Mecum Monthly - March 2013 by Mecum Auctions

M A R C H 2 0 13

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

SELL A VEHICLE

MARCH 2013

AT A MECUM AUCTION

CONTENTS

FEATURES

6 Verde CLASSICS

8 THE ONE AND ONLY

PAGE

Museum Auction Results

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

The Legendary Shelby Super Snake

10 COVER CAR L88

Famed 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

11 12 SECOND SAVOY

Rare Factory Mopar Dragster

12 ZL1 #23

Super Stock COPO Camaro

AT A MECUM AUCTION

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.

16 LADIES IN RED

Six Generation Corvette Collection

28 GRUMPY JENKINS

Remembering A Racing Legend COLUMNS

1 5 THE DEALMAKER Spring Swing

19 ROAD ART Flight To Success

25 THE REAL BARN FINDS Jeff Cormany’s Vintage Fords

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.

27 AT THE REDLINE

Snake Charmed

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The Dealmaker

DANA MECUM

SPRING SWING Down to Texas, up to Iowa, down to Kansas City, up to Indy and back down to Illinois. Spring is almost here and Mecum will be swinging through the states with auctions across the country beginning in Houston next month. With cars still cruising in, Mecum is now set to offer more than 1,000 vehicles at Houston’s Reliant Center this April 4-6! In only the sophomore year of this Texas-sized auction, consignments are up 30 percent, making it an auction weekend you do not want to miss. If your collecting passion includes tractors, Mecum’s Gone Farmin’ 3rd Annual Spring Auction in Davenport, Iowa, is the place to find your true love. The Mississippi Valley Fair Center will offer more than 200 tractors and 300 vintage signs and farm relics April 5-6. Just three weeks after Houston and Iowa, we host our annual Spring event in Kansas City. One of the greatest venues in the country will house hundreds of cars under one roof in downtown K.C. for three days of auction April 25-27. Great positions are still available for the auction at Bartle Hall but filling up fast, so contact us today if you’re ready to consign. This month, the Mecum Gallery features some of the world’s most outstanding muscle cars scheduled to cross the block in Indy this May during the 26th Original Spring Classic. Private vehicle inspections at the gallery will be available by appointment beginning March 15. The deadline for catalog consignment positions for the Spring Classic is fast approaching, so if you’ve not yet sent in an Indy request form and want to see your car in the catalog, now is the time to act. We’ve opened the consignment book for the Bloomington Gold auction in June, and we’re looking for special Corvettes and collections of Corvettes to be features for our auction advertising campaign. Talk to a consignment agent to see if your Corvette has what it takes to become a “main attraction” at a Mecum Auction! We’ll see you all in Houston to set this Spring swing in motion.

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VERDE CLASSICS MUSEUM AUCTION RESULTS Mecum Auctions’ Verde Classics Museum Collection Auction held in Boynton Beach, Florida, February 23 included the successful sale of more than 75 collector cars and 470 lots of Road Art and memorabilia. One hundred percent of lots were sold and total sales of car enthusiasts Fran and Ron Green’s personal collection for the special one-day auction event reached $3,784,520. The auction preview, held February 22, was host to hundreds of prospective buyers, which translated into a museum full of bidders on auction day. Vehicles began selling at 1 p.m. on Saturday to a standing room only crowd. The lineup of vehicles, packed with high-performance convertibles and a variety of other collector cars, saw aggressive bidding and ended up with some impressive top sales. The Greens’ 1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible (Lot S41) took top 6

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sales honors selling for $130,000. The second highest sale – and perhaps the most exciting action of the day – went to the couple’s 1967 Volkswagen 13 Window Bus (Lot S60). Bids for the bus reached $90,000 within seconds and then continued to climb $1,000 at a time

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until the hammer finally dropped on a $100,000 bid. The Greens were thrilled with the success of the auction and grateful for the chance to share their collection one last time with bidders and the public on preview day before selling its contents at no reserve and donating all admissions to their charities of choice, The Wounded Warriors Project and Home for Our Troops. “We were very pleased with the auction results that took place this weekend at our museum. Our expectations were either met or exceeded every step of the way. Mecum did everything they said they would do and then some, and we couldn’t be happier,” Ron Green stated. Mecum’s next auction will be held in Houston, Texas April 4-6 at The Reliant Center followed by the Kansas City, Missouri, Spring Auction, April 25-27. M

VERDE CLASSICS AUCTION RESULTS TOP 10 SALES

VEHICLE

DESCRIPTION

SOLD FOR*

LOT NO.

