Manheim Nashville employees show off their rides

When I’m not going to car shows, I actually have a paying job where I rep General Motors vehicles at the dealer auctions in Memphis and Nashville. Recently, my car show world and my professional world combined when Manheim Nashville had an employee Spring Fling and car show inside the gates of their massive campus in Mt. Juliet. Rain in the area probably kept several cars away, but a little water never hurt my old truck, so of course, I was there. The auction had set up a really nice event for their employees with lunch, games, and prizes, so I was really happy that they let me attend. What’s more, some of the people that work there have some really nice cars!

14th-Annual Muscle Car Mayhem Auction in Murfreesboro

There was a rumor last weekend that a bunch of nice old cars were going to be offered for sale at the Dealer’s Auto Auction. Naturally, we had to head to Murfreesboro to check it out. And guess what? The rumor was true. Saturday was the 14th-Annual Muscle Car Mayhem event, and about 100 muscle cars, specialty cars, and classics were sent across the block in search of new owners. There was a little rain, which could have been a bit of a downer. I actually enjoyed it, because there were less people standing around the cars that I had to dodge to get pictures. There was a pretty good selection here. Check these out.

2015 Vette City Classic Collector Car Auction in Bowling Green

Bowling Green, Ky., is the location of the factory that builds the new Corvette Stingray. That should be enough to draw any car guy to the Bluegrass State. But last weekend there was an even greater incentive, as the Vette City Classic Car Auction rolled through Bowling Green’s ABC Auto Auction. Auctioneer Phillip Traylor presided over 100 specialty cars, trucks, tractors, and motor homes during this one-day event. Naturally, I went up there and took some pictures. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

Music City Fall Classic Auction in Murfreesboro is a great car show where everything's for sale

I obviously go to a ton of car shows, so I get to see a bunch of great cars. But sometimes, the most interesting old cars that I see are someplace other than car shows. I’m talking about collector car auctions. If there’s one anywhere near me, I’ll always try and hit it. You know cars are often at their best when someone is trying to sell them. No questionable personalization. No door prizes. No disk jockeys. What you get is a straightforward variety of cars, all cleaned up and presented in a way that should appeal to the greatest number of buyers. Take a look at some of the cars that were at the Music City Fall Classic Auction in Murfreesboro and see what I mean.

Nashville Classic Collector Car Auction had the good stuff

The Nashville Fairgrounds was a busy place over the weekend. On one side of the parking lot, there was a stereo competition. But since the stock Delco in my wife’s 2007 Impala didn’t crank out enough base to put it in contention, we went to the other side of the lot and checked out all the great vintage cars at the Nashville Classic Collector Car Auction. There were a bunch of people in there with bidder numbers, as it should be. The guys from JMARK Classic Car Auctions, and auctioneer Phillip Traylor, were running a small but high-quality lineup of hot rods, muscle cars, and classics.

1953 Ford is ridiculously original

On July 2, 1953, Edward Lamb from Greenville, Tenn., walked into Green County Motor Company with a used car trade-in and $627 cash, and drove away with a brand-new Ford Customline Fordor.  Edward’s Glacier Blue sedan may not have been the flashiest car on the block, but it commemorated Ford’s 50th-Anniversary.  Today, 61 years later, this amazing time capsule has only amassed 31,000 actual miles.  From top to bottom, this car is pristine, untouched, and absolutely original.  It may be the nicest, most honest old car I have ever seen.

Old cars come to the office for the Spring Adesa Classic

My wife and son were in town last weekend to visit during our transition from Kansas City to Nashville for my new job. Saturday morning, I asked them if they wanted to check out my office at the Adesa Nashville Auction on our way out to look at some houses. Of course, I had no idea that they were having a classic car auction at that very time. No idea at all. I hadn’t noticed all the old cars showing up during the week, or the signs and posters that were hanging all over. And I really don’t know where those three visitor passes came from that were in my pocket. It was a complete surprise. But while we were there, I figured I had better take a few pictures. Good thing I happened to have my camera.

Onward and upward

I’ve said this before, but I really appreciate everyone who checks out this website, reads the stories, and follows along with what I’m doing here.  I’ve met tons of great people around Kansas City at car shows, races, and other events because of this place, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.

