There are still some consignment positions available if you are looking to sell your Corvette, so contact Mecum right away to take advantage of promotion and advertising leading up to the auction.
Bidder Registration is available online and on-site at the auction starting at $100. Standard bidding registration includes admission for two persons to the five-day auction, and remote bidding via telephone and online are also available.
For those that just like to watch, general admission tickets are available online in advance for $20 per person, per day, and they are $30 at the door and online after March 27. Doors open at 8:00 AM daily with vehicle auctions beginning at 10:00 AM.
You can view all the auction action online via Mecum’s live stream, or catch it live on MotorTrend TV/MotorTrend +. Visit Mecum Auctions for broadcast times and to view all the consignments available at Mecum Glendale 2023.
Source:
Mecum Glendale 2023
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