We may soon all be in cars that are driving themselves to work, school or on long trips, but while automotive technology continues to evolve, some things never change. Like the appeal of the muscle car. It defines an era, and has been amplified in movies too numerous to mention—Vanishing Point, Bullitt, Gone in 60 Seconds and so many more. 

Even if you’ve never owned a muscle car, odds are you know someone who did. Or maybe your father owned one. Or his grandfather. Maybe they let you drive it. Maybe they just let you look at it. The memories these cars evoke is very powerful, which is why collectors are still snapping them up left and right to this day.

And some of the era’s finest pieces of machinery can be yours for the right price this week, as Mecum Auctions comes to Las Vegas for its fifth annual collector car auction.

Las Vegas has quickly become one of the most important destinations for Mecum, drawing fans from the entire southwest region—Arizona, Southern California and Nevada. Since hosting events here, attendance has been strong, as has the bidding. And it’s not just cars—earlier this year, Mecum held its 30th annual vintage and antique motorcycle auction at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Despite being limited to registered bidders and consignors only, that event still generated plenty of buzz. 

That buzz is sure to be just as strong, if not stronger, as Mecum returns to the LVCC this week. Aficionados will be able to tour the collection of approximately 1,000 vehicles on display. Three cars in particular, all of them in black, are sure to be hot items on the auction block:

 A 1959 Chevrolet Impala with a Rochester fuel-injection system on a 283/290 horsepower, solid-lifter Ram Jet V-8 engine and a T10, 4-speed transmission;

 A triple-black 1966 Pontiac GTO convertible, featuring an original 389/360 horsepower, tri-power V-8 engine and original 4-speed manual transmission;

 A triple-black 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle, completely rust-free and sporting a 427/500 horsepower, GM crate engine and a Richmond 4-speed transmission.

While muscle cars are undoubtedly expected to be the highlight of this year’s Las Vegas auction, there are endless varieties of other types of vehicles, everything from exotics and hot rods to customs and classics. For instance, the Pacific Northwest Collection at No Reserve spans multiple decades:

 A 1932 Ford custom coupe (which is known as Mud-Usa) featuring a blown 468 CI V-8 engine;

 A custom Rat Rod Dually 1940 International with a blown dual-quad hemi V-8 engine (it has been dubbed “Mr. Hookenstein”);

 A 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, with a 282 CI engine and automatic transmission;

 A Chevrolet Impala bubble top, with a 282 CI V-8 engine, Powerglide transmission and factory-optioned power steering and power brakes.

This week’s auction is the first of three to be held by Mecum in what’s being called “The October Takeover” (The other two will be in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Chicago). 

Las Vegas Convention Center, Oct. 7-9, $20-$30, mecum.com

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