1. 1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible 2004 AACA Grand National $130,000 S41 2. 1967 Volkswagen 13 Window Bus 1600 CC, Complete Restoration $100,000 S60 3. 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 327/360 HP, Custom Paint and Interior $97,000 S38 4. 1957 DeSoto Adventurer Hardtop 345/345 HP, 1 of 1650 Built $92,500 S54 5. 1957 Buick Caballero Wagon 364 CI, Automatic $89,000 S46 6. 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible 283/220 HP, Continental Kit $81,000 S43 7. 1962 Chrysler 300H Convertible 1 of 123 Produced $77,500 S48 8. 1970 Aston Martin DBS Coupe 5.3/375 HP, Automatic $75,000 S24 9. 1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible 348/280 HP, Automatic $70,000 S55 10. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 327/340 HP, Custom Paint and Interior $69,500 S44 * All Sales Reflect Hammer Prices. MECUM.COM

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THE ONE AND ONLY In addition to his partnership with Ford, Carroll Shelby was also the West Coast distributor for Goodyear, who in February of 1967 asked Shelby to take part in a promotional event for its new Thunderbolt line of economy tires. Shelby agreed choosing the recently introduced GT500 for the extended high-speed demonstration of the new tire, but former Shelby American sales manager Don McCain suggested building a supercar that would outperform anything else in the world. McCain requested that Carroll put “the mother of all 427s” in the GT500 for the test, let him sell the car and then build 50 more to be sold to the public. Shelby instructed Fred Goodell, Shelby American’s chief engineer on loan from Ford, to prepare the car for the test to be held at Goodyear’s high speed test facility near San 8

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Angelo, Texas. Goodell selected GT500 number 544 for the task saying, “We rebuilt it with a special lightweight 427 racing engine, special rear axle, special transmission and, of course, Thunderbolt tires.” Essentially, it was the same power plant used in the GT40 Mk II that had won the famous French endurance race the previous year, including a variation on the Mk II’s “bundle of snakes” exhaust system and its output of 600 horsepower. Shelby powered the Super Snake to a top speed of 170 MPH doing demonstration laps on Goodyear’s test track before Goodell averaged 142 MPH for the 500-mile tire test. The test was a success: the skinniest tires ever mounted on a Shelby GT performed flawlessly, retaining 97 percent of their original tread. At $8,000, the Super Snake was priced well beyond its MECUM.COM

competition, including Shelby’s own 427 Cobra and McCain was eventually forced to admit the car was “just too expensive” for public sale. The prototype was ultimately purchased by Braniff International Airways pilots James Hadden and James Gorman and after a series of other documented owners, the Super Snake fell to the care of Richard Ellis, an Illinois collector of rare Mustangs. “I wanted to own this piece of Shelby history more than anything,” Ellis said of the purchase. When Ellis acquired the car it registered 26,000 miles on the odometer and showed almost no deterioration. “It was well cared for by its previous owners, but I’ve put a lot of effort into returning it to the state it was in on the day of the tire test,” he explained. Built with the heart of a Le

TO BE OFFERED AT THE WORLD’S

MUSCLE CAR AUCTION.

Lot F203 Scheduled to be Sold Friday, May 17 at Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic

Mans champion yet ultimately destined for but one day in the sun, there is only one Super Snake. The most unique and historically significant Shelby

Mustang ever built came about as the result of a confluence of forces that could only have happened in the charmed life of one Carroll Shelby. The Super

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Snake will shine again as the star of Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic auction in Indianapolis, Indiana as lot F203 on Friday, May 17. M

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TO BE OFFERED AT THE WORLD’S

MUSCLE CAR AUCTION.

