[1]
Collector car auction prices are a tricky thing to predict – while the actual car crossing the block certainly has a lot to do with the final price when the gavel falls, external factors play a huge role in determining what people are willing to pay for a particular auction lot. Hype and speculation drove dot-com boom era pricing, with even mediocre cars pulling insane price tags, and when the “correction” in the economy inevitably came, collector car auction prices tumbled as well. Still, well-documented, historically significant cars took far less of a hit than you might expect, proving that quality always holds its value.
[2]That brings us to today’s auction find, this 1973 Corvette slated to cross the block at Mecum in Dallas [3] this afternoon. While original Baldwin Motion cars have both rarity and historical significance going for them when it comes to fetching high prices, this car is an homage rather than the real deal.
It’s described as “completed cosmetically in similar fashion to the 1974 Baldwin Motion L88 phase III coupe also known as ‘The Last Baldwin Motion Built,'” though no serious Chevy fan is going to mistake the 350 under the hood for a big block.
[4]
[5]
Still, it captures the right look, and for a buyer going into the auction with open eyes, looking for a car that’s not “too valuable to drive,” this might be just the ticket. So what do you say? Is this Corvette a poser or a tribute, and what do you think the final price tag will be?