Corvette Auction Preview: Four More Corvettes to Make You Drool at Mecum Kissimmee 2022

Corvette Auction Preview: Four More Corvettes to Make You Drool at Mecum Kissimmee 2022

Photo Credit: Mecum Auctions

Welcome back to our look at Mecum’s upcoming 2022 Kissimmee auction. The countdown to opening day is just about 14 days now. Perusing the Corvette docket, we currently see 360 Corvettes listed which is more than double the number of consignments from 2 weeks ago. Expect a few more to be added as the date draws nearer.

Past previews focused on the Corvette Super Sport, Gulf One, and the C2 Z06 equipped Corvettes from Mecum’s Once in a Lifetime Corvette Offering. This time we’re going to focus on a diverse quartet of first and second generation cars ranging from a pilot line 1966 L88 to an ultra-rare 1957 airbox fuelie.

Mecum Auctions

Lot F158: 1960 Race Rat Tanker – When we think of big tank or “tanker” Corvettes, we generally think of C2’s. However, tankers were available to savvy buyers and racers on C1 Corvettes as well. In 1960, 10 big tank Corvettes were built. This 1960 fuelie was ordered through Nickey Chevrolet by George Reed to complete in the 1960 Sebring 12 hour race. In addition to the 315hp engine, Reed selected heavy duty suspension, heavy duty brakes, and a 4-speed transmission. Upon delivery to Sebring, Zora Arkus Duntov himself assisted with the final race prep. The car went on to win its class and finish 16th overall. Today the car is in excellent restored condition and has been displayed at top events such as the 2004 and 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the 2009 Los Angeles Concours d’Elegance, the 2010 NCRS 50th Anniversary display, and the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. It’s also an NCRS American Heritage Award recipient.

1960 Corvette

Lot F164: 1957 Big Brake Airbox Fuelie – This well-known straight axle is one of 44 produced with RPO 579E, the fresh airbox intake. It’s also 1 of 54 with heavy duty brakes and suspension. Other options include a fuel injected engine, 4-speed transmission, and wider 5.5″ wheels. The car was raced in SCCA events across the country throughout its early life. Since that time, it’s been restored back to stock form and lays claimed to our hobby’s top awards including multiple NCRS Top Flights, Bloomington Gold, and 2 Bloomington Special Collections. It’s been featured in Vette Vues magazine and participated in the 75th anniversary Monterrey historics. It’s being offered from the John Justo collection with copious documentation, awards, and restoration photos.

1957 Big Brake Airbox Fuelie

Lot S113: 8,500-mile unrestored 1967 427/435 Coupe – We first saw the “Vault Find” 1967 Corvette at the 2017 Mecum Indy auction where it sold for $675,000 from the original owner’s family. The Marina Blue on blue 435hp coupe remains in unrestored, original condition with just 8,533 miles on the odometer. The option list includes the 435hp engine, M21 4-speed, F41 suspension, and 4.11 rear end. It’s never been shown or judged and comes documented with the window sticker, Protect-O-Plate, and car shipper.

8,500-mile unrestored 1967 427/435 Coupe

Lot S237: 1966 Pilot Line L88 Coupe – This Sting Ray is one of the “Four Kings,” 1966 Corvette factory racers. It’s the first known Corvette factory-prepared for Luigi Chinetti’s NART team, the first built with shoulder harnesses, and the second to be fitted with the cowl-induction fresh air hood. The intent was to test aluminum cylinder heads and other racing bits in the 1966 Sebring 12 hours. Pedro Rodriguez and Mario Andretti were to be the drivers, but they ended up in one of Chinetti’s Ferrari’s instead. Future pilots included Harold Whims, Don Yenko, John Finger, and John “Sam” Henderson. They completed at many notable tracks such as Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte Motor Raceway, Virginia International Raceway, Marlboro Motor Raceway, and Road Atlanta among others. The L88 engine sports a 1965-dated intake manifold and January 1966 dated aluminum cylinder heads. Other track-spec options include heater and defroster delete, radio delete, F41 suspension, Positraction rear axle, heavy-duty brakes, transistor ignition, M22 4-speed, and a 36 gallon gas tank. It’s extensively documented and has been shown at numerous national events over the last decade including 2014 and 2020 Bloomington Gold Collections, 2016 MCACN Corvette Legends Invitational, and the 2014 Corvettes at Carlisle Race Car Reunion.