Lot F200 Scheduled to be Sold Friday, May 17 at Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic

cover car L88 This 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 convertible is best known for its tire-melting burnout photographed for the February 1986 cover of Road&Track magazine, which dedicated eight and a half pages to a feature story comparing its considerable charms to those of the then-new 1986 Corvette. And yet even without the benefit of today’s all-pervasive social media, this milestone machine has become a perennial star in the Corvette community, winning Bloomington Gold Certification and earning a place in the famed L88 Invasion. When it appeared in R&T, it was owned by southern California collector Merle DuPrey and, at just short of 16,000 miles, was described by the editors as being “as 10

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L88 powerplant, transistorized ignition, 4-speed manual transmission, off-road exhaust, Positraction rear end and tinted windows and is fully documented with the original GM order form, Protect-O-Plate, two tank stickers, dealer invoice and the original owner’s manual. M authentic as it’s possible for a 1968 car to be,” which judgment certainly applies today. Later the subject of a frame-off restoration by Nabers Brothers of Houston, it is finished as original in Tuxedo Black with a White soft top and the original Custom Black leather interior. It retains its original MECUM.COM

TO BE OFFERED AT THE WORLD’S

MUSCLE CAR AUCTION.

Lot S142 Scheduled to be Sold Saturday, May 18 at Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic

12 SECOND SAVOY Mopar’s factory drag racing program escalated in 1963 on two fronts, first introducing lightweight versions of its already trimmed-down competition models and then enlarging the Max Wedge engine from 413 to 426 CI. The Max Wedge was made available in three levels of tune, beginning with the 11.1:1 compression, 415 HP Stage 1 engine. Special aluminum body pieces shaved approximately 150 pounds off the front of the car and included a dual scooped hood that delivered fresh air to the engine. It was a potent package, and it made the 1963 Dodge and Plymouth factory racers very tough to beat. Although available for purchase by the public, these factory racers were delivered without a warranty, as declared

by the disclaimer label inside the glove box. Contemporary magazine tests on showroom stock examples returned 12.60-second elapsed times with terminal speeds of 113 MPH. This 1963 Plymouth Savoy is one such car, the last of 18 known to exist that were built that year for drag racing customers. It was delivered to Des Swifenbank, owner of Des Redwood Motors of Garberville, California. In addition to the dual cross-ram Stage 1 426/415 HP engine with factory exhaust cutouts, heavy duty push-button Torqueflite transmission and 3.91 SureGrip rear end, it came factory equipped with an aluminum front bumper and grille filler panel, hood brace delete, and a trunk mounted battery. It has MECUM.COM

been completely restored with a documented correct engine and driveline and sports correct Red paint and the original interior, which at 24,000 miles remains in excellent condition. Featured in “The Complete Guide to the 1963 Dodge Ramcharger Package Dodge 426 Ramcharger” by Darrell Davis, this rare factory dragster comes with full Chrysler documentation including the IBM build record card. M MECUMMONTHLY

ZL1#23

1969 chevrolet camaro zl1 Based on the mighty L88 427 CI engine, the ZL1 was the ultimate development of Chevrolet’s big block Mark IV engine and the most exotic American-built production powerplant of the 1960s. Based on development work conducted by Jim Hall’s Chaparral Can Am team, the ZL1 was made almost entirely of aluminum with the exception of the forged steel crank, connecting rods and camshaft. Weighing in at roughly the same as a typical Chevy small block engine, the ZL1 delivered upwards of 550 horsepower, far surpassing its factory rating of 430 horses. It may seem outlandish today, 12

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but in 1969 installing the ZL1 engine in the Camaro seemed perfectly sensible to Super Stock drag racers. Unfortunately, the sanctioning bodies rejected Chevrolet’s attempts to qualify the ZL1 Camaro for SS/C and SS/D competition. Undeterred, Chevrolet product manager Vince Piggins made the cars available through the covert COPO program, resulting in a total of 69 being produced, number 23 of which is offered here in this sublime Dusk Blue coupe. An original 9560AA 4-speed car, it is documented with the Shipping Report from Fred Gibb Chevrolet, Protect-O-Plate and a notarized MECUM.COM

affidavit from the original owner attesting first 30 years of ownership history and mileage. This ZL1 Camaro was restored by noted COPO authority Barry Burstein of St. Louis, Missouri, to original factory specifications. It has been certified by the COPO Connection, appeared at numerous Supercar Reunions and scored 995 of 1,000 points at the Classic Chevrolet Club meet. It remains in stock configuration with painted steel wheels, dog dish caps and Goodyear Wide Tread F70-14 Polyglas tires, a close-ratio M21 4-speed with Hurst shifter and power front disc brakes. M

TO BE OFFERED AT THE WORLD’S

MUSCLE CAR AUCTION.

