1956 Mercury XM-Turnpike Cruiser concept car at auction - January 14, 2023
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- Опубліковано 13 січ 2023
- From junker to jewel, the one-of-a-kind 1956 Mercury XM-Turnpike Cruiser concept car was authentically resurrected to perfection from a rusty hulk by Tom Maruska.
The car was offered for auction on January 14, 2023. Surprisingly, it did not sell. The highest bid was $350,000, far short of the seller’s reserve and anticipated $1 million sale price. Obviously the Mecum auction was not the right audience for this gem. Big dollar buyers at this auction were interested in muscle cars, custom cars, and exotics.
This glamorous “Dream Car” was designed by Ford Motor Company’s premier stylists and built by Ghia Coachworks in Turin, Italy. The car toured the USA in a specially built glass sided trailer, and was the star at automobile shows across the country in 1956.
This XM-Turnpike Cruiser concept car previewed the stying of the production 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. But after the 1956 show car circuit ended, the XM-Turnpike Cruiser had outlived its usefulness to Ford Motor Company, and was discarded. The car passed through several owners who left it unprotected outdoors, where it was vandalized and left to rot for 60 years.
The hopeless hulk was purchased in 2018 by Tom Maruska of Duluth, Minnesota. Tom toiled for 4 years, masterfully and authentically resurrecting the Dream Car. After spending more than 6,000 man hours on the project, Tom completed the restoration of the one-of-a-kind Mercury XM-Turnpike Cruiser in 2022.
I’m quite certain a deal will be cut to sell the car outside the auction to an appreciative buyer. - Розваги
Thank you maruska for restoring this piece of art and history
I remember your video of rescuing this car. It looked like a basket case. From where it was then to how it looks now in just a few short years is shocking. Hats off to Tom for a masterful restoration.
This is the second video I've seen in a couple weeks of people having bad luck selling at Mecum. OsbornTramain had really bad luck selling his car there. He found them very unprofessional and turned down a higher bid so "their guy" could get the car cheap.
Here's some news I just now found regarding the later selling of this car in Florida...
"Four different parties contacted him, expressing interest in the Mercury concept car after the unsuccessful auction, and two made what he believed were acceptable offers.
Maruska didn’t want to go into details, saying the vehicle sold for “an undisclosed amount” to the American Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne, Florida.
When asked if the sale broke the $1 million mark, he said: “It didn’t make $1 million, but it got close enough that I was happy with it.”
Maruska also expressed his pleasure that the car went to a museum, where it will be on public display, rather than sitting mostly out of sight in a private collection.
Another plus is that a private sale not involving an auction house will save both the buyer and seller 10% commission fees, even as the vehicle makes a return trip to Florida in an enclosed trailer. ..."
www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/minnesota/minnesota-man-sells-one-of-a-kind-1956-mercury-concept-car-to-florida-museum
It's ridiculous that the bidding dropped from 500K down to 300K, how is that possible (suspicious)?
That was an insult considering earlier in the day some guy gave 1.3 mil for a Nascar Superbird. Plus, they didn't present it well in my opinion. Its introduction was too short with no info to its history. Personally, Id still like to see Ford step up and buy it for display in The Henry Ford
Agreed. Mecum fell way short. That car has historical significance, and deserved a more rousing introduction. I think it was not the right venue. 4,200 cars, heavy emphasis on muscle, European sports cars, customs, exotics. In other words, the wrong audience. Playing Beethoven to a country music crowd, oil and water don’t mix, etc. A more receptive crowd might be at the smaller and more chic Bonhams auction coming up in Scottsdale. This was a slap in the face to the seller, a bitter pill. He will find the right buyer.
Like anything, it is only "worth" what someone wil pay for it, period.
Yes, that intro was pretty. pretty bad. She has a voice which pains my ears.
I think the best way to sale this kind of car is. To sale it out West! Like California or Nevada etc. Because it’s a time period car that goes along with Mid century houses and designs. This car has a lot of class. One of kind car and not designed by a computer. Designed by human beings. If I had the money I would buy it. Because you will stand out in chic automotive design of the past future! 😎
Agreed! Wrong auction, but it worked out after the auction. The car was sold to a museum in Florida.
Dang. Not nearly enough. I dream somehow that the car could show up at Auburn 2023 IMOA meet.
The way the car was announced was just ridiculous.. The announcer had no idea about what she was reading off, or the significance of the car. I've followed the restoration of this car since I first heard Tom had bought it. This car is worth well over a Million Dollars.. How the bidding went from 500,000 then back to 300,000 was really weird.. As tallboyyy below said, I also noticed them "Steering the bid" on some of the other cars toward certain bidders.. Regardless of all of that, I'm still surprised that buyers who would know the significance of the XM-Turnpike Cruiser wouldn't have been in Kissimmee prepared to buy it. It did go to auction pretty quickly after it's restoration. So magazines like Hemmings didn't get to publish that it would be in Kissimmee, even though they had featured the restoration earlier. Tom's work is known around the world. Bonhams may be a better venue. With more lead time ahead of the sale..
Even better if the car sells privately without auction shenanigans and fat commissions.
Here's some news I just now found regarding the later selling of this car in Florida...
"Four different parties contacted him, expressing interest in the Mercury concept car after the unsuccessful auction, and two made what he believed were acceptable offers.
Maruska didn’t want to go into details, saying the vehicle sold for “an undisclosed amount” to the American Muscle Car Museum in Melbourne, Florida.
When asked if the sale broke the $1 million mark, he said: “It didn’t make $1 million, but it got close enough that I was happy with it.”
Maruska also expressed his pleasure that the car went to a museum, where it will be on public display, rather than sitting mostly out of sight in a private collection.
Another plus is that a private sale not involving an auction house will save both the buyer and seller 10% commission fees, even as the vehicle makes a return trip to Florida in an enclosed trailer. ..."
www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/minnesota/minnesota-man-sells-one-of-a-kind-1956-mercury-concept-car-to-florida-museum
I can't believe that car went so cheap.
It didn’t go cheap. It didn’t sell. That auction was the wrong audience for this special historically significant masterpiece.
Auction Narrators Are Annoying Aren't They?
Absolutely! But I suspect that it's intentional, as a means of screwing up people's concentration so that they'd do something they might not otherwise.
Don't slow down the playback speed.
The auctioneer sounds like he's suffering a heart attack 25% speed
There is no other and I would not let it go for less than 3 million…….
Owner sold it to the American Muscle Car museum in Florida. He said it did not present well at the auction. He got a much higher price price.
Yeah, how much was that?
The narrator here was terrible. Pretty funny hearing the barker trying to start out at a million, though. Did it actually sell?
The car sold a few weeks after the auction to a museum in Florida. The auction was terrible, the wrong venue for that car. But the car got exposure that eventually led to the sale.
That car was worth more than that considering the current market.... enough said.
Should've just kept it.. not worth selling for those peanuts. This cars worthy of a millions... all those camaros, chevelles, Mopars ain't worth the prices being paid.. amount of cars available are off the charts.
He sold it privately after the auction for the right price.
For sure one of a kind
That’s an insult,there’s only one.
I would give 10 mil for that car.
That thing sold for nothing considering all the work that went into the restoration.
auctions suck
Mecum 👎