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TO CONTACT MECUM AUCTION
Via Mail, E-mail, Phone or Fax: Mecum Collector Car Auctioneers 445 South Main Street Walworth, Wisconsin 53184 Website: www.MECUM.com Office: (262) 275-5050 Fax: (262) 275-3424 E-mail: info@mecum.com
JULY 2013
CONTENTS
FEATURES
6 RIVETTEING EXPERIENCE
PAGE
Bloomington Gold Auction Results
10 FAST & FAMOUS
SELL A VEHICLE
AT A MECUM AUCTION
Download a “Request for Position” form today. Visit www.MECUM.com. Click on the Seller info tab at the top of the home page to fill out or download all forms. Be sure to fill out separate forms for each vehicle when requesting positions.
BUY A VEHICLE
John Player Special Lotus
AT A MECUM AUCTION
14 COMPETITIVE COBRA
Rare, Storied Competition Cobra
18 LOVE OF CARS
Peter and Cheryl Dunkel Collection
25 SIZE MATTERS
Granite Falls Vintage Race Car Collection
27 PATRIOTIC CAMARADERIE
Inaugural Rallye Basilone Historic Tour
Mecum provides two ways to become a registered bidder and purchase vehicles at our auctions. In addition to conventional onsite bidding (recommended), we also offer absentee services to bid via the telephone. For complete bidder registration information, visit www. MECUM.com, click on the Bidder info tab at the top of the home page. For any questions contact the bidder department at 262-275-5050.
30 RENAISSANCE RACER
1908 Isotta Fraschini Tipo FENC
34 AT THE GALLERY
Showcasing Monterey at Mecum COLUMNS
1 5 THE DEALMAKER High-Speed Summer
9 AT THE REDLINE Early Exposure to Performance 13 INSIDERS SCOOP Shooting 70s
17 STAR POWER Eyes On The Stars
www.facebook.com/mecumauction Nobody Sells More Than Mecum. Nobody. The Mecum Auction Company is the world leader of collector car and Road Art sales, hosting auctions throughout the United States. The company has been specializing in the sale of collector cars for 26 years, now offering more than 15,000 vehicles per year and averaging more than one auction each month. Established by President Dana Mecum in 1988, Mecum Auctions remains a family-run company headquartered in Walworth, Wisconsin.
23 ROAD ART Art for the Road
25 THE REAL BARN FINDS Cancer Cure Tractor
Copyright © 2013 Mecum Auction, Inc. All rights reserved.
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The Dealmaker
DANA MECUM
high-speed summer Seems like only yesterday that we were ramping up for our Spring and early Summer auctions, yet here we are on the heels of Monterey for the Daytime Auction at the Hyatt Regency on Del Monte Golf Course August 15-17. On our way out West, we’ll make a quick stop in L.A. for our first-ever Celebrity Items auction at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. In addition to the very unique and rare items crossing the block live during this two-day sale, Mecum’s new “silent bidding” system is being launched at this auction – opening the door to a whole new dimension in the bidding experience. Silent bidding at Mecum.com is now open, so be sure to check it out. Fair warning though: it may be addictive. After L.A. is Monterey where the selection of cars is always impressive, and each year seems to outshine the last. For 2013, Porsche will once again headline the offerings at the peninsula’s premier daytime auction. With heavy anticipation, Peter and Cheryl Dunkel’s 1955 Porsche 550/1500 RS Spyder, Chassis No. 550-0077, will be crossing the Mecum auction block along with more than 40 other Porsches. But as usual, the variety is huge with Mecum offering something from every genre of the collector car hobby. Pre-war classics, ’50s era, vintage racers, muscle cars, Corvettes, European Sports Cars, Exotics and more are all well represented at Mecum in Monterey. Don’t forget there is still time to register for Dallas, the Chicago consignment book is now open, and we’re gearing up for Anaheim and Kansas City set to open up later this month.
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RIVETTEING
Once each year, Bloomington Gold brings thousands of Corvette fans together among a sea of America’s favorite sports cars, and each year, Mecum is there to help Corvette
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lovers buy and sell the collector favorite at auction. This year’s auction was wall-to-wall packed with enthusiasts. All of the die-hard ‘Vette fans know that Bloomington
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Gold is the must-attend event of the year and they come from all over the country to be there and take part not only in the camaraderie of a mutual love and respect for Corvettes, but
EXPERIENCE
also in Mecum Auctions’ Corvettecentric sale. The top sale at this year’s Bloomington Gold auction was an original and unrestored Rally
Red 1967 Coupe (Lot S67.1) that had achieved Bloomington Gold Benchmark status. Hammering at $100,000, the 4-speed manual features factory air conditioning
and a mere 32,280 original miles. A 1967 numbers matching 427/390 HP Convertible (Lot S78) in Marina Blue stole the second seat in top sales hammering at $94,000. M
BLOOMINGTON GOLD 2013 AUCTION RESULTS TOP 5 SALES
VEHICLE
DESCRIPTION
SOLD FOR*
LOT NO.
1. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe 327/350 HP, Bloomington Gold Benchmark $100,000 S67.1 2. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 427/390 HP, 4-Speed $94,000 S78 3. 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 396/425 HP, 4-Speed $88,000 S51 4. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Serial #7 $85,000 S67 5. 1966 Chevrolet Corvette 427/425 HP $84,500 S91 * All Sales Reflect Hammer Prices. MECUM.COM
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Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa On Del Monte Golf Course • Monterey, California
AUGUST 15-17, 2013
S154 1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Phaeton Upgraded Coachwork by Fran Roxas of Chicago S/N 2276
BROADCAST LIVE ON
TIME TO CONSIGN
CONSIGN A VEHICLE California License #81410
Mecum.COM 262-275-5050
REGISTER TO BID
At The Redline JOHN KRAMAN
AN EARLY EXPOSURE TO
PERFORMANCE Certainly the Golden Era of factory-built performance cars began in the mid ‘50s and faded away in the early ‘70s… 1970 is regarded as the pinnacle year with the most powerful engines ever from the “Big Three” automakers with GM leading the way. At 450 HP the Chevrolet 454 CI LS6 was the highest-rated engine, with the mighty Chrysler Street Hemi at 425 HP not too far behind. The exotic semi hemi Boss 429 powerplant was available in ‘69 and ‘70 Mustangs as the hottest FoMoCo entry with a modest 375 HP rating, adding more fuel to the notorious inaccuracies of the horsepower rating shell games. Insurance companies clamping down with outrageous premiums, looming stringent NTSB safety standards, EPA mandated low lead/no lead fuel requirements, along with increasing fuel cost,
all conspired to effectively shut down performance cars starting in 1971. As compression ratios were lowered, carbs leaned, ignition timing reduced, camshaft specs toned down, and rear end gear ratios eased, both power and drivability were greatly compromised. In fact the 290 HP 455 Super Duty from Pontiac in 1974 is considered the final effort out of Detroit for true performance. I am very fortunate to have worked for a top speed shop in 1972 through 1974 as a high school student installing performance goodies on all types of cars. This includes everything from carb/intake manifolds, headers, traction bars, scattershields, shifters, dual point distributors (Mallory and Accel) to L60 rear tires along with Gabriel High Jacker air shocks! MECUM.COM
Some fond memories of “test” driving my handiwork include rides in a Gold ‘69 Mach 1 428 CJ automatic, a Blue ‘69 Nova SS 396/375 HP 4 speed, a Gold ‘67 GTX 440 automatic, a Dark Green ‘70 Hemi Cuda 4 speed, and a brand new, zero-mile ‘74 455 Super Duty Trans Am, Dark Blue with White interior, automatic, after some light carb and timing tweaks, EPA and warranty be damned! My obsession with performance was keenly honed by my exposure to all types of Detroit Muscle during that time, and continues to this day. Now, almost 40 years later, my knowledge and enthusiasm is put to good use as a Consignment Director and live TV Commentator/Analyst for the world’s largest collector car auction company. And I couldn’t think of a better way to use it. See you at the next Mecum Auction! M MECUMMONTHLY
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FasT & FAMOUS This 1984 Lotus Type 95T John Player Special is one of four such cars built by Lotus for the 1984 Formula 1 season. Designed by Frenchman GÊrard Ducarouge, the 95T helped re-establish Lotus as a Formula 1 contender. The first newly designed Lotus F1 chassis since the 1981 88, the 95T was the third generation F1 Lotus to employ Renault’s supremely powerful V-6 engine using twin KKK turbochargers and a Lotus/ Hewland FGB 5-speed manual transmission. It also took full advantage of contemporary construction techniques and ground effects design, using a one-piece
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Kevlar upper body over a carbon fiber monocoque and ground effects undertray. Suspension followed common contemporary F1 practice with double wishbone control arms, pull-rod operated inboard coil springs and shock absorbers and
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front and rear anti-roll bars. A compact and carefully packaged design, the 95T was 166 inches in overall length, 84.5 inches wide and just 39.5 inches high. Riding on a 105-inch wheelbase and weighing in at just 1,188 lbs., the 95T was
Lot S138 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 2:35PM at the Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey, California
FORMULA 1
capable of over 210 MPH, with 1,100 HP on tap for qualifying and approximately 700 in race trim from the 1,492 cc V-6. Resplendent in its Gold-on-Black John Player Special livery, the 95T was the first regular Team Lotus ride for future World
Champion Nigel Mansell, who answered the faith placed in him by his late mentor, Lotus founder Colin Chapman, by qualifying second at the Monaco Grand Prix, taking the pole at the Dallas GP and finishing in the top ten driver standings for
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the first time in his career. The 95T thus helped establish Mansell’s stature in F1; today he still rates fifth in all time Formula 1 career Grand Prix wins with 31. This historically significant Turbo-era Grand Prix Lotus is no trailer queen. Renowned engineer Dean Sellards was retained to restore the car’s twin-turbocharged Renault V-6 engine to top tune, and the car has been upgraded to accept a starter jack and the electronics set up to run off a laptop computer, making it perfectly suitable for vintage F1 parade laps and events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. M
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Dallas Convention Center• Dallas, Texas
SEPTEMBER 4-7, 2013
S123 1967 Corvette L88 Convertible
1967 NHRA A/Stock Champion, Tank Sticker
The Buddy Herin Collection
S127 1969 Camaro ZL1