Lot S121 Scheduled to be Sold Saturday, May 18 at Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic

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CONSIGN NOW FOR THE WORLD’S

MUSCLE CAR AUCTION

Indiana State Fairgrounds - Indianapolis, Indiana

MAY 14-19, 2013

LOT# S119

1968 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro RS/SS

427/450 HP, 4-Speed, 1 of only 11 RS Yenkos Built From the Dennis Higginbotham Collection

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we protect what you collect. Mecum Collectors Insurance Agency (MCIA) is proud to provide you with an insurance policy for your prized possessions. From antiques to modern day exotics, military vehicles to fire engines, we’ll work with you to protect what you collect. Whether you’re garaging your vehicle full time or showing it off on the road, we’re confident we can offer you an insurance policy to fit your needs. We offer multiple mileage options, including unlimited miles. Our rates are partially based on the mileage plan you select. This means the less you drive, the more you save! We promise to offer you the best coverage available. All of our policies are agreed value and include: • Nationwide towing with guaranteed flatbed service • Foreign coverage – in transit and while driving overseas • Spare parts coverage • Car club discounts

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888-98MECUM (888-986-3286) Office hours are Monday – Friday 8:00AM – 8:00PM Eastern

LADIES IN RED Lot S170

Lot F221

Lot S174

Lot F217

Mecum’s 2013 Houston auction has exploded, growing to host more than 1,000 collector cars in just its second year. Among the expansive collection of vehicles available is a unique grouping of Chevrolet Corvettes belonging to car enthusiast Gerald Byrd. The seven cars, all dressed in bold shades of red, span six generations of the model’s life. The first generation of Corvette is represented by Lot S170, a 1954 Roadster produced in only the second year of the car’s introduction to the public. Only 3,640 Corvettes saw production in ’54, dashing the hopes of GM heads who had aimed to churn an ambitious 10,000 cars out for public sale. Lot F221 is another first generation rep produced in 1961. The convertible features all of the subtle style changes added to make the car more appealing to the public including the addition

Lot F214

Lot F220

Lot F211

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of the outer door handles and the recessed fender cove allowing for that coveted two-tone paint job. The car also sports the redesigned tail-end, new to the ‘61s, slightly raised and more pointed in back than had been seen on previous designs, perhaps hinting at the changes to come. With ’62 being the final year for production of the first gens, Lot S174 rolls in proudly as a second generation ‘Vette. The 1967 Coupe features a black “stinger” on the hood, new to that model year. The ‘67s would also be the last for the second gens which proved the shortest-lived generation overall with just a five-year life span. The C3s or shark generation, introduced in ’68, lasted three times as long with a 15-year life

six generation corvette collection span. Byrd’s collection includes Lot F217 a gorgeous ’69 Coupe wearing the Stingray name proudly and equipped with the top-of-the-line high-performance 427/435 HP Tri-power engine. The long life span of the C3s saw subtle restyling every five years to keep the car fresh, but the next generation wasn’t introduced until ’84, after GM skipped production altogether in 1983. The C4’s were an immediate hit, selling more than 51,000 in the first year of production and earning Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award. Byrd’s unique collection includes Lot F214 a 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, the first year for the incredible ZR-1 performance engines that

remained options only until 1995 when the package was deemed too expensive to continue producing. Lot F220 is Byrd’s 2002 Z06, a member of the entirely all-new fifth generation of ‘Vettes that featured a sleeker look and brand new Gen III V-8 engines. The Z06s, first introduced in ’02, were GM’s second attempt at creating a higher-performance engine like the ZR-1 with a smaller price tag, and the project was a success, even seeing expansion in ’03. Byrd’s gorgeous grouping of ladies in Red is rounded out with a 2012 Grand Sport, Lot F211. This C6 Corvette was produced

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the year Chevrolet celebrated its 100th anniversary, and just one year prior to the end of the nineyear generation leading up to the still brand-new C7s, introduced just months ago. Each member of Byrd’s beautiful six-generation collection, along with 18 others from his personal assortment, will be offered at Mecum’s Houston auction, April 4-6. Don’t miss the chance to bid on a favorite generation of Corvette as the cars cross the block on Friday and Saturday of the three-day event. M

