Mecum Monterey Challenger Convertible

[MKA]

What a difference a year makes.  Car didn't sell in 2021, high bid $80K and now sold $148K (gross with fees?)

383 4 speed, Convertible RT.       Beautiful car but wow that price.

https://www.mecum.com/lots/CA0821-481062/1970-dodge-challenger-rt-convertible/

https://www.mecum.com/lots/CA0822-520433/1970-dodge-challenger-rt-convertible/

[JH27N0B]

For my $148K I'd like the correct magnums with trim rings and a correctly painted air cleaner lid!

[MoparCarGuy]

Back in 2001 on the weekend before 9/11, I put $300 down on a different 1 of 19 1970 Challenger 383 3-speed convertible for $25k. It was B5 Blue with black interior and a black top.
On Tuesday, 9/11, we all know what happened. I got a call from my Army Reserve unit on Wednesday morning. Full alert, inform your employer, and report to duty on Saturday. I made the hard decision to not buy the convertible and told the owner I would likely be going on Active Duty because of the World Trade Center attack. He could not have cared less and kept my deposit. Understandable, but still hard to take. Our entire battalion was called to Active Duty and we were in both Kuwait and Afghanistan by December/January.
Within another one to two years, E-Body convertibles had soared in value to $40k, $50k, then $60-80k. This example is easily worth the High Bid of $80k but $148k is a bit much. That is getting into Hemi hardtop territory.

[Matt M]

D-Bag move keeping your deposit considering the real world events.
Glad you made it back man.

[E74cuda]

As far as I'm concerned there is way to many games going on at these auctions. I think the price is record setting for this example. If this is a car owned by Mecum like I believe the red V code 71 cuda convertible is than they are using the cars to try to drive or influence the market to eventually hook a buyer at an inflated price.

[JH27N0B]

Very possibly true.  If it turns up listed at Kissimmee in January or Indy in May that would confirm.
The late Ken Moser had one like that he was selling I want to say around 2008, I wonder if it's the same car.

[JH27N0B]

Doesn't look like the car Ken had.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111914442@N04/14063278566/in/album-72157644473448752/

[E74cuda]

Anything is possible but a year ago at the same auction this same car bid to 80k no sale. This year at Indy a purple V code automatic sold at 137.5 all in. For the last few years Mecum has brought a few muscle cars and ran them through.

[E74cuda]

Talked to a buddy who was at the auction and he said that there were three guys bidding against each other for this Challenger and they just kept going until it was to much for the other two. Sounds like a real sale at that price. Crazy

[JH27N0B]

Sounds like one of those dream situations for a seller!
Multiple bidders with deep pockets, big egos and possibly a big tab run up at the bars they have at the auctions.
On a side note on the topic of bars at Mecum auctions, when I first started going to Mecum auctions they had bars set up in the bidders only area that gave out free beers and wine.  We figured this feature wasn't done out of the kindness of Dana's heart, it was done because some bidders would get juiced up and bid higher than if they were sober!
Then at some point maybe 2011 or 2012, things changed.  They started a new bidder category called Gold Level bidders that costs $500, and only bidders with gold bidder passes can go in designated bar areas for their "free" drinks.
They still have cash bars for regular bidders and the spectators.
I wonder if they did a cost/benefit analysis that determined the cost of free drinks for all bidders was more than the increased commissions they got from alcohol fueled bidders?