The Branson Collector Car Fall Auction, Branson, Missouri, October 12-13, 2012
Report and photos by Rick Carey, Auction Editor
2012 marked the 25th anniversary for Jim and Kathy Cox’s ownership of the Branson Auction, a sale now well into its fourth decade after being founded by Mark Trimble.
Its endurance was tested by last year’s Leap Day tornado but by the time the Fall Branson auction rolled around the Convention Center and Hilton hotel, as well as most of Branson, were back in the entertainment business. Missing from the list of recovered businesses was the Cox’s Candl_st_ck restaurant perched on the cliff just over Lake Taneycomo from Branson Landing and directly in the tornado’s path. Auction week, though, brought the welcome news that the ‘Stick’s rebuilding financing was approved. They’re planning a fast turnaround with an opening date in February 2013, just four months away.
The auction itself was distinctly different in character this fall, with many more Sixties, Seventies and later cars that has been Branson’s tradition. 123 of the 229 cars offered, 53.7%, were sold and the sale total was $2,042,876 including commissions with a median sale value of $12,420. The top sale, an ’88 Porsche 930S Cabriolet, was $59,400. The featured lots, a quartet of Shelby Mustangs, a Road Runner Superbird and a McLaren M8F replica all went home with their consignors, a disappointment that is reflected in both the sale total and the median transaction.
“Why” is a good question. Running the same weekend as AACA Hershey and its RM auction didn’t help. Neither did the impending presidential election, a distraction that has bedeviled Branson Fall more than once. There were thirteen (unlucky?) no-sale lots that reached hammer bids equal to or higher than the Porsche and even the sale’s overall sell-though rate on them would have boosted the total well into mid-$2 million.
Even more remarkable, the auction never lost its momentum as sometimes happens when bidders’ attention is diverted. Bidding was steady throughout the two sessions and the seats were well-populated, just with people sitting on their bidder cards.
[I was on the auction block introducing the cars for auctioneers Spanky Assiter and John Nichols so this report is smaller than usual.]
Branson Collector Car Fall 2012 – Auction Report
Lot # 252 1968 Pontiac LeMans GTO Judge replica Convertible; S/N 235378P340648; Engine # 013139 YY; Orange/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Visually maintained, largely original, 4 condition; Hammered Sold at $12,750 plus commission of 8.00%; Final Price $13,770 — No Reserve. 4-barrel, 4-speed, no console, P/S, no P/B, Rally II wheels, Eagle RH tires. YY engine code is for a ’67 fullsize Pontiac 428/360hp 4-barrel stick shift engine although the car card describes it as a 400. Poor repaint, stainless polished with a Brillo pad. Brush painted underhood, grungy engine, trim pieces missing. As it sits it’s pretty awful. Despite the nasty condition there is some potential for this LeMans as a street driver, especially at this price. The new owner shouldn’t expect a trouble-free experience, but the troubles would be assuaged by occasional bursts of big block Pontiac power.Lot # 277 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible; S/N 124878N377729; Engine # 18N377729 8MA; Maroon/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $23,750 plus commission of 8.00%; Final Price $25,650 — 327/210hp with Edelbrock intake and 4-barrel Edelbrock carb, Muncie 4-speed, Hurst shifter, no P/S or P/B, chrome Rally-style wheels, Radial T/A tires, console, pushbutton radio, underdash engine gauges. Decent very showy clearcoat paint, new top, sound older interior. Grubby engine. Scuffed trim chrome, weak bumper chrome. A sound but unimpressive driver. A handsome little car but the gaudy clearcoat paint job marks it as less than meticulously restored. The Muncie 4-speed is noted as non-original and it’s likely that the original tranny behind the original 2-barrel induction was a 3-speed. So, a sound but overly glitzed driver bought for a healthy price.Lot # 564 1969 Shelby Mustang GT350 Fastback; S/N 9F02M482295; Black/Black vinyl; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $57,500 — 4-speed, P/B, P/S, Kenwood cassette stereo, Shelby 5-spoke alloy wheels, Radial T/A tires, aftermarket console gauges. Fair old repaint lifting in a few places. Original underhood and chassis. Blisters in right door bottom. Good original interior and chrome. An orderly, well preserved mostly original GT350. Originally Pastel Grey, so it’s not surprising it got a repaint. This is something of a find and a strong basis for a full or cosmetic restoration that should have brought more interest from the Branson bidders.Lot # 565 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500KR