TMCP #432: Frank Mecum; Growing Up Inside the Worlds Largest Classic Car Auction – Ask Rick, How Ford VIN Verification Began

The MuscleCar Place

Robert Kibbe

Automotive, Leisure, Business, Careers

4.8 • 701 Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2020

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week I spoke to Frank Mecum of Mecum Auctions. In most of my interviews the story starts "at a young age with a love of cars". This story does have that theme, but begins with two generations of Mecums (including Dana Mecum and his father) working in and owning new car dealerships for years. Early on they came across a large collection of collectible cars that allowed the set up the first Mecum auction ever. The event took place at the Rockford airport in Illinois and after the cars were sold a tornado came through and destroyed nearly everything - including the cars. Frank said that his grandfather owed so many people money after that auction that he had to do it again the next year. The start was humble, but it led to the Mecum auction enterprise we know today.

The post TMCP #432: Frank Mecum; Growing Up Inside the Worlds Largest Classic Car Auction – Ask Rick, How Ford VIN Verification Began first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Muscle Car Place Online Podcast, episode number 432. This week, it's our ever popular first of
0:06.3	the month Ask Rick segment with Rick Schmidt, plus a little chat with Frank Meekam from Meekam
0:11.6	auctions on growing up in the auction business. His father, Dana, is well known in this industry,
0:17.4	of course, but the entire Meekam family makes this tick. And I was curious,
0:22.9	was it Frank's goal to be a part of this from the beginning? Was it expected of him? Was it something
0:27.8	he wanted to do? Turned out, he caught the bug early. We bought it, I think it was like $7,000.
0:34.7	And a couple came up to us the next day as we were loading the car and said they
0:39.2	wanted to buy it and we sold it. I think I made $700 and I thought I was the richest kid in the
0:44.7	world.
0:49.5	This is the Muscle Car Place Weekly Online podcast. Brought to you by National Parks Depot. This is the Muscle Car Place, weekly online podcast. Brought to you by National Parks Depot.
0:56.4	This is the weekly show dedicated to people worldwide who love American muscle cars.
1:02.2	Whether you're buying them, selling, restoring, or even racing them, this is the place for you.
1:08.6	Now, here's your host, Rob Kibby. Yes, indeed, I am Rob Kibby, and welcome to the Muscle Car Place podcast.
1:16.9	Well, everybody, happy June. Summer is here. A fun show today with Rick Schmidt and Frank Meekam.
1:23.2	It will be nice to get back into the saddle of things. Sure, a whole lot going on in the world right now, isn't there?
1:29.2	This is June 1st.
1:30.6	Doesn't it seem like the Super Bowl was eight years ago?
1:37.3	Right?
1:38.4	Man, time is just going so slowly right now.
1:41.8	Tell you what, we addressed this a little bit in the Kidby and Friends show.
1:44.5	Not going to spend a lot of time on it.
1:46.4	I know that for a lot of us, what's happening right now, here in the states especially,
	...

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