1966 Pilot Line L88 Coupe

Mecum’s monster 2022 Kissimmee auction will take place January 6th-16th at the Osceola Heritage Park. MotorTrend TV, MotorTrend+, and Discovery will have live coverage Wednesday, January 12th – Saturday, January 15th. Approximately 3,500 cars are expected. Keep an eye here and on the Mecum website as new additions are being added daily.

Source:
Mecum Auctions

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[VIDEO] Here are the Cars that Rick Treworgy of Muscle Car City Museum Decided to Keep

[VIDEO] Here are the Cars that Rick Treworgy of Muscle Car City Museum Decided to Keep

Ever since Rick Treworgy closed his Muscle Car City Museum in Florida and sold some 200 of the vehicles at a special Mecum Auction in January for a whopping $18 million, we’ve wondered which cars he just couldn’t bear to part with.

Thanks to Wade Kawasaki’s Car Guy Adventures on YouTube, we don’t have to wonder anymore.

If you’re an enthusiast, definitely set aside 22 minutes and watch this video that shows Rick’s remaining collection that still includes more than 20 big block C2 Corvettes, a 1970 Chevelle SS with an LS6 engine, a 1969 Camaro Z/28 with a cross ram DZ302, and many more interesting vehicles!

[VIDEO] Here are the Cars that Rick Treworgy of Muscle Car City Museum Decided to Keep

“This is a driver’s garage,” Wade explains. “No trailer queens. He’s gonna have a mechanic and detail guy to keep them running so he can drive and enjoy these cars the way they’re meant to be.”

Kawasaki, in case you’re not aware, is president and chief executive officer of Legendary Companies, formerly Coker Group. He oversees Legendary’s 14 brands and six operating companies, including Coker Tire, Universal Vintage Tire Co., Phoenix Race Tires, Wheel Vintiques, Roadster Wire Wheels, MOR – Münchner Oldtimer Reifen and The Great Race.

[VIDEO] Here are the Cars that Rick Treworgy of Muscle Car City Museum Decided to Keep

You know you’re in for a treat when the very first vehicle discussed in the video is a 2019 Arctic White Corvette ZR1. Rick explains that he gave up a 2020 Stingray because he believes in the long run, the ZR1 will be the best investment. He’s only driven the ZR1 some 300 miles because he’s been busy building a new house for the past year but says that odometer should be changing in the coming months.

That’s just the first of so many nice Corvettes he kept, including row after row of 1967 427s “stacked up like cordwood,” as Wade put it.

[VIDEO] Here are the Cars that Rick Treworgy of Muscle Car City Museum Decided to Keep

Rick says he’s trying to collect a big block in every color, and while he hasn’t achieved that goal yet, he doesn’t intend to quit trying.

He points out a blue ’67 with white stinger hood as one of his favorites. “Some cars, they’re just right,” he says. “They feel like they did back in the day after they’re restored. That’s one of ‘em. I can’t make myself part with it.”

He also couldn’t part with a black ’66 Corvette, the first car he ever restored and then showed all over the Southeast for 10 years before driving it for another decade. “It still looks about as good as the day we did it.”

[VIDEO] Here are the Cars that Rick Treworgy of Muscle Car City Museum Decided to Keep

Another sentimental favorite is the only ’55 Chevy coupe remaining in his collection, as he points out a ‘55 was his first car and “whenever I go back to a hot rod, it’s always a ’55 Chevy.”

Other interesting vehicles include a purple Blazer turned into a short pickup, a 1912 Durand (a predecessor to Chevrolet), a ’61 Pontiac Ventura, a ’39 Chevy hot rod, a first-year 1935 Suburban, the last L88 Corvette made (a ’69), and a 1935 Cadillac restomod.

[VIDEO] Here are the Cars that Rick Treworgy of Muscle Car City Museum Decided to Keep

“I have a toy or two,” Rick jokes.

Those toys also include vintage ZR1 motors from the C4 era, and he believes they’ll be worth some money in the future when restoration of the 1990-95 ZR1s begins in earnest someday.

While the museum became a victim of COVID, Rick’s love of collector cars isn’t going anywhere. In fact, while he says there “probably” won’t ever be a museum again, he is planning to build two or three hot rods a year for sale at auction.

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Source:
Wade Kawasaki’s Car Guy Adventures / YouTube

Related:
Muscle Car City Museum To Close After 14 Year Run
National Corvette Museum Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony For New Collections Building
How Many Corvettes in this Garage Mahal Can You Name?

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