But because of that, the announcement I’m about to make is bittersweet.  I am moving away from Kansas City.  Starting April 1, I will be the Senior Remarketing Specialist for General Motors at the Adesa Auto Auction in Nashville, Tenn. 

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.

Adesa Corvette and Specialty Car Sale is a well-kept Kansas City secret

Here’s one you might not have known about.  Adesa has a huge auction house in Belton, Mo.  Normally, they sell late-model cars for manufacturers and rental companies to dealers.  That’s where a lot of the cars that you see on the used lot of the local new car dealer come from.  But a couple of times a year they have a Corvette and Specialty Car Sale.  It is still only open to dealers, but in this case they have an interesting mix of classic and special interest cars.  It is hard to find information for, because they don’t publish it on their website.  But my dad works out there, however, which is why I can share some of it with you.

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.

Don Dougan estate auction marks the end of an era

Don Dougan was livin’ every car guy’s dream. Just one look around the large, fenced-in yard of the World War II veteran’s estate, and you can see that he was completely submerged in the things he loved.

The large, grungy, three-bay shop was stocked with every tool, engine hoist, and welding rig anyone could ever need. The land around the shop was crammed full of old cars and parts. And whether they were waiting for the day they would find their way into the garage, or halfway through the process, every car and truck had a story to tell.

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.

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.

Adesa Auction's Fall Corvette and Specialty Car Sale gives you a real-world perspective into the old car hobby

“I’mana eighteen, eighteen, eighteen; lookin’ for eighteen-five. Eighteen-five. Come up and look at this car. Sixty-two-thousand actual miles. Pay attention, folks, you’ll never see another one like this. I have eighteen. Lookin’ for eighteen-five. Eighteen-five. Eighteen-five going once. Eighteen-five going twice. It’s gonna’ take closer to nineteen to buy this car. Roll it on through.”

Chrysler man Rich Suhr lets go of some of his treasures. We take one last look at his collection during the Lincoln auction

“Leave it to you to make this into a car trip.”

We were in Lincoln, Neb., this weekend to visit some of my wife’s family, so before we took off, I got on the old Googler and searched for a cool car thing to do there. Isn’t that how everyone prepares for travel? Anyway, I’m glad I did, because it took us to Rich Suhr’s house in southeastern rural Lincoln, on the day he was auctioning off a huge collection of 42 old cars and a whole bunch of parts.

Mecum Bloomington Gold Auction to sell Bill Mullis collection of black Corvettes from 1954-1969

You have to give Mecum Auctions some credit. It seems like no matter where they go, they manage to come up with some really great collection to run through their block. Whether it was Bob McDorman’s Bill Mitchell Corvettes, the 1953 GM dream cars, or just their visit to Kansas City, Mecum is definitely pulling in some cool stuff.

This weekend’s Bloomington Gold Corvette sale is no exception. I’ve always said that a black Corvette with red guts would be my dream combination. And on Saturday, Mecum will be offering a black Corvette from every year from 1954 (the first year you could get something other than white) through 1969; many with my coveted red interior, and all of them spectacular.

Once proud new cars, they were left for dead. Maxwell, Neb., auction may give them a new life

Show cars can be pretty cool, but not every old car ends up quite as pampered as the examples we usually see here at HMC. Take these pictures from an auto graveyard in Maxwell, Neb., just a few miles away from my wife’s hometown.

Here is a collection of rusted, faded metal that has been quietly braving the harsh, mid-Nebraska climate changes for untold years. The heat of the summer. The cold of a Midwestern blizzard. No one was worried about car polish or engine swaps out here. These are the cars that time forgot.

Nice day, nice cars at the April Adesa Corvette and Specialty Car Sale

One thing's for sure--when the temperature goes up, the crowds go up at events like the Adesa Corvette and Specialty Car Sale, which was held on Thursday and Friday in the sprawling Belton, Mo. location.

And the cars weren't bad, either. Thursday is the Corvette only sale, and there were plenty of nice examples of the featured marque on hand. The oldest one that I saw was a nice Fawn Beige '62, and my favorite was a pretty red '67, but all generations of America's Sorts Car were well represented.

Now Friday is when you got to see some variety. You name it; they had it. Everything from hot rods to Ferraris were there for you to climb in, dream about, and (if you're one of the lucky ones) drive home in.