All-guns-blazing Americana hits Mecum’s sales floor

| 24 Aug 2012

Traffic-light hot rods, muscle cars, big-engined saloons, rugged trucks, SUVs and stunning station wagons will all cross the block at Mecum’s Dallas TX auction, in the US from 5-8 September.

The auction house’s latest press release has the usual immaculate muscle cars, but it’s the stock cars such as this 1963 Pontiac Catalina (above) that caught our eye.

It comes from the Randy Williams Super Duty Collection and it’s a lightweight special. ‘Special’ because holes were drilled into the chassis leaving what Mecum calls ‘a semblance of structural integrity’ and a lot less weight.

Making matters even more interesting is the Super Duty 421 engine that was bolted to the super-flexy chassis. It featured ‘want them’ upgrades such as Mickey Thompson pistons, a #10 McKellar camshaft and twin Carter AFB carburettors.

The end result is a ‘Swiss Cheese’ yank tank that can poke 120mph in 12-second standing quarters.

If that puts you off the idea of stock cars how about this 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne (above)? It spoils us with chassis integrity, traditional Ermine-White paint and a 409cu in engine. It also has a proper American-racing pedigree, which includes being driven by Dave Cates in the Stock Eliminators against the wholly authentic-sounding ‘Dyno Don’ Nicholson.

If you like your over-engined coupes road legal, but still packing a visual punch then a 1970 Plymouth Superbird (above) could be for you. It sports a ridiculous spoiler that even Lamborghini can’t get away, but on this small-wheeled, long-nosed muscle car it somehow seems right, especially in this car’s shade of Deep Burnt Orange metallic.

But we prefer this 1976 Plymouth Duster (above), there’s nothing flashy here just skinny front tyres, fat rears and a massive bonnet scoop. The result is a car that whispers ‘go quick’ louder than the Superbird shouts it. Sadly, its Pro Stock status means this drag-strip dueller isn’t road preped.

Mind you, half the fun of a Mecum lot list is dreaming of the ‘what ifs’, including the numerous stations wagons that form the meat of this sale. Cars such as this hound-friendly 1959 Edsel Villager (above), which is both all-original and very low mileage, it also comes complete with a boat.

Or, if that all sounds a bit pedestrian, how about this best-of-both worlds Pro Street 1956 Chevrolet Nomad (above).

Elsewhere in the lot list there are more rugged offerings in the form of a 1972 Chevrolet Blazer (above) or a jacked-up 1968 Ford Bronco (below). But for the ultimate in durable pace this 1987 Dodge D150 Pickup (bottom of page), with an astonishing 675+bhp, surely has no equals.

Click here for the sale’s full catalogue.