#62 of 69, The Only Red/Red ZL1 Produced
S124 1969 Camaro RS Z28
S122 1970 Chevelle LS6 Convertible
S120 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Fuelie
S129 1965 Pontiac GTO Convertible
S121 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Airbox
S128 1965 Chevelle Z16
S125 1963 Corvette ZO6
S126 1962 Corvette Big Brake Fuelie
JL8 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, Cross Ram Intake
1 of 43 Airbox Corvettes Produced
454/450 HP, 4-Speed
1 of 3 Known Factory Black/Black Z16s
283/250 HP, Highly Optioned
Red/Red, Bloomington Gold Certified
389 CI, 5-Speed, PHS Documentation
Documented 2 Owner Car with 4,901 Miles
BROADCAST LIVE ON
CONSIGN A VEHICLE
Mecum.COM
262-275-5050
REGISTER TO BID
Insider’s Scoop DAVID NEWHARDT
SHOOTING 70s In Mecum staffer John Kraman’s column in this Mecum Monthly, he talks about the falling off of muscle car performance in the 1970s, as well as some of the muscle cars that shaped his poor psyche. I won’t bore you with the list of automobiles that warped my sensibilities, but it’s safe to say the effect was profound. Over the years, I’ve written 16 books about muscle cars and supplied photography for around 45 books. I’ve shot every style and era of automobiles in my 25 years as an automotive photographer/journalist, and I still get a huge thrill being around and shooting muscle cars. As John notes, a number of factors, sort of a Perfect Storm, spelled the end of the uber-
performance era. But as rolling sculpture, the muscle cars from the ’70s have a visual presence few automobiles can match. Broad shouldered, vivid finishes, masterful use of brightwork; these are some of the reasons I love to photograph them. They ooze excitement, and I try to convey that when capturing them with a camera. I tend to shy away from “pretty” backgrounds, such as parks and upscale homes when photographing muscle cars. These were automotive bullies, built for blue-collar budgets and testosterone-fueled bouts with velocity. It’s a wonder any of them, and us, survived. But survived we did, and now when I am tasked with shooting a muscle car, I try to inject that MECUM.COM
rough-edged, raw power and attitude that these cars embraced. That means that I try to use a setting that reeks of greasy fingernails and burnt rubber. Industrial settings tend to have that look in spades and the result just looks right. A long, empty stretch of road works, as I’m sure John used settings like that to test the tune of an engine. An abandoned gas station works, as well as an old speed shop. Even an alley has been pressed into duty, and as long as the light is good, the car can look like a star. Match up the vehicle with the setting, and the result will be greater than sum of the parts. Or just pretend you’re John Kraman flogging yet another set of rear tires with a big block. M MECUMMONTHLY
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one competitive This 1964 Shelby Cobra 289, S/N CSX2487 was invoiced to Shelby American on July 9, 1964 and shipped aboard the SS Loch Gowan to Los Angeles, where it was ordered by Hayward Ford Motors with Class A accessories (minus Whitewall tires) a luggage rack, antifreeze and freight for a total of $5,501.55. It was purchased by L.G. Sullivan and registered with the Black plate “MKE 868.” After Sullivan returned the car in late 1964 for being “too much to handle,” it was purchased by Dick Pichinino who painted the car White and modified it for autocrossing, a hobby both he and his wife pursued for the next two years. During that time CSX2487 acquired its first important modification when Pichinino, searching for heavy duty competition wheels, learned of a set of American Racing 5-spoke wheels custom made for Shelby driver Ken Miles but never delivered. Pichinino bought and mounted them on 2487 using 14
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custom adapters. Success on the autocross circuit led Pichinino to the more challenging, competitive road racing arena. The 289 was balanced and blueprinted and fitted with roller rockers, oversized valves, Weber downdraft carburetors and Nassau headers with straight-through side pipes. Shot-peened and balanced halfshafts were installed and 3.77 and 4.10 gearsets procured; larger brake cylinders, Koni shocks, sway bars and other mods were added and the car was lowered. Finished in White with a wide Blue stripe, the Cobra was completed with flared fenders, a hood scoop, racing windscreen and driver’s roll bar. From 1967 MECUM.COM
through 1969, Pichinino raced the car mostly at Cotati, Laguna Seca and Sears Point, with “Here Come Da Judge” splashed across the rear fenders. The car took first in A/Sports Racing at Laguna Seca with Al Norman at the wheel, and showed well in the inaugural Sears Point event in April 1969. Later that season, again at Sears Point, Pichinino drove the car to 1st in class and 4th overall after starting 12th on the grid; at Cotati he took 2487 to a documented 165 MPH. An encounter with a Porsche at Sears Point put 2487 in the wall, injuring driver Al Norman and prompting Pichinino to retire the car from competition. In the early ‘80s, Pichinino
Lot S145 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 2:50PM at the Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey, California
COBRA
began restoring the car, stripping it down to its component parts. In ‘89 it was purchased unassembled by Scott McCluskey of Dubuque, Iowa, through Stauffer Classics of Wisconsin, then by Johnson Autohaus of Minnesota, who sold it to collector and vintage racer Robert Bodin of Wayzata, Minnesota. Bodin completed a comprehensive, fully documented restoration. SAAC board member Rand E. Bailey convinced him to retain the original aluminum body – complete with evidence of its altercation with the Porsche – to maintain the car’s integrity. Bodin was forced to sell 2487 in December of ’71 and advertised the car as “Best in the World, Independent Comp. Car.”
