(Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee FL) Boasting a display of more than 3500 vehicles, spanning the course of 9 full days, and occupying the entirety of the Osceola Heritage Park property, the world's largest collector car auction known to auto enthusiasts as MECUM, I had to see if their claims could possibly be true. Can they possibly have this many vehicles? Can any car show be so large that it actually goes past a week in duration? Can the quality of the vehicles on display be THAT good?
Yes. Yes. And, absolutely yes!!
By far, this is the largest auto display we've ever experienced. This is the one show we've ever attended that is actually broadcast live on television (NBCSN, the Sports Group channel division of NBCUniversal.) More than 20 separate staging areas spread across Osceola Heritage Park was barely able to contain all of the vehicles.
The main auction, which was televised, was held within Silver Spurs Arena. Mecum first became involved in auctioning collector cars and other special-interest vehicles in 1988, but has since broadened their offerings to include motorcycles, vintage tractors, Road Art, and a vast array of other rare auto collectibles. Registered bidders could bid in person, telephone, or internet, and it was only these fortunate ones who were permitted within the auction arena this year, due to social-distancing measures.
Upon my arrival, Mecum and Osceola Heritage had representatives to greet me and tour me around the grounds. The first stop was the Main Attraction Display -- a massive glass-walled room housing the most exclusive and valuable vehicles in this year's auction. One of the first cars to catch my eye was the 1965 Shelby 427 Cobra Roadster. In and of itself, this 427 Cobra was ultra-rare, being one of only (5) 427's finished in this specific Charcoal Gray color. Beyond this, however, this specific vehicle actually belonged to Mr. Carroll Shelby (yes, THAT Shelby), making this one of the most sought-after vehicles in the world. Located immediately adjacent to this was the white '65 Shelby GT350 Fastback, with not even 7k miles on it, was originally owned by Jack Loftus Ford, then later owned and raced by Dick Jordan. Being one of only 34 production models ever to be made, and given the historical significance of this specific auto, estimates put this one somewhere in the $1.2 - 1.5 million range!
Yes. Yes. And, absolutely yes!!
By far, this is the largest auto display we've ever experienced. This is the one show we've ever attended that is actually broadcast live on television (NBCSN, the Sports Group channel division of NBCUniversal.) More than 20 separate staging areas spread across Osceola Heritage Park was barely able to contain all of the vehicles.
The main auction, which was televised, was held within Silver Spurs Arena. Mecum first became involved in auctioning collector cars and other special-interest vehicles in 1988, but has since broadened their offerings to include motorcycles, vintage tractors, Road Art, and a vast array of other rare auto collectibles. Registered bidders could bid in person, telephone, or internet, and it was only these fortunate ones who were permitted within the auction arena this year, due to social-distancing measures.
Upon my arrival, Mecum and Osceola Heritage had representatives to greet me and tour me around the grounds. The first stop was the Main Attraction Display -- a massive glass-walled room housing the most exclusive and valuable vehicles in this year's auction. One of the first cars to catch my eye was the 1965 Shelby 427 Cobra Roadster. In and of itself, this 427 Cobra was ultra-rare, being one of only (5) 427's finished in this specific Charcoal Gray color. Beyond this, however, this specific vehicle actually belonged to Mr. Carroll Shelby (yes, THAT Shelby), making this one of the most sought-after vehicles in the world. Located immediately adjacent to this was the white '65 Shelby GT350 Fastback, with not even 7k miles on it, was originally owned by Jack Loftus Ford, then later owned and raced by Dick Jordan. Being one of only 34 production models ever to be made, and given the historical significance of this specific auto, estimates put this one somewhere in the $1.2 - 1.5 million range!
Just a few steps away, 2 nearly identical-looking yellow Ford GT's drew an immense crowd toward the center of the room: a 2005 GT with just over 7k miles, and it's Twin-Turbocharged 2018 GT brother whose odometer barely surpassed 1600 miles on it! Combined, these cars were scheduled to fetch more than $1 million, and the audience standing around gawking at these two never diminished in size. Enthusiasts were able to get up close and personal, with many either taking selfies or streaming video to try and remember the moment.
In less than 5 minutes, I had seen 4 spectacularly impressive vehicles, and together these were likely going to attract somewhere between $4,000,000 - $5,000,000. There were dozens upon dozens of other cars just in this room alone, and a true enthusiast probably could have spent their entire weekend just inside these 4 walls. There were so many cars to look at, and the heart-breaking part for me was knowing that once these were sold, this particular collection of cars would never be on display together again. My challenge was that I now needed to see ALL of the other cars that were going to be auctioned. My handy site map indicated that there were 20 more display areas with just as many cars. Suddenly, the 9-day auction length made sense to me: it's nearly impossible to take in all of this auction even for an entire weekend.
As I walked toward my next staging area, I heard this deafening barrage of screeching tire sounds. What I was hearing was apparently the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody vehicles that made up the Dodge Thrill Rides attraction onsite. Guests eagerly waited in line for this free experience to ride alongside a professional driver as they accelerated and tore through a small obstacle course as guests screamed in delight. With rubber literally burning in the background and smoke that emitted from said burning tires filling the air, adrenaline-junkies certainly got their speed fix here. With your paid admission to the Mecum auction, you could try this one out, earn yourself some Dodge swag, and be entered for a chance to win $75,000 toward an FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) vehicle!
I walked the grounds for hours, appreciating the diversity of vehicles that were here. In these unchartered times, it was also important for me to see how much Mecum was doing towards social-distancing and ensuring guests were wearing facemasks. There were alot of guests in attendance at this year's show, yet Mecum and Osceola Heritage did very well in terms of crowd control and vehicle spacing so that no area ever felt uncomfortably crowded. Every once in a while, a voice would project over the speakers across the property, thank everyone for their attendance, and then kindly remind them to adhere to the Covid restrictions that were in place.
Mecum hosts several auctions throughout the year, but Kissimmee's is the largest collector car auction. Given the nature of each auction, each of Mecum's events are literally once-in-a-lifetime type of events, so it would be very easy for you to attend each and every single year, and get a completely unique and memorable experience each time. Hoping to see you all next year in Kissimmee!
Bailey Guinigundo
Mecum hosts several auctions throughout the year, but Kissimmee's is the largest collector car auction. Given the nature of each auction, each of Mecum's events are literally once-in-a-lifetime type of events, so it would be very easy for you to attend each and every single year, and get a completely unique and memorable experience each time. Hoping to see you all next year in Kissimmee!
Bailey Guinigundo
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