Mecum To Host The World’s Largest Road Art® Auction Ever Held At The Mecum Headquarters In Walworth, WI (June 20-25, 2023)
June 20, 2023 @ 9:00 am - June 25, 2023 @ 6:00 pm
Free
Mecum will host a Mega Automobilia Auction called the “World’s Largest Road Art®” Auction from the Mecum Headquarters in Walworth, WI (June 20–25, 2023).
This auction will be a rare opportunity to not only visit the World-Famous Mecum Headquarters but also scoop up some of the world’s greatest one-of-a-kind and hard-to-find automobilia to ever hit the market.
This auction will include over 3,000 carefully curated car-themed collectibles that will light up any car collector’s car condo, car garage, basement, or home.
Dominating the event will be one of the largest selections of unique, vintage, antique, and rare auto-related signs. The selection includes hundreds of large and small nostalgic neon signs including hand-crafted porcelain signs, vintage tin signs, roadside car dealership signs, antique wooden signs, one-off signs, famous diners – and more.
The signs are from such well-known brands as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Ford, Pontiac, Buick, Firestone, Greyhound, Rexall Drugs, and even Big Boy – just to name a few. One favorite is a neon “Star Lanes” bowling alley sign.
Other car-themed collectibles include vintage gas pumps, antique kids’ pedal cars, classic car posters, antique oil cans, branded clocks, gas pump globes, and wall art of all kinds.
Here is a 1940s double-sided tin neon sign in its original cabinet, shining with a great patina. The sign prominently features the famous Rocco and Cheater’s Speed Shop from Birmingham, Alabama
FEATURED COLLECTIBLES
A particular favorite that will cross the auction block is an original, one-of-one 1940s Rocco and Cheater’s Speed Shop Double-Sided Tin Neon Sign (Lot F341). The sign is historic as it advertised a famous hangout for racing enthusiasts’ hotspot called Rocco’s Speed Shop in Birmingham, Alabama, which opened in 1944. The giant Roco arrow-shaped two-colored neon sign measures nearly 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide.
This is an iconic American 1950s porcelain Used Car Neon Sign featuring a 1950s Cadillac smashing into a wall. The historic sign is bright and colorful and was prominently placed in the Motor City (Detroit), on the sidewalk right off of I-75 and 8 Mile Road.
Another historical and one-of-a-kind 1950s roadside sign up for sale is a gargantuan One-Sided animated Crash Shop Neon Sign labeled “Sam’s Auto Parts. The animated sign features a 1950s Cadillac crashing into a brick wall, resulting in a wrecked front end, and a flat tire, while the neon headlights are blinking. The sign is one-of-a-kind, stands about 11 feet tall, and was an icon in Detroit for many years.
Equally historical is a single-sided, two-color giant neon porcelain car dealership advertising “Wolf Chevrolet,” (SELLING LOT F157) in Belvidere, Illinois. It sports the humongous Chevrolet logo outline with blue neon lights and is one of the largest “Chevrolet” signs ever produced, measuring 29 feet by 9 feet. This iconic sign is a must for any Chevrolet car collector.
This is one of the largest One-Sided Porcelain Neon Signs ever produced. It measures 28’x9′ and was proudly displayed, boasting the Wolf Chevrolet Car Dealership in Belvidere, Illinois.
A large portion of the auto-related memorabilia up for auction will come from the “Jeff Spanier Gas and Oil Collection“.
The Spanier collection includes over 200 high-quality branded globes (the lighted globes mounted on top of vintage gas pumps) and over 400 authentic vintage gas and oil cans. One of the main attractions of this collection is an exceptional, hyper-bright one-piece Texaco Fire-Chief Hat Gas Pump Globe (Lot F189 for bidders). The Globe stands almost one foot tall and is the only one known to exist.
On the left is a Texaco Fire-Chief Hat Gas Pump Globe where only one is known to exist in the collector’s world. On the right is a highly sought-after pyramid-shaped 1920s Marathon Motor Oil 1-Gallon Oil Can resembling an old Oil Derrick (pumping station).
Also from the Jeff Spanier collection is a rare shaped Marathon Motor Oil 1-Gallon Oil Can (Lot F22 if you plan to bid). The oil can reads “Marathon Oil Company” and is uniquely shaped in a pyramid shape that reflects the shape of an oil field pumping station of the past.