Resplendent in Guardsman Blue with White stripes, 7.5- and 9.5inch Halibrand wheels, FIA scoop, quick jacks and updated racing equipment, the car was purchased by noted Midwest vintage racer John Constable, who maintained it in immaculate condition while competing at Road America, Black Hawk and the Milwaukee Mile. In 1994 it took 1st in class at the SAAC Northwood Region time trials; in 1997 it earned a Gold Standard award with a score of 438.5 of 450 points, and at SAAC 28 in Nashville it won the People’s Choice Award. Fifth owner, Mike Henneberry of Watertown, Wisconsin, purchased 2487 in June 2002. The car became well known around MECUM.COM
rural Watertown, where the howl of its Webers and open exhausts could be heard for miles during exercise runs with Henneberry at the controls. In fact, among its many awards is a ticket from a humorless Watertown police officer in 2004 for excessive noise. Henneberry has declared that of his personal collection of the best 1960s sports cars, CSX2487 is at “the top of the food chain.” One of a rare few Competition Cobras still with the original body, it exudes the air of a proud old warrior whose glory days included feasting on Corvettes and putting paid to Ferrari’s dominance in sports racing, with the scars to prove it; and yet it remains impeccable in presentation. M MECUMMONTHLY
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CELEBRITY ITEMS AUCTION JULY 26-27, 2013 The Barker Hangar Santa Monica Air Center Santa Monica, California
SILENT AUCTION ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR BIDDING RIGHT NOW. See mecum.com for details.
Star Power MICK WAY
eYES ON THE STARS Back to it! Since the last round a lot of exciting things have happened here in the Celebrity Items Division: new consignments, new adventures chasing Entertainment History, and cool new technology. In the last few weeks, we have added some amazing consignments! Over 40 Fanboy items, including The Pitbull Hoverboard and Sports Almanac from “Back to the Future II,” a 10-foot-tall animatronic ED-209 used for promoting RoboCop, and Steve McQueen’s 1952 Chevrolet pickup with a camper top from the 1984 estate auction. Check out our story on Steve’s truck, it’s worth the read. I am also excited to report that we are putting together items for our next auction, and they will not only be familiar, but also an honor for Mecum to present. As for adventure – a few weeks
ago I stayed up late watching the awesomely awesome horror sci-fi movie “Cabin in the Woods,” completely amazed and appreciative of the hard work put into the production. The next morning, while in our Wisconsin office researching the provenance of a silent film movie prop – hold on, it gets better – a call came in from a person stating they had a collection of horror sci-fi items to sell from a recent movie (you know where this is going). In less than 24 hours, I was in a room in California surrounded by… yup… props, wardrobe and monster masks from “Cabin in the Woods.” I truly wish it was possible to bring you along on these adventures. Being totally frozen by chills and awe on an almost daily basis is super fun! On a different and just as exciting note, our awesome IT MECUM.COM
department (aka MVP Mark) at Mecum has been hard at work. The result of that hard work is a sweet new Mecum Silent Auction software program. It interfaces with your smart phone and/ or computer and is like a video game. In fact, check it out – since you’re already at your computer fresh off reading the McQueen truck story – it’s up and running on the Mecum website right now! Silent auction bidding opened on July 5. The first lot will close on July 26 at 1 p.m. PST. If an item piques your interest, there are two options. One, call our main office at (262) 275-5050, ask for bidder registration and they will get you set up (Kelly’s team is awesome!). Or two, register online to start bidding right away. Game on! Until next time, my eyes will be on the stars while chasing Entertainment History! M MECUMMONTHLY
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LOVE OF CARS Peter and Cheryl Dunkel have turned their love of cars into their entire world. From work to play and everything in between, the California couple lives and breathes the automobile. The two were born and grew up near each other – Cheryl in Hollywood and Peter in downtown Los Angeles – but it wasn’t until 1970 that their paths finally crossed. Just two short years after meeting, Peter was drafted in the army. When he returned they launched Dunkel Bros. Machinery Moving with Peter’s brother Larry.
