This 65 Skylark Conv sold for $57,200 On Thursday. It was advertised as a 401/325hp and it's really a 300/250hp. That would be be a high price for a GS, it's double money for a Skylark. That guy's gonna be pissed when he figures it out! https://www.mecum.com/lots/DA0922-537625/1965-buick-skylark-convertible/
And that is why GS by The Numbers' books were created....to know the difference before spending the money.
Did they? Read the small print under each listing: Information found on the website is presented as advance information for the auction lot. Photos, materials for videos, descriptions and other information are provided by the consignor/seller and is deemed reliable, but Mecum Auction does not verify, warrant or guarantee this information. The lot and information presented at auction on the auction block supersedes any previous descriptions or information. Mecum is not responsible for information that may be changed or updated prior to the auction. The decision to purchase should be based solely on the buyers personal inspection of the lot at the auction site prior to the auction.
Mecum did screw up when they didn’t look at the car before typing up the listing. Usually they blame the owner for errors in a listing, but this time it’s on them. I don’t know how many times Mecum said ‘401/325’, but I do know at least two pictures, and their listing, shows ‘Wildcat 355’ along with several images of what, to a Buick person, is obviously a small block. Anyone who would spend that kind of dough without noticing that is going to get ‘taken’, especially when there’s much that says it’s not a 401/325 car. (The pictures of the windshield sticker, the air cleaner decal, the pictures of the engine, the lack of any Gran Sport emblems and the lack of any typical hype about it being a Nailhead, big block, GS, etc.) If I were in the market for any car worthy of ‘real money’ I’d be consulting people I trust before making a bid or offer. (If I were looking at an X, I’d probably be booking a plane ticket for someone on v8buick.) Maybe the buyer reeaaally wanted it regardless of the actual value? I hope so, because he’s stuck with it. Patrick
A guy that was in the bidding war and finished 2nd by bidding ~$50k was a local collector. He and the high bidder (buyer) both knew exactly what they were bidding on, a small block Skykark.
I had a guy at a car show (Hood/trunk open/top down) tell me (after asking what I had in it) that a '64 Skylark couldn't have a nailhead. I told him "I put it in there." He said: "You didn't put a nailhead in a '64 Skylark, it won't fit." I looked at him, looked at my engine looked at him and then started talking to someone else. I put something in there, and I like it anyway, whatever the heck it is...
Interesting. Looks like my little ole GranSport Vert. is appreciating better than my other 401(K) investment this year.
The auction needs to have a certain amount of integrity, this is their profession. I have friend who bought a 56 Chevy at Mecum Kissimmee in 2016, it was advertised as having a 350. My friend wanted to up grade the intake and carb so he checked the engine code and found it was a 283. He filed a complaint with Mecum and got $5,000 of his money back. I don't know where that money came from, Mecum or the seller, but that was a much less blatant than this one. If a seller say a car is rust free and never been wrecked and it ends-up being a bondo bucket, that's on the seller because the auction can't verify that. Having the wrong engine is a much more obvious problem that the auction should have caught by the auction house. This is a black eye for Mecum!
Yeah, they sell 100's of cars at each auction and you expect them to check every engine block number..... Just read this text under each listing and you know what there is to expect: Information found on the website is presented as advance information for the auction lot. Photos, materials for videos, descriptions and other information are provided by the consignor/seller and is deemed reliable, but Mecum Auction does not verify, warrant or guarantee this information. The lot and information presented at auction on the auction block supersedes any previous descriptions or information. Mecum is not responsible for information that may be changed or updated prior to the auction. The decision to purchase should be based solely on the buyers personal inspection of the lot at the auction site prior to the auction. After all: Mecum is nothing more that a fancy version of eBay or Craigslist.
"The side trim moulding says NOT A GranSport to me, but hey the seller should be happy." The side trim molding also says "I am on the car all crooked" - drivers side Nice looking car, though
Had it not been for the 2nd highest bidder driving the price up to over $50k, the '65 Skylark would probably have sold to the buyer for a more typical price. The seller had to be thrilled that his '65 caught the eye of two guys that didn't care about the current market value. I guess that's every seller's dream when they take a car to an auction.
It didn’t take much time to find out who the losing bidder is. Interesting story of ‘better mousetrap’ tupe business success. I wonder if he knows the winning bidder-maybe this wasn’t just about the car? Patrick
An actual 401 example in Butternet Yellow goes across the Mecum block tomorrow in Chicago https://www.mecum.com/lots/CH1022-523217/1965-buick-gran-sport/
This is a problem with specialty Auctions , they all profess to be experts in their fields and consistently allow fakes , reproductions or just misidentified pieces flow through . Most people pay premium prices from these venues and the auctions hide behind some sort of feigned ignorance or just incompetence . They have plenty of people on their staffs to do some cursory background . This is true in antiques, Militaria , Collector cars and such . The caveat is a cop out . Many Auctions are used to shield unscrupulous sellers from responsibility of selling their sketchy merchandise. I agree every fake or falsehood can’t be rooted out, and not saying Mecum is shady ,but certainly a level of being incompetent in their particular listing .
I have come to realize that every auction is suspect (big and small) and every seller should be held against the wall to produce proof of anything claimed. Just had this problem at Bring a Trailer. BaT is full of shills, cheerleaders, bid ups, agitators, etc. Ask a direct question to the seller about proving a statement and commenters come out of nowhere and pounce on you until your questions are deleted by the admins. One guy had over 18,000 comments in a year (50/day) and he had no bids, no sales and no wins. Yet they allow him to "Kathy" anyone asking direct questions. Buick made about 4,800 Stage 1 cars (non-GSX), so how come there are 10,000 of them for sale...
I saw Camaros getting "SSed" and "Z/28ed" all the way back in the '70s. My favorite was a '69 Camaro with "SS396 and Z/28" emblems together on the fenders.
