The Mecum Auction in Kissimmee is January 6-16, 2022 and there are some great Corvettes going across the block including the Last 1953 Corvette produced. Follow our series on the 2022 Mecum Auction.
Part I: Mecum Kissimmee 2022
Photo Credits: Mecum Auction
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The kickoff to the car season for many is the Mecum Auction in Florida. We are looking at some of the Corvettes offered at the Mecum Kissimmee Auction coming up on January 6-16, 2022. We will try to bring you some cars every day until the auction. We will also be attending and bringing you some photos at the event. So, check back often to see what is new. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, MeWe, and Instagram @vettevues. If you are going to the auction and would like us to share your photos, please tag us in your posts #vettevues.
At this point, there are 367 Corvettes registered, but I am sure that number will be higher by the time the event opens. The Mecum Auction is held at the Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Lane in Kissimmee, FL, on the southeast side of Orlando.
They are still accepting car registrations if you have a Corvette you would like to sell. You can find out more information at this link https://www.mecum.com/collector-cars/how-to-sell/?auctionID=FL0122
Bidder registration is available online https://my.mecum.com/register/kissimmee-2022. They also offer online bidding. You can check their website for details.
The Auction Corvette’s Available (at this point) in Generations Breakdown are as Follows:
- C1 63
- C2 97
- C3 90
- C4 45
- C5 33
- C6 15
- C7 12
- C8 6
This year there are eight Corvettes in the FEATURED LOTS, which we will be looking at on the Vette Vues blog in the coming week individually.
There are thirty-nine “Collections” offered, many of which have Corvettes in them. We will show you those as well.
We will try to bring you as many Corvettes as possible in the next two weeks.
Today’s blog post will look at some of the unusual Corvettes going through the auction block.
1990 Corvette ZR1 Prototype EX 5884.
Our first one is a 1990 Corvette ZR1 Prototype EX 5884. It has 12,355 miles and was used to develop experimental active suspension. (T91.1)
1998 Corvette X-Plorers Concept Coupe
Another unusual Corvette is a 1998 Corvette X-Plorers Concept Coupe. This is a one-of-a-kind Corvette that GM designers and engineers worked alongside teenagers in the X-Plorers Scout group to create their dream Corvette. It has Custom body modifications made with GM factory support (S60.2). At this time, there aren’t any photos to share on this car.
1953 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster – The Last 1953 Corvette No 300
Our last Corvette for today is a 1953 Corvette, Lot F241. It is No 300 of the 300 produced…i.e., The Last 1953 Corvette. It was hand-built in Flint, Michigan, on December 24, 1953. After its production, the assembly fixtures were shipped to Saint Louis, where the 1954 model would begin production.
As we covered in previous blog posts, the early Corvettes were crude. They used five different methods of laying up the fiberglass body panels and encompassing 30 major and 32 minor parts, were initially used. It was eventually narrowed down to a single best method. This 1953 is the last hand-built incorporates all the improvements made during that year, making it the most refined in terms of fit, finish, and overall appearance.
The original owner lived in California and immediately repainted it in black.
The Second Owner
The second owner had it in storage for several years and sold it in 1984 to Ernie Hendry, a Florida dentist. He had noted Corvette specialists Sara Blake and Joe Meyer do a comprehensive restoration.
During Hendry’s ownership, 1953 Corvette No. 300 received Bloomington Gold Certification in 1988 and the NCRS National Top Flight. It received the Performance Verification and Duntov Mark of Excellence awards by 1990, and it was inducted into the Bloomington Gold Special Collection in 1991.
It was also part of General Motors’ World of Motion display at Disney World’s EPCOT Center.
The Third Owner
In 1998, Hendry sold the car to the Jim Fasnacht Collection, the Naber Brothers of Houston, freshened up the restoration, and it was again inducted into the Bloomington Gold Hall of Fame in 1999.
Jim Fasnacht commissioned expert and NCRS Master Judge Steve Newsome in 2007 to perform a restoration, which Fasnacht described as “fanatical by all accounts.” Specialist John Kennedy gave it a new top and interior; the car was then invited to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and driven on the Pebble Beach Tour in 2008 as part of the Monterey Car Week’s celebration of General Motors’ history. Later it was inducted into the Bloomington Gold Grand Finale Special Collection in 2009. No. 300 has been prominently featured in many books and magazines over the years.
Who will be the Fourth Owner?
Mecum Kissimmee 2022
Osceola Heritage Park
1875 Silver Spur Lane
Kissimmee, FL 34744
Jan. 6-16, 2022
Admission: $20 in advance online, and $30 at the door and online after Jan. 5—per person, per day; children 12 and younger receive complimentary admission.
Preview: Gates open daily at 8 a.m.
Auction:
- Thursday, Jan. 6 through Sunday, Jan. 9 at 10 a.m.
- Tuesday, Jan. 11, and Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 10 a.m.
- Thursday, Jan. 13 through Sunday, Jan. 16 at 9 a.m.
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