“Our dad and grandpa worked in the moving industry,” Peter said. “We still have one of my grandpa’s trucks: a 1913 Autocar. I was lucky that it was held at a museum for many years before they sold it to us, still wearing its original livery.” As third generation machinery movers, the Dunkel brothers familiarity with the industry ensured that the business quickly grew from just two trucks, to one of the largest machinery moving and specialty rigging companies in the West. The company is responsible
for moving things that no one else can, like the space shuttle “Endeavor.” The shuttle stands five stories high and required 160 trucks to carry it from the Los Angeles International Airport to the California Science Center. At
THE PETER & CHERYL DUNKEL COLLECTION
Lot S134 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 2:25PM at the Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey, California 18
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a total weight of half a million pounds, the load required that streets be reinforced and trees and telephone poles be removed, a job only a team like the Dunkels could handle. The Dunkel’s love for the automobile started long before the company, though. “We’ve always loved cars,” Peter explained. He said that Cheryl had always had a great knowledge of engines and would work on their cars herself while he was in the army. They owned mostly Volkswagens at first, and it wasn’t until Peter returned from the service and the business started taking off that the couple began dabbling in Porsches. “Cheryl always loved Porsches, and it took me awhile to understand it – but I finally drove one and then I started to get it,” Peter explained.
“We got a 1959 356 Roadster in ’74,” recalled Peter, “and then Cheryl wanted to get a Speedster.” Peter said the first Speedster they bought didn’t have the correct 4-cam engine, so they found one and replaced it. “That got us in to the 4-cam world.” The couple quickly became entrenched in Porsches. “We just love the history of all that Porsche did, the designs and everything,” Cheryl explained. In 1989 the couple found their dream car. Though it needed a complete restoration when they purchased it, the 1955 Porsche 550/1500 RS Spyder, Chassis No. 550-0077, had all of the qualities the couple looked for in their Porsches with its rich racing history, 4-cam engine and overall beauty and rarity. “It just brought so much history to the Porsche,” said Cheryl.
Lot S137 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 2:30PM
Chassis number 550-0077 features Porsche’s improved, stiffened chassis and is believed to be the first car fitted with the new frame. In January 1956 the car was delivered to Belgian race driver Christian Goethals, and in February was featured by Porsche as the Brussels Salon Auto Show Car. Goethals actively campaigned the car in Europe, winning the 1500CC class at the GP des Frontiers in Chimay and the Coupe de Salon in Montlhery among numerous excellent overall showings, before heading to the United States to where it would continue racing for the next 5 years at the hands of female racing pioneer Suzy Dietrich and future Shelby team driver Tom Payne. At the same time that the Dunkels were building their collection of cars with beauties
Lot S146.1 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 2:50PM MECUM.COM
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like the 550, Cheryl had started attending various rallyes with her girlfriends and she began to realize that her love for cars was wrapped up in more than just their beauty. “I loved the speed,” she declared. With encouragement from others that recognized her talent behind the wheel, Cheryl began to consider getting into the world of racing. “I didn’t really know much about racing, but I knew I loved the speed,” she said. Soon Cheryl started taking classes. “I ended up with five different licenses,” she laughed, “and that’s when we started racing.” Cheryl knew from the start exactly what she wanted to drive out on the track: a 4-cam Porsche. “I have driven Ferraris but they are like tanks,” she explained. “Porsches are just so well-balanced and so light you can out-brake everything on the track, and we’d learned so much about the 4-cams that I wanted to race with them,” she continued. “For 17 years I raced the 356 Speedster pushrod.” Cheryl drove the couple’s 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster Race Car (Lot S146.1), and according to Peter, she drove it like a champ. “One thing about my class of Porsche racing was that you couldn’t touch (other cars), and it was hard to race tight,” Cheryl said, “but I did.” Peter was quick to chime in saying, “And she was
always in the front. She was so good at it.” As Cheryl was racing the 356, Peter was involved with truck racing in the Spec Truck Series. After nearly two decades, the couple finally decided to slow down from the sport. “When we stopped racing we started sponsoring,” Peter explained. “So we stayed involved (in the racing community) in that way.” The Dunkels became active in car shows and clubs, joining the PCA (Porsche Club of America) and taking part in car shows with a cause. “We won’t be involved in a car show without knowing it’s for the kids,” said Peter. The couple even hosted their own Porsche swap meet to raise money for children of need. “We did it for fundraising; we had a son that
was born deaf so we’re really into fundraising,” Peter said. “You can turn cars into so much more than just cars.” Though the Dunkel’s lives have revolved around their cars and the car collector community, they recently started to think about moving on to a new phase in their lives. Currently their collection is on display in a museum space within the Dunkel Bros. headquarters in L.A., out of which the company will soon be moving. “Though we’d known we had to move for a while, the subject of selling the cars was never brought up,” said Peter, “and when Gavin Trippe of Mecum Auctions came to check out the museum, I think I was just as surprised as he was
