Vintage cars from the 2014 Greater Kansas City International Auto Show

When you go to an event like the Greater Kansas City International Show (GKCIAS), you expect to see the latest and greatest new cars, trucks, and SUVs.  What you might not expect to see is a first-rate classic car show.  But if you were in Bartle Hall over the weekend, that’s just what you saw.  Several groups had vintage iron on display, including the Kansas City Automotive Museum (KCAM), the Art of the Car Concours, the Heart of America Corvair Owners Association (HACOA), and the auto show itself.  So if you’re one of those people that says, “they don’t make ‘em like they used to,” there was still something for you at this event.

New cars from the 2014 Greater Kansas City International Auto Show

As you drive around Kansas City on a normal day, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that all new cars are boring.  It’s tough to get excited about silver Corollas and neutral-colored Accords and whatnot.  But when you get under the bright lights of the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show, suddenly you realize that there’s a whole world of interesting new cars out there for sale.  People aren’t necessarily buying the interesting stuff, but they are available if you want them.  Let’s check out a few of the fun new rides from Kansas City.

54th-Annual Kansas City World of Wheels. The cars were clean in 2014

Valentine’s Day was last Friday, and Kansas City car folks had a lot to love when the 54th-Annual World of Wheels rolled into Bartle Hall over the weekend.  Around here, this is the first big car show of the year, and it was just what the doctor prescribed for cabin fever.  From a live appearance by Richard and Kyle Petty, to a top chop by old time customizer Gene Winfield, to hundreds of cars and motorcycles of all kinds, this was the place to be in K.C.  As you may have guessed, I had my camera with me.  Let’s check out some of the fun stuff that made the show.

Kansas City Mecum Collector Car Auction turns out to be a great car show

The joy of car shows is often a result of hanging out with friends and talking to people about your car.  But if you really like looking at other peoples’ cars, and aren’t as much into the social aspect, one of the best car shows in Kansas City turns up twice a year in Bartle Hall.  The December installment of the Kansas City Mecum auction was last weekend.  Where else can you see 700 cars, all in top, ready-to-sell condition, parked without the restrictions of ropes and stanchions?  From an automotive standpoint, there are few car shows that can top this around here. And if you bring your checkbook, every one of these vehicles has the potential to go home to the highest bidder.

Mecum Spring Auction is one of the best car shows in Kansas City

The Mecum Spring Auction in Kansas City obviously takes place so people can buy and sell cars.  But as far as I’m concerned, it has become one of the best car shows in Kansas City.  Here, you can see some really great, really unusual cars and trucks.  And since it comes in from all over the country, it’s not the same stuff you see at every other car show.  I just hope a lot of these vehicles were sold locally, because there are several of them that I’d love to look at again.

The 2013 Kansas City International Auto Show was the place to shop for a new car or check out the classics

In nearly 30 years of living in Kansas City, I don’t think I have ever missed the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show.  It’s one of the biggest events that Bartle Hall has to offer, which is all right with me.  Anytime you can get big numbers of people interested in cars, I think that’s a good thing.  At least there’s still a spark of passion left.

53rd-Annual World of Wheels brings life to the Kansas City car scene

Winter in Kansas City can be rough for car guys.  Practically all the car races, car shows, cruises, and anything else we might be interested in just shrivel up and die.  But every year, the first signs of life begin to bud when the World of Wheels hits Bartle Hall.  The 53rd installment of this Kansas City tradition took place this weekend, and just like tulips sprouting in the garden, it gives you hope that we’ll have a good year.

Fantastic cars fill Bartle Hall at the Mecum Grand Finale Auction

Just as the weather turns cold in Kansas City, and you think there is no more car stuff to do, Mecum Auctions comes to town and saves the weekend. More than 750 cars were packed into Bartle Hall for the Mecum Grand Finale event, and whether you were looking to buy or not, it was as good as any car show you’d ever want to attend.

Affordable bargains, six-figure gems, and one heck of a car show. 750 photos from the Mecum Spring Collector Car Auction in Kansas City

The inside of Kansas City's Bartle Hall is 388,800-feet. Now they can do lots of things in there--home shows, religious conventions, RV shows--you name it, they can fit it in there. But as far as I'm concerned, the best way to utilize eight football fields of indoor space is to fill it up with cars.

