Mecum’s Kissimmee auction generated $217 million in sales from January 6–16, 2022, setting a single-event collector-car auction record at the time. MotorTrend reported 2,954 vehicles sold and a 90% sell-through rate. The result made Kissimmee 2022 the first collector-car auction to surpass $200 million in sales for one event—but the available figures do not establish whether it remains the largest today.
What made the 2022 auction a record?
MotorTrend reported that Mecum’s Kissimmee 2022 auction totaled $217 million, exceeding the previous single-auction record of $176 million. It described the event as the first collector-car auction to cross $200 million in sales. Those figures refer to gross sales for one auction event, not Mecum’s combined sales across multiple auctions or its annual total. MotorTrend’s January 18, 2022 recap reported the event result and prior record.
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The event ran January 6–16 at Osceola Heritage Park in Florida. MotorTrend said nearly 3,000 vehicles sold; its detailed figure was 2,954, with a 90% sell-through rate. It also reported that each of the auction’s 11 days set a Kissimmee record, with Saturday, January 15, bringing in $72 million—the event’s highest single-day total at the time.
Which cars brought the highest reported prices?
MotorTrend’s list of top sales was led by the 1965 Shelby GT350R Prototype, reported sold for $3.75 million. The McLaren Speedtail followed at $3.3 million, and a 1992 Ferrari F40 sold for $2.75 million, according to the same auction recap.
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Why do reports also mention $239 million?
Mecum’s January 2022 press release described $239 million in combined sales from two events: the Kissimmee car auction and a Las Vegas motorcycle auction. That is a monthly combined figure, not the Kissimmee car-auction total. Mecum separately described Kissimmee as nearly 3,000 vehicles sold for $217 million. Cycle News republished Mecum’s release.
How was the auction covered on television?
MotorTrend TV and MotorTrend+ scheduled 24 hours of live coverage of the 2022 event. In a January 27, 2022 announcement, MotorTrend later reported that its Kissimmee coverage reached 6.3 million television viewers. That is a historical audience figure, not a measure of current service availability. MotorTrend’s announcement also quoted MotorTrend Group president and general manager Alex Wellen: “Mecum on MotorTrend is off to a sensational start,” adding that the auctions were “captivating, lively events that our audience undeniably gravitate towards on every one of our platforms.”
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Does “biggest car auction in history” still apply?
It accurately describes the record Mecum set in 2022 as it was reported then: $217 million in sales at one collector-car auction. The sources cited here do not establish a current all-time ranking, so the result should be treated as a historical record rather than proof that Kissimmee remains the largest auction today.
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