Lot S185 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 4:20PM
Lot S177 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 4:00PM
Lot S179 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 4:05PM
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when I came out and said, ‘I’ll sell everything!’” After the Dunkels talked it out with Mecum, they decided to begin offering their collection at The Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey in August. “We’ve had fun with them for so long,” Peter explained, “but now we just want to move the company and try to travel more. They’re the best cars we’ve ever had but they own us just as much we own them,” he added. The couple has taken such meticulous care of the cars, hiring
their own personal mechanic to keep all of the vehicles up, that they are ready to let someone else enjoy these great cars. Downsizing the current building that the collection is held in is another reason the couple has decided to sell. “We’re going to go from 250,000 square feet to maybe 100,000,” Peter explained. There will be a lobby to display things in rather than an entire museum. “So we’ll probably just put our Grandpa’s truck in there,” Peter said. “That’s one vehicle we’ll always keep.” With the couple’s fondness for Porsches, their offering at Monterey is headlined by their 550 and their 356 Speedster, while also containing two other
examples produced by the company including a 1963 356B Carrera 2 Coupe (Lot S137), and of all things, a 1954 Allgaier Porsche A133 Diesel tractor (Lot S185). The Dunkel’s lineup does encompass a variety though, and also comprises a 1988 Ferrari Testarossa (Lot S184) that the couple has owned since new along with a 1954 International Harvester R140 Woody (Lot S177) that has undergone a full restoration, among others. Vehicles from The Peter and Cheryl Dunkel Collection will cross the block on Saturday, August 17 at The Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey. With complimentary general admission extended to all, there is no reason to miss out on seeing these amazing cars go under the hammer. M
Lot S184 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 4:15PM
Lot S189 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 4:30PM
Lot S193 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 4:30PM
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MECUM’S GOT YOU
COVERED.
With over 50 new items, plus some of your favorites, you’re sure to find that stylish piece just right for you. From comfortable apparel to great novelty items, we’ve expanded every category, and all are decorated with the trusted Mecum name. TM
mecum G ear . com
Road Art
Bob Sain
ART fOR THE ROAD Mecum Auctions has sold some of the world’s finest Cobras and Porsches at The Daytime Auction in Monterey and we are following in that tradition with this year’s lineup. But it’s not just the cars that are dressed in the Cobra and Porsche livery; it’s found its way into our Road Art items as well. Among our great roster of Road Art is a three-piece set of leather Porsche luggage (Lot S202). Possibly a one-of-a-kind set, the suitcases were made for any Porsche 356 prior to 1960 and feature patterned leather exteriors in great condition with plaid fabric lining inside. There are straps, handles, pockets and locks on all three pieces and the set even includes the keys. These suitcases are certainly art for the road which makes them perfect pieces of Road Art.
We will also be offering the 1963 Cobra Team Jacket (Lot S200) that was made for Burney Russell, a key member of Carroll Shelby’s race team and a highly regarded sports car mechanic. The jacket features Cobra insignia across the back, chest and on the
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sleeve and even has “Burney” stitched across the front right side. This jacket could quite possibly be the most collectible piece of Cobra memorabilia in the world. The cars may steal the spotlight when we have stars like this year’s main attraction – the ’55 Porsche 550/1500 RS Spyder – but there are stars in the Road Art realm as well and there is always something for everyone, even Porsche and Cobra lovers. M
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Our Quest to Offer the Best MECUM COLLECTOR INSURANCE AGENCY (MCIA)
As a valued customer of Mecum Auctions, you deserve the best, and we want to make sure you get it. Recently there has been an exciting new development in our quest to offer the best with an expansion in our services to include Collector Car Insurance. As the in-house agent here at Mecum, I can tell you we wouldn’t have taken this step if we didn’t feel that this product would complement our current services and provide a real benefit to our customers. You’ve finally purchased the car you’ve wanted your whole life. So now what? The next step is to
protect your investment. There are a lot of options available when selecting your insurance provider, so why should you choose Mecum Collector Insurance Agency? Rates are a consideration but should not be the deciding factor. As you may already know, we’ve been in the collector/classic car business for almost 30 years. We put that background to good use with our new Collector Car Insurance agency. Mecum Collector Insurance Agency has knowledgeable staff that understands collector vehicles. For example, a Mecum agent knows why the windshield of your ‘56 Corvette
costs $3,000 as opposed to some other agency who figures the same windshield should only cost $500 and, unfortunately, will only pay up to that amount. It is also vital to remember that when you buy insurance you are buying service. Quality customer service is our number one priority and we’ve always benefited from giving our customers a little “extra.” We know what our customers demand when it comes to product quality and hopefully you’ll let us continue to give it to you in the form of Collector Car Insurance.