Fastback; S/N 8T02R210173-03552; White, Blue stripes/Black vinyl; Older restoration, 2 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $120,000 — 4-speed, P/S, P/B, tilt column, Koni shocks, 10-spoke alloy wheels, Radial T/A tires, Lucas oval driving lights in grille, cassette stereo, Sport Deck back seat. Excellent paint, chrome and original interior. Restored better than new, showing a little age but little or no use. Documented with the original build sheet, Marti Report, trim tag, owner’s manual and sales brochure. Sold here in 2005 for $137,800 so it’s easy to understand why the consignor decided to hold onto it at this bid. There’s a popular myth that Shelbys will pop in value following Carroll’s death earlier this year, a myth that is entirely wishful thinking. Carroll’s inevitable demise was modestly priced into Cobra and Mustang prices years ago. The simple fact is that they stopped building them four decades ago and Carroll’s passing was irrelevant to their values. This is a $140-160,000 car.Lot # 566 1971 McLaren Replica M8F Can-Am; S/N None; Orange/Black vinyl; Competition car, original as-raced, 2- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $85,000 — Period-built big block Chevy with Mondello heads, Lucas-MacKay FI, Hewland LG500 transaxle, McLaren suspension uprights and wheels. Accurately built, probably in the 80’s (based on the seat belt dates). Fresh orange peely paint. Clean, orderly and properly done and presented in good nearly race-ready condition but not fresh and will need careful re-commissioning. The authentic period bits used on this replica may be sufficient to get it onto the grid in vintage races organized by sympathetic, accommodating sanctioning bodies. Having been stored for many years and despite the fact that it runs (thunderously loudly) and drives it will need complete disassembly, thorough checking by professionals and careful reassembly before its cheek-puckering performance can be experienced. Better change those 1985 belts, too. Taking all that it needs into account (and the fact it isn’t a McLaren) the bid it brought is not unreasonable.Lot # 589 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster; S/N 194677S117215; Engine # 7117125 V0422HD; Maroon, Black stripe/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $35,000 — 327/350hp with Edelbrock 4-barrel, 4-speed, Rally wheels with trim rings, narrow whitewall Michelin radials, P/B, AM-FM, two tops. Represented as 31,384 miles and all matching numbers. Fair old repaint, otherwise a clean, original car. The bidders were simply not paying attention when this Corvette crossed the block. It’s a $50-60,000 car anywhere.Lot # 633 1989 Ferrari Mondial t Cabriolet, Body by Pininfarina; S/N ZFFFC33A5K0081914; Red/Tan leather; Black cloth top; Unrestored original, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $25,000 — A/C, Kenwood CD stereo, well worn Bridgestone tires. 20,409 miles from new. Well worn and shiny driver’s seat, good original paint. Engine out serviced 2,000 miles ago, clean Carfax, folder of service records, original tool kit. A used car, but a good one. This should have been sufficient to see this Mondial t off to a new home. The consignor might hot have been overjoyed with the price, but the prospect of getting more is doubtful.Lot # 634 1974 Porsche 914 Targa; S/N 4742900154; Light Blue/Black; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $10,000 plus commission of 8.00%; Final Price $10,800 — Painted alloy wheels, Michelin radials, Alpine CD stereo. Good paint and interior. Very clean, complete and meticulously presented. An impressive cosmetically restored 2 liter 914 represented as numbers matching and supported by a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. Not the most beloved of Porsches, but this one has all the earmarks of a car that’s had a good life. The presentation is superior to any 914-4 seen in a long time and its price is absolutely a bargain.
Jeez, I only wish you´d chosen anything other than the fake, convertible, wrong year `Judge´ that you opened this otherwise tantalizing article with.
Willi,
I don’t choose the lot order, just take ’em as they’re ordered by the auction company.
The importance of this [unimportant] car is to highlight the glitzy fauxmobiles that turn up, and how the bidders respond to them. From 20′ this Pontiac had EYE-appeal and its appeal points out the necessity for bidders to inspect, or if they can’t inspect to err on the side of caution.
At $13,770, this is a no-harm, no-foul car even if it isn’t what it appears to be. The bidders got it right although a good starting place for the next owner will be to strip off the Judge graphics and the GTO emblems and just let it be a LeMans driver.
Thanks for your comment.
Rick Carey