Mecum Tulsa 2022 Top Ten

Mecum Tulsa Results

Mecum held their most recent auction in Tulsa on June 9-11 and while none of the lots reached seven figures, some very impressive and noteworthy vehicles crossed the auction block. Over the three days in Tulsa Mecum achieved more than $16.5 million in total sales. The Top Ten most expensive cars sold in Tulsa follow:

This was the 29th example of the 40th Anniversary Edition Cobras produced and is one of only 5 finished with a polished aluminum body. The car is powered by an all aluminum Shelby 427 FE Stroker V8 that is engraved with Carroll Shelby’s signature. The engine produces 535 horsepower and 545 lb-ft of torque, more than enough to get the Goodyear Eagle Billboard racing tires spinning. Of course this isn’t what some would consider a “real” Cobra, but it’s the closest thing to it without spending nearly $1,000,000, if not more. Considering the rather unique look of this car, we think the new owner will be quite happy.

This 1965 Factory Experimental Mercury Comet drag racer is #7 of 8 built by Bill Stroppe and Associates, assigned the Bill Stroppe VIN BS1044. It was raced by Sam Auxier Jr. for Moyer Lincoln-Mercury of Frederick, Maryland. In 2018 the restoration work done by Ambrosio Concepts of Denver helped BS1044 win the National Automotive Heritage Award at that year’s Ford Nationals. Accompanied with documentation including a notarized letter containing the VINs and destinations of the eight A/FX Comet Lightweights that were built, it’s tough to put a estimated value on this car due to its rarity so we’ll have to say that it sold for the right price and to the right bidder.

Equipped with pretty much every option one might want, including heated bucket seats and a 4.0L handcrafted twin-turbo AMG V8, this 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R shows only 5,327 miles and sports all the carbon fiber imaginable. It includes a 9-level adjustable AMG traction control system along with an electronically controlled limited slip differential and independent suspension with manually adjustable coilover springs, this car may find its drivers reaching their limits before the car reaches its own. Considering the comparatively low mileage and the impressive trim level, it seems like this car was well-bought.

This 1985 Toyota FJ-45 Land Cruiser completed a frame-off custom build earlier this year. The frame and body of the Land Cruiser were shortened by one foot and it’s powered by a 4.2L 1FZ-FE engine, paired with the H151F five-speed manual transmission. Modern amenities abound on this FJ-45 with a custom front bumper that features a retro wench, 4-wheel disc brakes, a Pioneer stereo with Bluetooth, in-dash climate control, and a custom interior and soft top. If originality isn’t key, this may be the nicest Land Cruiser on the market. We’ve been seeing the FJ-45 and associated models stand strong in the market so the final price of $173,250 seems reasonable considering the amount of custom work that went into this truck.

The Gallardo has rapidly been appreciating in value, especially examples such as this with relatively low mileage – 18,000 original miles showing. While the median value for a 2010 Gallardo Spyder is $138,500, this example features the interior carbon fiber package and sits nicely in its Grigio Thalasso with its gray power-operated convertible top. There weren’t a lot of Gallardo Spyders finished in this color combination so paying a bit more than the median value is understandable, but we have to say this was well-sold at $165,000.

This 1969 Plymouth Semi Road Runner Coupe is a factory J-code car, one of just 162 built in 1969 with an automatic transmission. Aside from its windshield this car has original glass and sheetmetal, though it did undergo a warranty replacement of its engine block in 1970, but the replacement is date stamped to 1969. It has been restored, although that was back in the 1990s and the restoration may be showing its age in some areas, but the 37,500 miles on its odometer are believed to be original. These are rare enough cars before considering the transmission – only 788 Hemi Road Runners were built for ’69 – but this example sold for significantly more than the median value of $102,000. Unless there’s a sudden run on Hemi Road Runners this should prove to be very well-sold.

This is an extremely limited production example of the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. It is a factory V-code example and one of only 347 equipped with a factory pistol grip four-speed transmission. It is also equipped with the J81 rear spoiler, a very rare option that was only included on 197 Charger R/Ts in 1970. Factoring all those options together and this is one of only one car built as-equipped that’s listed in the Chrysler Registry. It shows 45,000 miles and that is believed to be correct. The original fender tag, dash VIN, and mylar door VIN sticker are still on the car, the latter of which shows a production date of December 1969. The median value of a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T with the 440 Six Pack is $84,500 so once again, even when considering the rarity of this specific example’s configuration, we have to say this was well-sold.

It’s claimed that the body-off build of this 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne Custom required around 15,000 man hours and certainly looks like a very well-built car. The engine alone, not including the Borla fuel injection, cost nearly $30,000 on its own. There’s plenty of custom work done to the car including the custom hood scoop built from the original hood and a RideTech air suspension, not to mention all the custom leather work done for the interior. There’s no doubt that a lot of time and effort went into this build and it seems as though Tulsa was the right place to sell it with a final sale price of $132,000. Often custom cars have a difficult time finding a buyer who wants exactly those specific customizations, but in this case we think the seller will be quite happy with the end result.

This certainly wouldn’t be an appropriate price for any old Plymouth Savoy, but this example is no regular Savoy. This is one of the 55 Hemi-powered Savoys that were built in 1964 to satisfy NHRA regulations to permit the engine to be used in stock-class racing as it was not yet offered as a production option. This particular example shows only 91 miles on its odometer, which isn’t all that surprising since it is a drag configured example. It’s powered by its original, numbers-matching Hemi V8 and retains original ignition system components. The engine is paired with a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission, controlled by a set of buttons on the dash panel. Considering the originality of this car and its rarity, plus the significance of the 426 Hemi’s debut in 1964, this is likely a good price for both the buyer and seller as we don’t expect the value to decrease and it likely won’t be long before it will be worth more than the $129,250 it took to bring this home from Tulsa.

If this was just a regular two-door 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air then we wouldn’t expect to see it bring a big number – the median value on one of those is $39,500. But this is anything but a regular Bel Air – it’s powered by a Chevrolet LS1 V8, is equipped with a Cal-Trac rear suspension, 13 inch power disc brakes, and coilover front adjustable shocks to name just a few ways in which this car is tricked out. Power windows and power locks work very well with the custom interior. And under the hood? It’s a work of art! Although we don’t think any of us here at WMCW would have spent $126,500 on a ’55 Bel Air, we do think that the new owner will be exceedingly happy with the car.