Last week, Mecum Auctions made its first major collector-car stop in Tennessee, taking over Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon for its inaugural Nashville auction. Held from September 22 through 26, the event brought roughly 1,750 vehicles featuring 17 collections, a substantial increase over the approximately 1,200 cars originally projected when the event was announced in March.
The top result, however, came from Maranello. A 316-mile 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione Aperta, sold for $3.6 million, comfortably led the inaugural sale. It accounted for more than a third of the $10.1 million generated by the Top 10 alone, and roughly 5.1 percent of the auction’s total preliminary vehicle sales. The 812 Competizione featured in our recent list about top front-engine V12 Ferraris.
Ford occupied much of the remainder of the top-end results. The 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra “Nobody’s Fool” IMSA road-racing car brought $935,000. Built by Roush Racing and driven by Paul Newman at the 1995 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Mustang won the GTS-1 class and finished third overall. Its race history, period bodywork, and association with Newman give it a level of provenance that separates it from the production-based cars elsewhere in the sale.
Another Roush-built Mustang finished close behind: The 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA Trans-Am racer, which sold for $825,000. Tommy Kendall drove the car during his dominant 1997 season, when he recorded 11 consecutive victories on his way to the Trans-Am championship.
A trio of Ford GTs followed. A track-only 2020 Ford GT Mk II, #14 of only 45 produced and showing 96 miles, brought $792,000. It was followed by two first-generation Ford GTs: a red 70-mile 2005 example at $770,000 and a 1,276-mile 2006 car at $737,000, respectively.
The strongest custom result came from a 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, which sold for $693,000. Built around a Roadster Shop chassis and suspension and powered by a supercharged 416-cubic-inch V8 rated at 1,160 horsepower, the truck showed that substantial money continues to follow highly developed American restomods. A 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429, one of approximately 850 produced for the model year, brought $616,000.
European machinery was relatively scarce among the leading results beyond the headline Ferrari. A 1965 Aston Martin DB5, chassis DB52025R, equipped with a rare factory sliding sunroof, sold for $605,000, while a 2014 Ferrari 458 Spider with 3,774 miles brought $533,500, rounding out the top 10.
Not every high-profile consignment found a buyer. A 2019 Koenigsegg Regera, one of 80 made, reached $2.9 million; a Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti hit $1.95 million; a Marc Philipp Gemballa Marsien hit $1.55 million; and the much-anticipated 2026 Aston Martin Valhalla hit $1.3 million.
Collectively, the Top 10 results accounted for about 14.3 percent of the estimated $70.6 million total sales, and a 73% sell-through rate.
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***These are preliminary results based on figures available immediately after the auction. Final sales totals and sell-through rate will be updated once Mecum Auctions publishes its official post-event figures.
10. 2014 Ferrari 458 Spider (Lot F154)
$533,500

9. 1965 Aston Martin DB5 (Lot S298)
$605,000

8. 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback (Lot S131)
$616,000

7. 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom (Lot S208)
$693,000

6. 2006 Ford GT (Lot S191)
$737,000

5. 2005 Ford GT (Lot S69)
$770,000

4. 2020 Ford GT Mk II (Lot S299)
$792,000

3. 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA Trans-Am Road Race Car (Lot S141)
$825,000
2. 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra "Nobody's Fool" IMSA Road Race Car (Lot S140)
$935,000

1. 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione Aperta (Lot S261)
$3,600,000

Images: Mecum Auctions
