Large white tents once again adorned Osceola Heritage Park for the return of the Mecum Auto Auction Kissimmee in 2018. The 2018 edition is the 15th year of the event as a solo auction and boasted more than 3,000 cars in addition to motorcycles, boats and road art. The smell of premium gasoline and hamburgers scented the air, which is the perfect pairing to rumbling engines and the bashing of a gavel on the auction block.
Mecum is the world’s largest collector-car auction company, but when the first solo-event happened in 2004 less than 300 cars were consigned for auction. Previously, the event was partnered with National Corvette Society. Nowadays, the Kissimmee auction is the largest event Mecum hosts and is the jewel in its crown.
The event was bustling with avid car enthusiasts, vendors and families embracing and fully-immersed in vehicles from yesterday, today and the future. Among the featured vehicles were multi-million-dollar hyper cars the Ferrari LaFerrari and Bugatti Chiron, the latter being the fastest customer car in the world boasting a remarkable 261 mph top speed.
If extravagance isn’t your thing, then there was plenty of other options on offer. A litany of American muscle cars, classic cars and trucks from yesteryear, decked out in chrome, vibrant paint and even wood filled the tents with nostalgia and horsepower.
It is anticipated that more than 100,000 people will visit Osceola County for this event.