Mecum 2024 Indy Fall Special Day 1
Mecum‘s 2024 Indy Fall Special kicks off October 3, the first of three days of collector cars, motorcycles, and trucks crossing the auction block at the Indian State Fairgrounds. 1,000 vehicles are expected to be offered for sale, many of them with no reserve – and some of them will come from the De Young Collection, an impressive assortment of early semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles.
A couple of the vehicles we want to highlight may raise some eyebrows but we’ll address those as we get to them.
The 1983 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds 15th Anniversary Edition was a limited production, special-edition muscle car that paid tribute to the partnership between Oldsmobile and Hurst Performance that dated back to 1968.
Although the days of insanely powerful muscle cars had long-since ended by 1983, Oldsmobile still sought to commemorate the long-standing association between the two companies. While performance figures were certainly lacking compared to 1968, the 5.0L V8 produced a respectable amount of power for its time.
The most notable feature of this car is certainly the automatic transmission and the Hurst Lightning Rods shifter. Not only did it stand out from most any other automatic transmission in 1983, it also allowed drivers to manually select gears in a throwback to the heights of the muscle car era.
Production was limited to just 3,001 units and lead the way for the 1984 Hurst/Olds that remains, along with the 1983 model year a desirable example of the sort of performance Oldsmobile was able to produce in the early 1980s.
The 1982 Nissan 280ZX was part of the second generation of the iconic sports car series that began with the 1969 Nissan 240Z. Introduced in 1978, the 280ZX incorporated design cues from its predecessor, the 280Z, while also seeing improvements in comfort, handling, and technology compared to the first-generation Z-car.
By 1982, it had established itself as a more refined and luxurious sports car compared to earlier models, emphasizing grand touring qualities over a raw, lightweight sports car feel. It came equipped with a 2.8-liter inline-six engine producing up to 180 horsepower when turbocharged and showcased minor updates including revised exterior trim and improved interior features such as new digital gauges in certain trims by then.
Additionally, the 280ZX offered options like T-tops and featured a unique 2+2 seating arrangement, showcasing Nissan’s focus on aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, which were crucial considerations during the early 1980s era of automotive development.
1992 marked the end of the third-generation Camaro which was celebrated by Chevrolet with the Camaro RS 25th Anniversary Edition. It highlighted the model’s 25 year history as well as the end of the angular design that was introduced in 1982.
It was available as a coupe or convertible and was equipped with a 3.1L V6 engine, although a 5.0L V8 was available and does power this example. The Heritage Package equipped the car with its unique racing stripe and the 25th Anniversary badging.
While not as powerful as earlier Camaros, and certainly not as powerful as some of the extremely limited production models from the earliest years of the Camaro, the 1992 model year provided a fitting tribute to the muscle cars that came before it while teasing the public about what the fourth-generation Camaro could be when it was introduced the following year.
Here’s the one that might raise some eyebrows. It certainly raised mine. But then I realized that this car is nearly 25 years old and, much as I don’t want to admit it, this counts as a classic car now. I mean, the Prowler was introduced in 1997 and we’ve certainly discussed more recent cars in the collector world.
The Prowler was the first of a few attempts made by American automotive companies to build a modern hotrod – ultimately this didn’t pan out in the long term, but just as there’s something to be said for the 1992 Chevrolet Camaro RS 25th Anniversary Edition, there’s something to be said for the 2000 Plymouth Prowler Convertible.
We should also note that the 2000 model year Prowler was the last to be built under the Plymouth brand, with the Prowler becoming a Chrysler for 2001 before the entire Plymouth brand was discontinued.
While these offered a respectable 253 horsepower, they were absolutely about style over performance. As much as the Prowler stood out thanks to its design, it was limited by the very same thing. It never quite found its niche and was therefore a fairly low-volume car. But there are enthusiasts who love these cars and the one at Mecum has covered just 3,752 miles since it was new.
Being offered with no reserve this will definitely be going to a new home so the question we can’t wait to see answered is how much will someone pay for this low-mileage 2000 Plymouth Prowler Convertible?
This 1954 Diamond T 951S Truck is being offered from the De Young Collection and will be sold with no reserve when it his the block at Mecum’s 2024 Indy Fall Special. The De Young Collection showcases rare commercial vehicles to preserve them for future generations as so many were driven until they were simply disposed of at the nearest scrapyard.
The 1954 Diamond T 951S Truck is one of only 62 to be equipped with the 844 cubic inch (yep, 844 cubic inches!) supercharged Buda Diesel engine that produced 280 horsepower. It’s equipped with a five-speed transmission as well as a secondary two-speed gearbox that allowed for more precise control when hauling heavy loads.
This truck benefits from a full restoration after the De Young family purchased it in 1985 and stands today as one of the best examples of this truck still in existence. While the market for classic commercial vehicles and semi-trucks isn’t as broad as the collector car market, the likely bidders on this truck will have a very rare opportunity before them when it hits Mecum’s auction block at their 2024 Indy Fall Special.