It is fair to say that out of the 50 states that make up the USA, the one that most epitomises the classic, traditional image of the good ol’ America is Texas, home of Mecum Car Auctions.
New York may have its sullen, edgy charm, and California is a fertile landscape for that particular brand of obnoxious cheer unique to people who have had too many ‘medicinal’ cigarettes and sunshine, but it is in Texas that an authentic portrait of America is found.
Unfortunately, the subjects of that portrait are wearing cowboy boots, waving more than one gun around and babbling on about Donald Trump.
Not to be deterred, it was here – specifically in Dallas – that CALIBRE arrived, fully prepared to leave our British sensibilities behind so that we might embrace the best Texas had to offer.
Naturally, this included copious amounts of barbequed food, a trip to the shooting range and a visit to a ranch to watch grown men try (and fail) to ride a bull. Yet, these were mere sideshows compared to the main event of our trip, a journey to what could only be described as a car enthusiast’s utopia, the Mecum Car Auction.
When we Brits think of auctions, we imagine somewhat staid affairs; purple-rinsed queues and tweed-clad men with dubious moustaches getting themselves excited about dusty trinkets that may or may not have once been owned by a relative of the Windsors.
This is certainly not the case with Mecum, for it has become big business in America. Mecum has become the largest auctioneer of collectable cars in the United States, generating $300 million in sales last year. Its origins are more humble, however, starting back in 1988 when Dana Mecum, founder and president of Mecum Car Auctions, came into possession of some classic American muscle cars and decided to host an auction for them.
“He invited others to bring their cars to sell as well, and held his first auction at the Rockford, Illinois airport. Unfortunately, a tornado blew through on the day of the auction, knocked down all the tents and trashed the event. It was a complete disaster,” explains David Morton, the marketing manager at Mecum Auctions.
“Because of this, though, it made the front page of the Chicago tribune and got him a great amount of press, putting his name out there. A year later, he came back and held another auction, and of course, people remembered him from the tornado disaster and turned out in droves. It was a huge success, and Mecum Auctions was born from that.”
The auctions continued to grow in size until, in 2008, they made a breakthrough and Mecum Auctions began being broadcast live on NBC
national television. These broadcasts now attract hundreds of thousands of viewers – something about it has managed to tap into that excitable, adventurous American psyche.
The show we attended at the Hutchison Convention Centre in Dallas featured over 1,000 cars spread across this vast exhibition space as far as the eye could see. Perusing these monuments to American machismo were thousands upon thousands of enthusiastic punters.
Some were there just for the experience, with no intention of bidding, but eyes shimmering with excitement as they ran their hands across the flawless sheen of a Mustang’s paintwork, their inner child pleading with them to spend Little Billy-Joe’s college fund.
Others were clearly there to do business, striding purposefully through the lots, popping the odd hood and making a note to return later. This all added to the carnival-like atmosphere the event generates, as this vast cross-section of the American populace is united in their appreciation for these historical artefacts of American manufacturing.
It would be remiss not to mention the sheer variety of cars on offer, a veritable feast for those who have a fondness for classic cars. There were immaculate examples of the aforementioned Ford Mustang, including the 1968 GT 390, immortalised on celluloid by Steve McQueen and that iconic car chase in Bullitt.
CALIBRE also spotted a Plymouth Road Runner, a Pontiac Firebird, and the classic Chevy Camaro. There was even that most famous of American muscle cars, the 1969 Dodge Charger from the television show The Dukes of Hazzard.
Mr Morton had warned us that an American auction has a distinctly different timbre to a British one.
“For those that have never been part of it, the American style of auctioneering is extremely fast-paced, all high-powered excitement and BOOM! Selling a car every two minutes across the block,” he yells in his wonderfully characteristic American style.
“It’s a fast-paced sporting event, really, and it’s very different to the British style of auctioning. It’s a night and day difference.”
With these words of advice lodged in our ears, we entered the auditorium, where thousands of people lined the floors, and thousands more still lined the stands to watch the spectacle.
In a scene reminiscent of The World’s Strongest Man, two burly men pulled the cars out onto the floor as the crowd whooped and applauded. A giant television screen displayed the bid’s current price, with the crowd’s noise increasing every time a bid was made.
And, despite ourselves, it was tough not to get swept up in the sheer spectacle and showmanship of it all.
The auctioneers themselves were truly larger-than-life characters whose, it seemed, sole purpose was to fire up the crowd.
“One of our auctioneers, Jimmy Landis, is quite the showman on the auction block,” says Mr Morton. “He’s entertaining the crowd, and you can see the adrenaline coming out of him, especially when he’s got a horse race going: when there are two guys bidding against each other.
“One of my favourite tricks of his is when there is a father bidding, and he’s got his son with him. So, he’ll say, ‘Is that your son there?’ And if the guy has stopped bidding, he’ll say to him, ‘Are you gonna teach your son to be a quitter?!’
“More often than not, it works, and the guy raises his hand and bids again, and the whole crowd just explodes with excitement and laughter. It’s all in good fun, it’s not something that anyone takes personally. But, we sure have a good time and make sure everybody feels included.”
If all this talk of loud American auctions has piqued your interest in making the trip across the pond to visit a Mecum Auction for yourself, it is important to go prepared.
“The most important thing is to do your homework and assess,” says Mr Morton. Keep an eye on what cars are selling for the big bucks here in the States. For example, a ‘67 Mustang in the UK would not bring in as much money as it would here in the US. “Just like any other type of vehicle, a lot depends on where the car has come from, so its history, the provenance, the originality of the car. All those things come into play when it comes to the price, and to get top dollar for a car, it has to have all them components in one before you think about shipping it over.”
So, if you are a motoring enthusiast with a taste for Americana, are simply in the market for a new car, or want to experience a true taste of a larger-than-life American social spectacle, you need to ask yourself one question: would you rather spend a packet on a boring, old Ford Focus, or would you rather own a smoking, laying-rubber-on-Tarmac, hot rod?
Ask your inner child: they will tell you the right answer.
- Driven: Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II — Luxury evolved - 6 May 2025
- Driven by vision: The Aston Martin Lagonda Series 2 revisited - 22 April 2025
- Ogio Introduces Limited-Edition Agave Ahora Golf Bag Collection - 25 May 2024