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The Reliant Center - Houston, Texas APRIL 4-6, 2013

The Reliant Center • Houston, Texas

APRIL 4-6, 2013

LOT# S173

1936 Packard Phaeton

from the Gerald Byrd Collection

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Road Art

Bob Sain

FLIGHT TO SUCCESS

THE FAMOUS MOBIL PEGASUS The Vacuum Oil Company was the first to use a highly embellished version of the classic Pegasus symbol for branding purposes beginning in 1911. According to the American Oil & Gas Historical Society, the winged horse was trademarked by Vacuum Oil at the Registrar of Deeds in Cape Town, South Africa. The logo initially made occasional appearances on some of the company’s petroleum products and gas pumps, but it wasn’t until the Standard Oil Company of New York, or SOCONY, merged with the Vacuum Oil Company in 1931 that the Pegasus came into full use as a product branding tool. The revered mythical creature served as a replacement for the company’s former logo which featured a gargoyle – commonly regarded as a much more menacing beast. The merge of the two gas giants led to an eventual name

change as well. The SoconyVacuum Oil Company, Inc., had previously used the word “Mobil” to brand some of its products such as Mobiloil and Mobilgas, but it wasn’t until 1955 that the company introduced “Mobil” into its official company name, calling itself the Socony Mobil Oil Company. Over the next several years the company continued to grow and branch and change and in 1966, Mobil Oil Corporation became the sanctioned establishment moniker. There have been minor alterations and updates made to Mobil’s famous Pegasus trademark since its inception – its clean lines and graphic appearance have been adjusted ever so slightly to suit the modern day tastes and preferences of consumers, and it even changed its direction of flight in the ‘30s – but the symbol has maintained the same overall appearance throughout the years. MECUM.COM

With roots in ancient Greek mythology, the Mobil Pegasus still serves as one of the most easily recognized logos in the world, which may be why it has become a favorite of collectors everywhere. Everything from oil cans to old gas pumps to tin and neon signs have become coveted pieces in the collections of Road Art and memorabilia enthusiasts worldwide. Set to grace the stage at our Houston auction this April 4-6 will be Lot Z347, a rare, right-facing, 8-by-10 foot, single-sided Mobil Pegasus porcelain neon sign. The sign has been restored to its original condition and works well. Our Houston auction will feature hundreds of such Road Art and memorabilia items, many to be offered at no reserve. Register as a bidder today at www.Mecum. com or by calling (262) 275-5050 for a chance to take one of these pieces home. M MECUMMONTHLY

THE CONSIGNMENT

VIN 636987

T69 - 1969 Mercury Cyclone

VIN 235685

T232 - 1959 Ford Thunderbird

302 CI, Factory Air

F57 - 1957 Chevrolet 3100 Deluxe Pickup

VIN 000505

F113 - 1963 Chevrolet Impala

283 CI, Automatic

Kansas City Convention Center at Bartle Hall Kansas City, Missouri

APRIL 25-27, 2013

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Mecum.COM 262-275-5050

VIN 176504

S36 - 1932 Ford Hi-Boy Street Rod 350 CI, Kilbourne Body

VIN 235685

VIN 000505

S83 - 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

S85 - 1966 Dodge Charger

S94 - 1968 Shelby GT500 Fastback

427 CI, 5-Speed

426 CI, Automatic

428/365 HP, Automatic

BOOK IS OPEN!

F159 - 1959 Ford Fairlane 500

F160 - Ford F100 Pickup

F162 1965 Pontiac GTO

389 CI, 4-Speed

F184 - 1967 Ford Mustang GT500 Replica 351 CI, 5-Speed

BROADCAST LIVE ON

S96 - 1967 Oldsmobile 442 W-30

S102 - 1959 Rambler Cross Country Wagon

S122 - 1936 Ford Cabriolet

S127 - 1957 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery

Mississippi Valley Fair Center

April 5-6, 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ Davenport, Iowa

Friday 11 am

90 Tractor Collection from Thunder Bay Ontario The extensive John Buchanan Collection will be offered at NO RESERVE and will feature a number

of rarities including a BO Lindeman Crawler, a

720 E/S with 3 point, a (3) 820 , a (2) 830 E/S, an Unstyled L George White, an M with a factory loader, an excellent 80, a 4020 high crop and many moreâ&#x20AC;Ś

Over 300 Vintage Signs & Farm Relics To Be Offered

Friday 2 PM

The auction will include more than 300 vintage signs

and Farm Relics featuring the scarce 3-by-9 foot

John Deere porcelain. It is very rare to encounter one and to find one in such excellent and all-original

condition is a true marvel. Early entries also include

a vintage John Deere grain drill, plows and other coveted signs.

