$73 Million, 1,750 Cars and a Paul Newman Mustang: Wilson County’s First Mecum Sale Goes Into the Books
When the last lot rolled across the block at Nashville Superspeedway, Wilson County had just hosted something it had never seen before: a Mecum collector-car auction that finished above $73 million and became the most successful inaugural sale in the company's history.
The numbers tell the story of an event that outgrew its plan. As we reported when the sale began, organizers expected roughly 1,200 cars. Strong demand from consignors stretched the sale to five auction days and 1,750 vehicles, and about 75 percent of them found new owners.
The top of the board
The biggest check of the week belonged to a 2024 Ferrari 812 Competizione Aperta, which sold after the auction through Mecum's Bid Goes On department for $4,050,000. The runners-up were race cars from the Jack Roush collection, a reminder that the setting, a track where stock cars have raced, shaped the consignments.
- 1995 Ford Mustang Cobra IMSA road-race car “Nobody's Fool,” driven by Paul Newman: $935,000
- 1997 Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA Trans-Am car, driven by Tommy Kendall: $825,000
- 2020 Ford GT Mk II: $792,000
- 2005 Ford GT with just 70 miles: $770,000
- 2006 Ford GT: $737,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, custom: $693,000
- 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback: $616,000
- 1965 Aston Martin DB5: $605,000
- 2014 Ferrari 458 Spider: $533,500
The Newman Mustang had a pedigree to match its price. It won its class and finished third overall at the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona, with the actor sharing driving duties, and it was offered with both its race-worn bodywork and a replacement show body.
A driver buys his own truck back
One of the week's best stories was a sale that did not involve a stranger at all. NASCAR champion Kurt Busch bought back the No. 99 Ford F-150 he drove as a Craftsman Truck Series rookie with Roush Racing in 2000, paying $110,000. The truck still wears its original paint and airbrush work from the season Busch won at Dover in September 2000, a rarity among race trucks that were usually repainted or repurposed. Busch said he plans to have the engine refreshed while protecting the original bodywork.
What buyers wanted
Beyond the headline cars, the middle of the market was healthy. Modernized trucks and restomods with contemporary powertrains drew some of the strongest bidding, a sign that collector enthusiasm reaches well beyond the coasts. For a first-time venue in Middle Tennessee, that is a strong signal that the region can support a major auction on its own terms.
For Mt. Juliet, the appeal is practical as much as glamorous. Nashville Superspeedway sits in neighboring Lebanon, a short drive for residents, and a five-day event of this size fills hotels, restaurants and gas stations across Wilson County. Mecum's crew now moves on, with the next sale set for Dallas later this month, but the first Nashville edition has set a bar that organizers will want to clear next time.