Luckily, the folks at Mecum Auctions share that opinion, and once again they managed to draw more than 750 sparkling vehicles to the Kansas City Convention Center for the Mecum Spring Classic Auto Auction.

New cars are in charge at the 2012 Greater Kansas City International Auto Show

I was recently told that the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show is the largest trade show-type event held in Bartle Hall each year. It's nice to know that there are still people out there who are interested enough in cars to pay to look at them.

My boss asked me why I would bother to go take pictures of cars that you see everyday on the road. I guess there's some validity to that question. I mean, they had a grey Toyota Corolla sitting there and various other completely lackluster examples of bland, lifeless commuters. Of course, people buy this stuff for one reason or another, so they've got to be there.

2012 Kansas City World of Wheels caters to all automotive tastes

If you've been wondering when I was going to get around to covering a new Kansas City car show, your wait is over. Finally, after all these weeks and months of winter, the 52nd-Annual World of Wheels car show is in Kansas City, so we've got a little local action to check out.

I really do look forward to this show every year. Sure, part of it is that I want to get out of the house, but it actually is one of the bigger events in the area. I wouldn't say this year's offering was the best ever, but I certainly wouldn't have wanted to miss it.

Lots of nice rigs at the Mid-America RV Show in Bartle Hall

In the relentless pursuit to cover all things vehicular, we made a stop at the 2012 Mid-America RV Show in Kansas City’s Bartle Hall. And although there was not even one ’69 Camaro in the place, it was still interesting to see all the latest in luxury-level camping.

As someone who never really was all that interested in this stuff, I was surprised at how nice some of these modern motor homes and trailers were. Many of them were clearly nicer than my house (although storing a model car collection may be a challenge), and they had the price tags to match.

2011 Mecum Muscle Cars and More Grand Finale. Part 2: and More

Last month, I went to the SEMA show. Now as you probably know, that is one of the biggest gear head gatherings in the world, as nearly 2,000 wild automotive creations converge on Sin City.

That being said, car-for-car, I actually enjoyed looking at the selection in Bartle Hall over the weekend better than the cars at SEMA. The annual Mecum Muscle Cars and More Grand Finale took place in Kansas City this weekend, and some 750 vehicles packed into the big climate-controlled convention center downtown.

2011 Mecum Muscle Cars and More Grand Finale. Part 1: Muscle Cars

For old car fans, December can be a bleak time in Kansas City. The car shows are over. The race tracks are silent. The weather is starting to become cruising-prohibitive. The party, as they say, is over.

But then, Mecum Auctions brings in their annual Grand Finale event, and suddenly things aren't that bad after all.

It's fun to look around the Mecum Spring Collector Car Auction, even if you can't afford anything

An event like the Mecum Spring Auction inside Kansas City's Bartle Hall attracts people for a couple of different reasons.

First and foremost, it is a sale. The goal is to sell vintage cars and trucks. And they were doing a pretty good job of that. Two cars sold for well over $150,000, including a fantastic, original '65 Corvette Roadster with a rare 396-c.i. big block that fetched a healthy final price of $188,000. 

In fact, six of the top ten sellers were Midyear Corvettes. So if you love those cars, and honestly, who doesn't, Downtown Kansas City was the place to be.  And it all took place on live, national television on the Discovery Channel's HD Theatre.
But some people don't have thousands and thousands of dollars to purchase their dream car. I walk among them. And for us, the reason to attend this event is that it is one strong car show.

Mecum auction brought the national spotlight to Kansas City. More than 400 photos from the December 2010 event inside



Nice Bird, huh?  It sold for $186,000!

 Well, the weather outside might be frightful, but the convention center was pretty delightful. This weekend, the Mecum Collector Car Auction was held in downtown Kansas City, and after a month's dry spell of virtually no car shows, the inside of Bartle Hall was a welcome sight.

There was a real assortment of cars at this sale. You could pick up something for under $2,000 if you weren't too particular. But among the beaters and Saturday night cruisers, there were some real heavy hitters.

The top-selling vehicle was a supercharged '57 T-Bird that went for a breathtaking $186,000. A '66 "Big Tank" 427 Corvette traded hands at $141,000. And another '57 'Bird, this a dual-carb E-Code number dressed in yellow, sold for $132,000. There was also a real '65 Shelby GT350 Mustang that failed to sell after a high-bid of $185,000. So obviously, there were some real cars, and some real bidders in the house.