Late 70's Chevrolet Corvette rolling across the auction block.
My First Mecum Auction: Inside the Nashville Collector Car Show
The world of vintage and exotic cars has intrigued me for a long time.
I’ve watched collector car auctions on TV and heard people talk about the prices, the bidding and the way a sale can shape what a particular car is worth. But until Mecum came to Nashville, I had never experienced an auction in person.
Mecum’s first Nashville event was held at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, close enough to home that I couldn’t pass it up. I reached out about covering the show for All Terrain Nation, and before long I was walking into an event I had only ever seen through a television screen. www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com
On TV, you see a Corvette or Mustang roll across the stage while an auctioneer fires off numbers faster than you can follow. What you don’t see as clearly is everything happening around that moment. At the speedway, Mecum branding seemed to be everywhere. There were food trucks, an outdoor stage and rides for kids. At first, it felt almost like a carnival. Then I walked under one of the tents and found myself surrounded by cars I’d normally have to travel to several different shows to see.
There were widebody Corvettes, Volkswagen vans, classic trucks and exotics lined up waiting for their turn. That variety immediately won me over. I could spend a few minutes admiring a car worth more than my house, then turn around and find an old pickup that brought back memories. I didn’t need a bidder’s paddle to enjoy that part of the day.
Around 10 a.m., I headed into the auction area. AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” was playing, getting louder as people settled in and turned their attention toward the stage. The drums echoed through the building, the crowd was ready, and suddenly I understood why people get hooked on these events. Even though I wasn’t there to buy anything, I was excited to see that first vehicle roll out.
The auctioneer explained how things would work, a vintage motorcycle opened the sale, and the pace picked up from there. I watched Corvettes, Mustangs and even an unusual ambulance cross the block. Bids came in, the auctioneer kept things moving, and the hammer fell. Seeing it happen a few feet away was far more engaging than watching it on TV.
Maybe my years as a musician had something to do with it. I’ve played stages across America, and there was something familiar about the sound and anticipation in that room. The cars were the stars, but the auction itself was a performance.
My personal highlights weren’t all in the same price bracket. A white 2006 Ford GT with blue stripes was spectacular, and the carbon-bodied Koenigsegg Regera was impossible to ignore. Yet a remarkably fresh late-1980s Ford Ranger also had me stopping for a closer look. That’s the fun of a show like this: the vehicle that catches your eye might be an exotic, or it might be the truck you remember seeing everywhere when you were younger.
Watching the sales also reminded me that buying is a different experience from browsing. If I were going to bid, I’d inspect the vehicle, read the auction terms and account for the fees before deciding what I could spend. Most of the vehicles I saw started and moved through the auction area, though I did see one being towed afterward.
By the time I left, I understood the appeal. Some people come ready to spend serious money on the right addition to a collection. I came because I was curious, and I had a great time simply seeing the vehicles and taking in the atmosphere. If Mecum returns to Nashville, I’ll be back. Even without plans to bid, I’d gladly make the trip again.
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