Mecum's Kissimmee Auction is a market barometer

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When 4,500+ vehicles run through one venue over nearly two weeks, you get a live stress-test of what enthusiasts will pay for right now—across muscle, trucks, modern exotics, and everything in between. This year's auction revealed one main theme:

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The top end is still fearless—but buyers are paying premiums for specifics, not just badges.

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This theme was re-iterated by the sale of the Ferrari 250 GTO Bianco Speciale sold to renowned Ferrari collector David Lee. Overall, post-week reporting pegged overall sales around $441M—a blunt reminder that liquidity is alive when the mix is right.

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Category-Setting Benchmarks:

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Let’s start with what moved the needle at the highest end—because these numbers ripple outward into “regular” enthusiast markets via comps, sentiment, and headline momentum.

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Top-of-the-mountain sale

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• 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (Bianco Speciale) — $38.5M (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1152522/1962-ferrari-250-gto/)

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The Bachman Collection effect (provenance + delivery miles = rocket fuel)

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• 2003 Ferrari Enzo — $17.875M (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1158443/2003-ferrari-enzo/)

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• 1995 Ferrari F50 — $12.21M (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1158440/1995-ferrari-f50/)

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• 2017 LaFerrari Aperta — $11.0M (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1158457/2017-ferrari-laferrari-aperta/)

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• 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO — $8.525M (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1158430/1985-ferrari-288-gto/)

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• 1992 Ferrari F40 — $6.6M (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1158435/1992-ferrari-f40/)

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The non-Ferrari interruption that still matters

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• 1966 Ford GT40 MkII (factory lightweight) — $12.375M (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1159821/1966-ford-gt40-mkii-factory-lightweight/)

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And a modern exotic signal with real downstream impact

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• Porsche 918 Spyder (PTS, 1-of-1) — $6.05M (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1163606/2015-porsche-918-spyder-weissach/)

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These sales tell you exactly what kind of inventory the market is rewarding in 2026: specific examples of popular models.

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2026 trends, explained:

1) “Condition” is good, but “Specificity” is better.

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The loudest lesson this week: the premium is in the details.

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Low miles. Known ownership. Rare spec. Strong documentation. The sales results of the Bachman collection show that buyers are paying up when the car is obviously singular.

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BidBud takeaway: Your 2026 edge isn’t “this model is hot.” It’s which version of the model is hot—and how far above “normal” the market is stretching for that spec.

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2) The market loves “modern legends”

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While the mega-sales grabbed the camera, the day-to-day results showed where liquidity stays dependable:

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• Corvettes repeatedly bubbled to the top early in the event. There were multiple days of strong Corvette-led sales.

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• Late-model performance had real bite too—e.g., a 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 reached $134,750 in early-week action. (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1164422/2023-dodge-challenger-srt-demon-170/)

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• Even the “new-school icon” lane showed strength: a manual 1998 Toyota Supra MkIV hit $242K, a standout benchmark for non-movie-car Supras at a non-online-only venue. (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1156937/1998-toyota-supra-turbo/)

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That mix matters. It signals that 2026 demand isn’t one-dimensional—it’s spanning legacy American staples + modern performance poster cars at the same time.

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BidBud takeaway: If you’re bidding on BaT/C&B this year, you want segment-level momentum. A Supra result like that changes how sellers price, how bidders anchor, and how quickly auctions heat up. Understanding what lessons to take away from Mecum Kissimmee is half the battle...BidBud helps you do that.

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3) Trucks and 4x4s: still a “floor market,” not just hype

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Kissimmee’s scale also confirms a quieter truth: trucks are a durable demand base.

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Even just scanning the sold data around Broncos shows meaningful market-clearing numbers:

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• Example: 1966 Ford Bronco — sold $106,700 (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1159515/)

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• Example: 1974 Ford Bronco — sold $137,500 (https://www.mecum.com/lots/1160620/)

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Those aren’t seven-figure headlines but they’re exactly what a “price pulse” should capture: the real clearing price in high-volume enthusiast categories.

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BidBud takeaway: Trucks are where BidBud dashboards shine—because the market is noisy (restomods, trims, build quality, originality). The advantage is separating “truck content” from true comps.

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4) A subtle warning: not every old-school icon is accelerating

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One of the more interesting notes coming out of the week: analysts pointed out that older Ferraris weren’t universally “moon-shotting” the way the modern halo cars did, hinting at a possible generational preference shift (or at least a selective market cooldown).

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That doesn’t mean 1960s legends are “down.” It means 2026 is shaping up to be a more discriminating market, where the why matters as much as the what.

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The bottom line

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Kissimmee is the first major “truth serum” event of the year. The 2026 pulse is clear:

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• The top end is strong.

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• The mid-market is active.

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• And buyers are paying the biggest premiums for specificity: spec, miles, story, and proof.

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That’s exactly why BidBud exists: to turn an overwhelming firehose of results into actionable, segment-level advantage before you place your next bid.