Auto enthusiasts have reason to be excited as Mecum Kissimmee rolls into town for its annual collector car auction with nearly 3,000 vehicles.
Antique autos from Jeeps to Mustangs to Corvettes to Land Rovers will be spread out on the 195-acre grounds of Osceola Heritage Park during 10 days of bidding Jan. 7-16.
Now in its 16th year at the Central Florida venue, the Mecum auction has been known to draw an estimated 100,000 attendees and tallied more than $105 million in sales at last year’s show. This year, the event will maintain a similar scale but go on with safety precautions in place.
Here’s what to expect from Mecum Kissimmee 2021.
What’s the same
Those familiar with Mecum’s offerings will find the lineup is similar to Kissimmee events of years past.
“Mecum Kissimmee is the largest collector car auction in the world,” said Dave Magers, CEO of Mecum Auctions. “We’re still going to have close to 3,000 cars.”
He noted the auction hopes to again top $100 million in sales.
As with previous auctions, classic collector cars are the focal point of daily happenings along with motorcycles and road art, which are also up for auction.
Registering to bid costs $200 for standard credentials or $500 for gold perks, including preferred seating, expedited credential pickup and access to all Mecum auctions during a 12-month period.
For those who wish to watch from home, portions of Mecum Kissimmee will be broadcast on NBC Sports.
What’s different
One of the biggest changes Mecum Kissimmee visitors will notice is that access to the auction arena is limited to registered bidders and their one guest each.
Additionally, seating will be available behind the auction block with big screens for bidders to watch the action. In years past, only half of Silver Spurs Arena was used for the auction stage and seating, which was previously open to general admission guests.
“General spectators will have the opportunity to wander the grounds and see everything that’s going on,” Magers said. “We’ll have two giant screens outside where they can watch the auction.”
In 2020, Mecum Auctions also worked to ramp up their telephone and online bidding opportunities to better accommodate remote buyers.
“You have the opportunity to sit in your own living room and it looks just like you’re sitting in the front row of the auction arena,” Magers said. “If you sign on to bid online … The auctioneer knows the names of people who are actively bidding on a particular lot.”
What’s new
At Mecum Kissimmee 2021, Dodge is bringing back their high-powered Charger and Challenger Hellcat muscle cars for attendees to experience up close. During events past, a thrill ride put guests in the passenger seat of these cars for an adrenaline-pumping rip around a small track.
This year, the Dodge Power Party allows drivers to get behind the wheel of one of these more than 700-horsepower beasts. More information is available at dodgegarage.com.
While the focus of Mecum’s Central Florida auction is always centered on classic muscle cars, vintage off-roaders and modern supercars, each event carries a unique lineup of lots available for bidding.
“What I like about Kissimmee is the diversity of the lots. If you go through the almost 3,000 cars, it ranges from pre-war cars all the way up to modern Ford GTs,” Magers said. “Our consignment guys, Frank Mecum and the group, have commented to me on several occasions that this is the best lineup of cars we’ve ever had at a Kissimmee auction.”
Featured lots include several Shelby Cobra Roadsters, Ford GTs, a pair of Mercedes-Benz 300SL racers (one roadster and one Gullwing coupe), classic Chevy and Plymouth muscle cars, plus Ferraris from multiple decades.
Another addition to this year’s event is two bonus auction days in Punta Gorda following the conclusion of Mecum Kissimmee.
“We take off for about four days, then, as a continuation of the Kissimmee auction, we’re going down to Punta Gorda and we’re selling the 200-car inventory of the Muscle Car City Museum,” Magers said, referring to the Florida collection of Rick Treworgy.
All Kissimmee bidders are automatically registered to bid on Punta Gorda’s lots.
Safety precautions
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mecum Kissimmee will observe some of the same safety precautions put in place at the Mecum Summer Special event in August.
“We’ll have all of our 12-page safety protocol document in place,” Magers said. “Some of that will be noticed by attendees, some maybe not.”
Mecum employees will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test and receive a negative result before traveling to work at the Kissimmee show.
Attendees will fill out a health questionnaire each day and have temperatures checked at the gate. Masks are required for everyone on the grounds of Osceola Heritage Park, where social distancing will be implemented and hand sanitizer will be readily available.
If you go
Mecum Kissimmee 2021 opens daily at 8 a.m. at 1875 Silver Spur Lane in Kissimmee. General admission tickets cost $30 per person, per day and must be purchased online. For more information, visit mecum.com.
Find me on Twitter @PConnPie, Instagram @PConnPie or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.