Saturday 11 AM

150 Vintage Tractors To Be Offered The list goes on with incredible early entries like this 1955 40V, serial number 60001, the first of only 329 built. The event will also feature an estate collection of 16 John Deere tractors on Saturday at 1PM.

TIME TO CONSIGN MECUM.COM (262)-275-5050

The Real Barn Finds DAN MECUM

vintage fords FROM

JEFF CORMANY’S COLLECTION Henry Ford believed that “Every small farm should be able to buy a tractor,” and that producing an affordable tractor was in the best interests of everyone in the country. Ford began experimenting with the auto plow in 1907 and by 1917 the company was the first to start mass-producing tractors. Innovations introduced by the Ford tractor have transformed our lives as much as Ford automobiles and it is only natural that vintage Ford tractors have become a cornerstone of Mecum’s Gone Farmin’ Auctions. Late last year we got a call from Jeff Cormany about selling some of his Ford tractors. My trusted sidekick Paul contacted Jeff to let him know we would be in his area and had made plans to stop on our way to another event. We arrived

as the sun was coming up and the tractors were already out and ready to photograph. Jeff farms over 4,000 acres, has over 1,100 Holstein cows and each winter he somehow finds time to meticulously restore tractors. His hobby is collecting and restoring

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vintage tractors, and his passion is reflected in the quality of his work. We are pleased to have the opportunity to offer some of the well-cared for tractors from Jeff’s collection at our third annual Spring auction in Davenport, Iowa on April 5-6. M

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At The Redline JOHN KRAMAN

SNAKE CHARMED My role as Consignment Director allows me many opportunities to meet with fellow car enthusiasts around the globe. I recently had the chance to spend an enjoyable afternoon with a bona fide legend of drag racing, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. His gleaming facility just north of San Diego is jam-packed with countless trophies, awards and memorabilia dating back to when his winning career first began in 1962. As a dominant force in competition and an innovator in securing major non-automotive sponsors, The Snake is often regarded as the first person to successfully lay out the formula for racing as a business. His deal with the Mattel Hot Wheels Funny Car Team and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen in 1970 created perhaps the best-known racing promotion ever, with immense exposure to a larger, more mainstream market. But it was the allure of speed and competition that drove him to the peak of the sport for so many successful years as a top driver and ultimately a savvy team owner. Prudhomme took home 108 victories in NHRA Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars plus six NHRA World Championships throughout his racing career. Even as a famed driver, Prudhomme has remained grounded by his family. Beyond his accomplishments is a devoted husband who married his high

school sweetheart, and that union has lasted an astonishing 50 years. Lynn Prudhomme is an amazing, beautiful woman who has stood beside The Snake since he began his storied career. Even his daughter Donna has an active role in the family business. I am very proud to announce that The Snake has decided that a crown jewel of racing history, his personal 1989 Pontiac Skoal Bandit Trans Am Funny Car will cross the block at Dana Mecum’s MECUM.COM

26th Annual Spring Classic at Indy auction in May. This return to Indy is highly significant as it is where he won the 1989 NHRA National Championship event in this exact racer along with a victory at the Bud Shoot Out, a literal clean sweep of the biggest event of the season! It is also the very last funny car he actually raced, thus closing an important segment of racing history. While impressively listed as the No. 3 Top Driver in NHRA history, I consider Don “The Snake” Prudhomme No. 1 in my book. Look for the car on display at our Houston and Kansas City auctions in April and be ready to bid at Indy in May! M MECUMMONTHLY

RACING LEGEND GRUMPY JENKINS Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins never slowed down for anything, and even after his death last March at age 81, that certainly hasn’t changed. A college dropout, mechanical genius, racing legend and seemingly “grumpy” guy, Jenkins is a man not easily forgotten. The Pennsylvania native’s countless contributions to the racing world and beyond truly left a lasting impression on all. His lifelong friend and now estate executor remembers what