What You Should Know
Mecum Collector Insurance Agency is considered specialty insurance. Specialty insurance will give you more coverage and likely cost you less. With MCIA you get: • Agreed value settlement • More included coverage and options • Discounts up to 45% • Expert claims handling • Fewer usage restrictions than most companies
Whether it’s for a single car or a prized collection, Mecum Collectors Insurance Agency has one of the most inclusive collector vehicle programs in the industry, covering all types of collectors, vehicles, operators and values. We also offer discounts on larger collections and higher valued vehicles. We promise to offer the collector vehicle owner and dealer the best coverage available.
Ben Mecum In-House MCI Agent MCIA@mecum.com Get a quote today. Just Call 888-98MECUM (888-986-3286) or E-mail MCIA@AMIG.COM
888-98MECUM
mecum.com
WHO SAYS
SIZE MATTERS?
If you were to ask these little speed demons, they would probably tell you that the best things come in the smallest packages – or at least the fastest things. These 26 midget, sprint and big car racers comprise The Granite Falls Vintage Race Car Collection and what they might lack in size, they more than make up for in speed. Though the sport of midget racing may not have gotten its start as an official program under a governing body until 1933, the sport had been gaining some mainstream popularity for years starting in the late ‘20s. The small cars were built to go fast, and for that goal to be achieved, safety often had to be sacrificed.
Powerful engines that ran at 200 to 300 HP were put inside tiny, light-weight shells. The end result was an ultra-fast vehicle usually weighing a mere 1,000 pounds or less. The combination allowed the cars to tear down the track but left the driver vulnerable to serious injury in the case of a crash. It was for this reason that midget car races were kept short, and perhaps this danger also served as one of the factors that drove the popularity of the sport. The Granite Falls Vintage Race Car Collection includes a wide variation in style, size and year dating as far back as the 1920s, when the sport was only in its infancy. Prime examples in the collection include Lot MECUM.COM
S25, a 1964 Trevis Offy Midget Roadster believed to be one of just four Midget Roadsters built by Ohio’s famed race car constructor Floyd Trevis. Lot S8 is an Elto Outboard Midget and is one of the famous Allentown, Pennsylvania, Gordon Racing Team Midgets. It is believed to have been driven by the famous Doc Shanebrook. The more than 20 other racers in the collection all have their own stories and each one packs a surprisingly big punch. The entire collection of midgets will be the first to cross the block Saturday, August 17 at The Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey, California. Come out and be a part of the big crowd that will be bidding on these little cars. M MECUMMONTHLY
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Patriotic Camaraderie in Classic Cars
BY BRIAN TOPP Consignment Agent
As a former Marine and now a representative for Mecum Auctions, I recently had the honor of participating in the Inaugural Rallye Basilone Historic Tour along with my 11-year-old son Payton. The mission of the tour is to hold an automotive enthusiast’s event that allows participants to experience and engage in the Marine Corps Community at Camp Pendleton with a behindthe-scenes look. The efforts of the tour directly benefit The Semper Fi Fund, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, The MARSOC Foundation and MCCS Camp Pendleton. Our experience started with a stop in to Corvette Mike Vietro’s garage to pick up the 1966 Corvette Convertible he graciously loaned us for use. From Santa Anna, we drove down to the vehicle check in at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort where
we were greeted by MARSOC (U.S. Marine Corps Special Forces Operations Command) and complimentary coffee and muffins. After a briefing from the MARSOC Marines, our parade of 47 classic and collector cars began the cruise down the Pacific Coast Highway across Doheny Beach and through the gates of Camp Pendleton. Pre-War, PostWar, Exotic, Americana – cars of every era and style joined in for the scenic tour via Basilone Road, which included a stop at The School of Infantry (SOI) for lunch in the Marines’ Chow Hall. The Marines had several variations of tactical vehicles on display and were more than accommodating as they gave tours. Payton got the grand tour of the vehicles along with a handsMECUM.COM
on training session in an LAV 25 Reconnaissance vehicle. The Marines suited him up in Kevlar and had him spinning the gun turret like a real warrior; trust me, he was walking on clouds the remainder of the day. From SOI we took our assemblage of cars to the Pacific Views Marine Corps Exchange (MCX) where we had the privilege of shopping with Military discounts. Before leaving the MCX, Payton was so inspired he had to get an official “High and Tight” cut at the Base Barber Shop. The day culminated with a private dinner and silent auction at the Pacific Views Event Center. The entire experience was amazing and will be a lifelong memory for Payton and me. Car enthusiasts of all persuasions were present and the camaraderie of a shared love for the automobile served as a perfect bonus to an incredible tour. M MECUMMONTHLY
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The Real Barn Finds DAN MECUM
curing KIDS cancer one tractor at a time
My first tractor was a 1951 John Deere AR that I bought from Bud Hading at his Christmas tree farm. My Friend Scott Anthony and I were driving down the road when we spotted Bud at the end of his driveway putting a for sale sign on the AR. We made a quick U-turn and went back to investigate the deal. At the time I didn’t even know what an AR was, but I liked it. Bud told us stories about how the tractor pulled the hay wagon around every holiday season for the past 30 years. He told us how he and his wife sold Christmas trees out of the back of his station wagon the first year, and like the good old salesman that he was, he reeled us in. A few weeks later I put the AR in a farm auction and almost doubled my money on the sale. I immediately reinvested and ended