FROM The “King of Cool,” STEVE MCQUEEN
But one of the most anticipated items, which is a class by itself, comes from the “King of Cool,” Steve McQueen. This lot includes an original set of Baruffaldi Racing Italian Glasses (Lot S162 for bidders) that McQueen used while racing under his alias racing name, “Harvey Cushman”.
These 1960s-1970s Steve McQueen Baruffaldi Sunglasses were actually owned by “The King of Cool” himself. The multicolor, three-lens set of glasses includes a signed authenticity certificate from Barbara McQueen.
These glasses were actually worn on a regular basis by the King-of-Cool while racing motorcycles, sports cars, and even planes. The set includes a carrying case, three multi-collared lenses, and most importantly, a certificate of authenticity signed by McQueen’s wife, Barbara McQueen.
All in all, there will be thousands of hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind rare car-themed auto-related memorabilia items for sale at the Mecum Road Art Auction.
There are way too many to list in this article. To view all the memorabilia for sale, click on the link listed below.
VIEW ALL ITEMS FOR SALE
To view the entire collection of memorabilia up for sale at the Mecum World’s Largest Road Art® auction, you can visit the Mecum website under “View All Inventory Here”.
For more information about Mecum’s Road Art Auction, visit Mecum.com. Here you can view Mecum’s upcoming actions as well as the latest updates and descriptions for all offered items at the Road Art Auction. For updated schedule times and dates, visit Mecum.com, or call (262) 275-5050 for more information.
2022 ROAD ART MEMORABILIA RESAULTS
Walworth, Wis. – March 24, 2022 – Mecum’s auction in Glendale, Arizona, held March 16-19, 2022 saw record-setting sales that eclipsed $66 million, making it the company’s most successful Arizona auction to date. Road Art was a big contributor to that success as 207 items offered by the division hammered sold for an unbeatable 100% sell-through rate and a total of more than $1.9 in overall Road Art sales. (Source: Mecum.com)
HOW TO BID?
Now, bidder options for in-person, telephone, and internet bidding start at $100, and standard, in-person bidding includes admission for two people to all auction days. The World’s Largest Road Art® Auction is open to registered bidders only.
Bidding for the auction is available live in person, over the telephone, and over the Internet. To register to bid, you can follow this link for auction registration or call (262) 275-5050. Advantages for registered bidders include up-close and personal seating directly in front of the auction. Additionally, Mecum will provide plenty of parking for cars, trucks, and trainers. My advice is to bring a trailer; you’re going to need it.
Bidder registration starts at $100, regardless of whether you are bidding in-person, over the Internet, or by telephone. The $100 includes admission for two people to all auction days.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This auction is open to registered bidders only.
AUCTION HOURS & SCHEDULE
The Mecum Auction takes place at Mecum Headquarters from Tuesday, June 20, through Sunday, June 25, 2023.
Each day, the gates open at 8:00 a.m., with the auction starting at 9:00 a.m. and closing around 6:00 p.m., or whenever the last item is sold. Below is a detailed auction schedule, day by day.
JUNE 17-19 2023
• 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Preview Day – Everyone is Welcome!!
JUNE 19, 2023
• 5:00 PM–7:00 PM as a Welcome Reception
JUNE 20 – JUNE 25, 2023
• 8:00 a.m. Gates open and seating starts. This is an opportunity to browse the items for sale.
• 9:00 a.m. The auction starts each day at 9 am and closes at 6 pm or when the last collectible is sold.
SHIPPING SERVICES
If you can’t bring a trailer, Mecum also provides shipping services for all auction road art and memorabilia. For assistance with shipping, you can contact Mecum Shipping at National Logistics Services at (800) 525-6309 or [email protected].
RV/CAMPING SERVICES
If you are bringing an RV or wish to stay and camp for a few days, Mucum suggests contacting the Big Foot Beach State Park at (888) 947-2757 or the Snug Lake Harbor at (608) 883-6999.
FOOD & DRINK
There will be plenty of food and drinks available throughout the auction, provided by local specialty food trucks and an in-house local cuisine service. Cash and credit or debit cards are accepted.
VISITOR HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
The Abbey Resort
269 Fontana Blvd,
Fontana-On-Geneva Lake,
WI 53125 (MAP)
►Prices start at $247.52 including tax and Resort Fee per night Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. (Check Hotel Rates Here)
AUCTION ADDRESS
Mecum Headquarters
445 S Main Street
Walworth, WI 53184
🗺️ (Map To Mecum)
Website: https://www.mecum.com/
Phone: (262) 275-5050
