Las Vegas Convention Center • November 15-17, 2018
Mecum Auctions’ 2nd annual Las Vegas collector-car auction was a success with $25.2 million in overall sales achieved. It was held November 15-17 at the Los Vegas Convention Center. Out of 885 cars in the sale, there were 667 vehicles that sold equaling a 75% sell-through rate. This is a 7% increase over last year’s sales.
The auction headlined the Academy of Art University collection which saw 31 vehicles sell for an overall total of $4 million, and four cars from the collection even landed among the top sellers. The University’s 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Faux Cabriolet (Lot #S98) featuring coachwork by Veth & Zoon came in as the auction’s top sale at more than $1 million, and the 1930 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton (Lot #S130.1) brought $770,000, landing it the No. 2 slot. A 1934 Packard 1104 Super 8 Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton(Lot
#S125.1) from the collection claimed the third spot in top sales, and a 1935 Pierce-Arrow Model 1245 Silver Arrow (Lot #S93.1) came in as No. 6.
Other top sales included a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda (Lot #S145) that brought $220,000 and Ardell Brown’s 1930 Cord L-29 Cabriolet (Lot #S72), which sold for $203,500. In total, the complete Ardell Brown Estate Collection of vehicles and Road Art sold for well in excess of $5 million. Ardell Brown’s long life as a car guy included ownership of OK Motors, Ardell Brown Auto Sales, Brown RV and Ardell Brown Classic Cars. At one point, it also included a personal collection of around 260 vehicles. Brown, who also served as chairman of the Utah Concours d’Elegance, died earlier this year at age 83, and 140 of the vehicles from his collection were consigned this sale.