Ford GT, Corvettes to set pace at RM's Auburn Fall Auction

AUBURN, Ind. – RM Auctions will host its Auburn Fall auction, a Labor Day weekend tradition for automotive enthusiasts, Aug. 29 – Sept. 1 at the historic Auburn Auction Park in Indiana. The four-day event will present more than 700 collector cars and an array of memorabilia including a roster of sought-after American performance and sports cars. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.

Leading the pack is a stunning example of Ford’s flagship supercar, a two-option 2005 Ford GT (above). An understated stripe-delete example, the GT is one of only 26 produced for 2005 in Quick Silver with side stripes only. The car is in near-factory original condition and presents exceptionally well throughout, showing only 313 miles (est. $300,000-$350,000).

Additional Ford highlights are a rare 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 (below) and a Ford-powered 1970 DeTomaso Mangusta. One of the toughest iterations of the period, the overwhelmingly original Boss 429 is one of just 500 examples built for 1970. Finished in eye-catching Grabber Blue, the Boss has seen just four documented owners from new, including nearly 30 years in proper heated storage (est. $210,000-$220,000).

Presented in original condition, the late-production DeTomaso (below) is offered from just two owners since new, having remained under the first caretaker’s ownership until 2016, and shows fewer than 13,000 km on the odometer. Equipped with a mid-mounted 302-cubic-inch Ford V-8 engine paired with a five-speed ZF transaxle, the Mangusta is a wonderful combination of breathtaking Italian design and reliable American horsepower (est. $200,000-$250,000).

RM Auctions will also present the Jim Mangione Collection at Auburn Fall, comprised of five iterations of “America’s sports car,” the Corvette, alongside a Pontiac Bonneville Custom Convertible. The star of the collection is a well-optioned 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray COPO Convertible, custom-ordered by Bill Mitchell, a GM designer. Equipped with the big block tri-power 427-cubic-inch, 400 horsepower V-8 engine, the roadster is finished in special Ermine White with red accents and a “stinger” graphic that extends past the passenger compartment, over the trunk lid and into the rear valance. The first Bloomington Gold Historic Award recipient, this well-documented Corvette would shine in any collection of American sports cars (est. $650,000-$850,000).

Accompanying the Sting Ray is a pair of highly desirable L88 convertibles, both equipped with the race-derived L88 427-cubic-inch V-8 engine and vaulting to 60 mph in an astounding 4.2 seconds. The first is a well-documented 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L88 Convertible, one of just 88 built for that year. Finished in a classic combination of British Green over saddle leather interior, this L88 is optioned with hard and soft tops, rally wheels, and a mandatory radio and heater delete. It has remained under the careful watch of Corvette enthusiasts for five decades. Restored by a marque expert, it remains one of the finest extant (est. $475,000-$575,000). The second is a ferocious 1969 Stingray L88 Convertible, one of only 116 and finished in Tuxedo Black over saddle upholstery with a tan soft top. The eminently drivable example presents well, retaining special-order charms such as a radio-delete blank plate, a chrome knob for its M22 four-speed manual gearbox, and the L88-specific hood (est. $475,000-$575,000).

Additional cars offered from the Jim Mangione Collection include a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette “Big Brake & Airbox” equipped with a fuel-injected 283-cubic-inch V-8 engine and the desirable “Airbox” cold-air intake and “Big Brake” package, and finished in Venetian Red with a factory hardtop and painted coves (est. $400,000-$500,000); a 1959 Chevrolet Corvette built in “gasser style” and finished in Damson Plum Firemist over burgundy fabric interior (est. $80,000-$100,000); and a first-year example 1958 Pontiac Bonneville finished in Patina Ivory with Redwood Copper accents and white and copper leather upholstery, and equipped with a 370-cubic-inch Tempest V-8 engine (est. $125,000-$150,000).

In addition to the auction action at Auburn Fall, there’s plenty of excitement for the entire family to enjoy. The event will feature an onsite swap meet and car corral, along with the DirtFish rally experience, stunt bike shows, a Kids Zone, and more. RV parking, golf cart rentals and great food vendors are also available to make Auburn Fall an enjoyable weekend destination for the whole family.

Interested bidders and consignors are invited to call 519-352 4575 to register or to speak with a car specialist.

View the fully illustrated catalogs and bid on LiveAuctioneers.