Saturday, March 31, 2012

LIVE: Mecum Auction, Kansas City (Part 2)

I never thought I'd see the day when a Corvette represented one of the best values in the entire automotive world, yet here it is.

Corvettes are ordinarily considered exclusive, high-end automobiles reserved for the affluent. But I'm going to tell you about a window of opportunity that is open right now that will allow you to scoop up one of the most prestigious marques in the history of the automobile at a bargain-basement price.


If you've never owned a Corvette, this is your chance. If you are looking for a solid investment car, the Corvette is as close to a "sure thing" as you can find in the automotive world. If you have $6,000-10,000 to spend and you wanna look like a genius in five years, here's what to look for...

The C4 Corvette, also known as the "fourth generation" Corvette, was produced between 1984 and 1996. It wasn't the best Corvette ever built. In particular, the early models were plagued with quality control issues and mechanical challenges. But the later models of the C4 were reliable, refined cars with acceptable performance and significant luxury appointments.

And right now, they're dirt cheap.

The 1989 Corvette pictured above sold for $9,750 at Mecum's Kansas City auction this week. It had 76,000 miles on the odometer, 6-way power seats, climate control air conditioning and an L98 V8 engine pumping out a somewhat-respectable 230 horsepower. And it was beautiful.

For less than 10 grand? Seriously?

The list goes on. Another 1994 model sold for $8,500. A 1990 Corvette went for $6,750. The bloody things are everywhere right now.

Grab one of these Corvettes while they are at the bottom of their value curve. Believe me, they won't get any cheaper. This is the best buy in the collector car world for car lovers with limited resources. Buy now, drive it for 5 years and maintain it well, then sell it for twice what you paid. And send me a commission check for the advice.

The Mecum show on Velocity went well this week. The inside scoop on the show is that programs may grow considerably in length this season. The program began with 3 and 4-hour time slots, and we're now seeing 6-8 hour slots on a regular basis. Our producer says that the longer shows are here to stay.

If I never see another ham sandwich again, it will be too soon. We had boxed lunches every day this week. While you were watching the commercial breaks on TV, I was running back stage and cramming down a few bites of a ham sandwich, appropriately doused in condiments, before returning just in time to go back on air while fearing every moment that I had a drop of mustard on my shirt. The process was repeated on each commercial break until the sandwich was gone. This went on for three days. I am soooo ready for a big steak right now.

Tomorrow, while the rest of the TV crew sits at an airport, I'll be enjoying a relaxing drive home with my son. I won't be scanned, groped, radiated or searched, and by the time everyone else fights their way through airport security, rental car lines and baggage returns, I'll only be about two hours behind them. Thank goodness for shows that are within driving distance.

The workouts get more intense when I arrive home in Indianapolis this week. The Super Cup Stock Car Series racing season starts on April 28th in Columbus, Ohio. I'm driving the #21 Boschett Timepieces/McGunegill Engines Chevy for Packs Racing this season and I've got to remember all those sponsor names instantly in every interview without fail.

Nobody said it was an easy job.


Stephen Cox
#21 Packs Racing/Boschett/McGunegill Engines Chevy
Co-host, Mecum Auto Auctions on Velocity

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of any other party.  

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