This is AutoGoddess.com page

Mecum Launch into Dallas Deemed Big Success

Originally Published at on Jan 08 2012 • view original

Dana Mecum held his first ever Mecum Auto Auction in Dallas at the Convention Center leading into Columbus Day weekend. Over 600 cars, trucks, boats, bikes and memorabilia were presented for sale, drawing enthusiasts from across Texas and the nation. One of the biggest draws was the “GM in Black Collection” which consisted of eight black Chevrolets. This much anticipated collection was one of many crowning highlights in this electrically charged weekend.

All vehicles in the collection sold for $57,000 or higher with the highest winning bid going for a glistening 1958 black Impala Convertible, which rolled off the block for a whopping $105,000 dollars.

The highest bid from Mecum’s Dallas event went towards a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe 427/430 HP, which was bought for $565,000 dollars. Corvettes with the L88 engine code are very rare. They were only made from 1967 to 1969, with 20 built the first year, 80 built in 1968 and 116 in its final year of production.

Because Mecum provided such a vast and spectacular selection of vehicles, “We broke a record for having the highest amount of new bidders (over 1,000) at the Dallas event,” Mecum Auctions Presentation Coordinator Christine Giovingo said. This number does not include those who had been registered for previous events, or those who are members of Mecum’s Gold Club (for premiere bidders). The audience is what made the event such a success while Dana Mecum, his family and his entire team ensured a smoothly run and enjoyable event for automotive enthusiasts and the public.

Of particular note during the weekend, there was a ‘special’ auction held to benefit a non-profit organization called Operation Mend. This important group provides specialty surgical and medical procedures for veterans through the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

In a collective effort, General Motors donated a new 2011 Camaro for famed West Coast Customs to completely personalize the car in a patriotic (one-of-a-kind) theme. On Friday night the Camaro was auctioned and sold for $333,000 (the second highest bid of the weekend) with all proceeds directly benefiting Operation Mend and the soldiers they care for. The buyer of this patriotic West Coast Customs beauty was none other than Ben Mecum, one of Dana Mecum’s sons.

“Ben purchased the Camaro on behalf of the Mecum Foundation and to assist Operation Mend,” Giovingo said. “The family and the audience not only fell in love with the car, but with everyone involved in Operation Mend. Once meeting the soldiers, Operation Mend doctors, and program representatives we just fell in love with all of them.”

During the weekend event those in attendance donated over $13,000 dollars in cash, “And two different families both contributed $10,000 each,” Giovingo said. Mecum is still collecting funds for Operation Mend through their website and are dedicated in continuing to support the organization. As for the purchase of the Camaro, “We would love to use it to further help Operation Mend in promoting their cause.”

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 11:14 am and is filed under Event Coverage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.