up going home from the auction with five tractors. I sold one and bought five – it must be a family tradition. Over a year later, before the first Gone Farmin’ auction, I received a call from the lady who had purchased the AR. She wanted to see if I was interested in buying it back. She also had a Ferrari and an original A/C Cobra her husband bought new in 1966 that she wanted to sell. I bought the AR back and we sold the cars at our Monterey Auction. I felt lucky to get my first tractor back, but I still put it in the first tractor auction and sold it again. After the auction I started thinking about how it would have been nice to keep my first tractor, and a couple weeks later, I ended up trading tractors to get it back. The AR hasn’t seen much daylight in the last couple years, MECUM.COM
and it makes me think it’s time to let her go. The tractor has done a lot for me, now it’s time for her to help others. To make sure that happens, I’ve decided to sell the AR at the fourth annual Gone Farmin’ Wisconsin Auction on August 10th and donate all of the proceeds to Curing Kids Cancer. It is my hope that the AR will be able to keep on giving, and that every time it changes hands, the money will go to Curing Kids Cancer. The organization funds key pediatric research at top hospitals and laboratories around the nation, and Mecum has chosen it to serve as our official charity of choice. We’ve sold other vehicles in the past to benefit Curing Kids, but this will be the first time a tractor has crossed the block for the charity, and I truly hope it won’t be this tractor’s last. M
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0-60 Renaissance The 1908 Isotta Fraschini Tipo FENC is one of the groundbreaking automotive designs of the early 20th century. Long thought to have been designed by Ettore Bugatti, the FENC was instead the roadgoing development of the racing FE designed by Italian engineering pioneer Giuseppe Stefanini. Born in 1870 and educated in Turin, Stefanini moved to Milan in 1900 to work with Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo Fraschini, who had been importing cars from France. When Isotta-Fraschini was incorporated in 1904, Stefanini began development work on
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overhead cam engines. His first creation, a monstrous 17.2 L inline-4 in the IF Tipo D, lasted but one lap in the 1905 Gran Premio di Brescia. Working under the demanding guidance of chief engineer Giustino Cattaneo, Stefanini’s chassis and engine designs then went in the opposite direction and, in 1908 he created the Tipo FE for entry in the Grand Prix des Voiturettes at Dieppe. Powered by an elegantly designed 1.2 L OHC inline-4 and weighing a mere 1,342 pounds, the jewel-like FE’s superior handling and 60 MPH top speed sounded the death knell for
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the locomotive-like racers of the period and became the prototype for the small high-performance sports car that became the Continental standard. The FE’s success quickly led to the production of the FENC, which featured an increase in engine capacity to 1.32 L, improved gear drive components,
RACER a 4-speed transmission and fenders. One of only two known to exist today, this exquisitely restored 1908 Isotta Fraschini Tipo FENC, chassis number 6023, was discovered by American collector Jeffrey Vogel, who around 1985 managed to purchase the two cars, both of which required careful restoration. Chassis 6023
was later acquired by Robert M. Rubin, who meticulously restored it to “semi-racer” specification, carefully replicating pieces such as the gearbox and oil tanks as necessary. The car’s inline-4 OHC engine, bearing serial number 10, consists of mostly original parts. Its configuration, with crossshaft drive to magneto and water
pump, conforms to original FENC specification. A rare artifact of the early 20th century Italian automotive Renaissance, this extraordinary machine qualifies for major vintage racing events and shows around the world and will add significantly to any collection of early sports automobiles. M
Lot S165 is scheduled to be sold Saturday, August 17 at 3:35PM at the Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey, California MECUM.COM
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OCTOBER 10-12, 2013 Schaumburg Convention Center - Schaumburg, Illinois
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Monterey Magic at With the Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey fast approaching, the Mecum Gallery is currently playing host to more
than a dozen of some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest classic and collector vehicles, all set to cross the block at the Hyatt Regency Monterey
Hotel & Spa on Del Monte Golf Course this August 15-17. Each superlative vehicle housed in the gallery, along with its
the Mecum Gallery respective documentation, is available for inspection prior to the auction, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through
August 5th by appointment only. The Mecum Gallery is one hour from Milwaukee General Mitchell Airport and one and a half
hours from Chicago Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hare. For more information or to make an appointment call (262) 275-5050 or email info@mecum.com. M
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AUGUST 15-17, 2013
Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa On Del Monte Golf Course Monterey, California
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