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Jenkins was like beneath his gruff exterior. “He really had an educated quality about him even though he acted like he was just a car guy. He did go to Cornell and he came from kind of a proper background,” Williams explained. Jenkins did attend Cornell University, but in order to pursue his passion for engine mechanics, he dropped out of the engineering program just a few credits shy of earning a degree. “Grumpy,” as he was known by most, made a name for himself in the ‘60s drag racing in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) using cars equipped with engines he had enhanced on his own. “Back when he started, the sport of drag racing was not really a white collar sport and he was always a first-class guy,” Williams recalled. Jenkins favored racing in smaller-engine, lightweight cars that had less holding them back. With Jenkins’ engine enhancements and expert shifting behind the wheel, the compact cars, dubbed “Grumpy’s Toys,” were able to sneak past the largerengined muscle cars he was up against. MECUM.COM

His confident and no-nonsense demeanor behind the wheel became his signature. Despite his proper upbringing and educated background, Jenkins would often take off down the strip with a lit cigar wedged between his teeth and come out ahead without breaking a sweat. “He was just that kind of guy,” Williams said. “He had his quirks like everybody does,” his friend Joe Tryson recalled, “and he was really a lot different than his ‘grumpy’ nickname lead on – if you were around him a lot, you didn’t think he was even capable of being grumpy.” Tryson worked with him from the ‘60s into the ‘90s, running the show at his shop. They spent 27 years elbow-to-elbow. “You had to be friends when you spent that much time together,” Tryson joked. “We always got along 99 and a half percent of the time.” In spite of Tryson’s close friendship with Jenkins, he said he understood why others saddled Jenkins with the “Grumpy” moniker, explaining that the grouchy front was about all Jenkins ever showed the general public. Williams said he understood why “The

Grump” chose to lead the public on explaining that, “The whole idea of keeping up his ‘grumpy’ exterior was kind of a way to keep space; to keep people from sticking their noses under his hood.” Williams said the nickname was actually started in the late ‘50s by a friend who compared him to Grumpy of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and the name just stuck. Tryson said he considered Jenkins’ greatest achievements to be all of the mechanical innovations he developed over the years including drag racing’s first kick-out oil pan and Pro Stock’s strut-style front suspension, just two of Jenkins’ many creations. And though Jenkins’ garnered three American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) championships and 13 NHRA wins, including five Pro Stock championships, he did indeed leave his most notable legacy within the world of engine modification. Jenkins was personally responsible for building 30 vehicles that set national records in various racing venues and his builds won a total of 61 races including

eight championships. “He was a mechanical engineer to a fault. He was lost in his own world; he was like an artist that way. If he was back working on something you might have to remind him to eat,” Williams described. His skill with engine alterations became his ticket to national recognition and aided his induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, International Drag Racing Hall of Fame and his earning of countless other awards, honors and recognitions. Bill Jenkins’ long and welllived life came to its end March 29, 2012 due to heart failure. Jenkins’ life off of the track and out of the garage was spent among friends and family and Williams said it’s now his job to make sure they’re taken care of. “Being an executor is a tough job but I don’t mind doing it for him. I’m doing this for a friend. I’m doing it for him. We’re trying to do the best we can for his wife and children; it’s what he wanted.” Personal artifacts from the Estate of Hall of Fame Racing Legend Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, including a total of 150 items, MECUM.COM

will be offered at no reserve at Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic in Indianapolis, May 14-19, 2013. What better way to honor a man who gave so much, dedicating his life to the world of cars, than to immortalize his memory in the things most dear to him? Trophies, awards, model cars and competition jackets are just a few of the many things that comprise the collection. Tryson said if he were to keep any of Grumpy’s things for himself, there is one in particular he’d want. “The only thing I could think of was one of the early Wally trophies from NHRA; one of the early ones from 1970-71. That would be nice to have,” he said. The star of the Indy auction lineup featuring The Grump’s things will be his gorgeous Red on Black GTO, set to cross the block on Saturday, May 18. Don’t miss this chance to take home a piece of history and to pay homage to a man who spent his life behind the wheel and under the hood. M MECUMMONTHLY

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