Televised car auctions can be entertaining, surprising

One of the benefits of the cable television service I receive is the tuner, where I can mute the sound from those detestable commercials. I routinely silence nearly all the commercials that come across the screen.

A few commercials are funny, enlightening or even inspirational and I’ll listen to them. Over and over.

The other night I was watching a broadcast of the Mecum collector car auction from Houston. For two hours I was entertained — mostly — by the cars that rolled through the auction block.

Then I saw a commercial from Mecum that pushed their auction experience and encouraged viewers to participate, even attending one of the events when it comes to their area.

I have seen the commercial countless times but this time it resonated mightily with me.

The commercial shows a little boy, pre-teen I think, getting a Hot Wheels model of a 1970 Dodge Challenger at his birthday party. Those memories from long ago and that tiny car apparently stayed with him throughout his life until he became a grandfather.

Fast-forwarding, the next scene shows the man on his desktop computer and his grandson asks to borrow the Challenger model on the desk. The boy has been coached by his grandmother to get the car. The woman looks very much like Sally Field, Burt Reynolds’ co-star in the “Smokey and the Bandit” movie.

Then we see the grandma attending a Mecum auction and apparently being the successful bidder on a real-life 1970 Challenger, in the same colors as the little model. The concluding scene shows a Mecum transport truck pulling up at the curb and unloading the real car to a very-surprised and emotional husband who gives his wife a heart-felt hug. There’s not much talking during the commercial but it supports the theme of having your dream realized.

I nearly tear up each time I see that commercial.

It speaks to the devotion, support and love our spouses bring to our pursuit of the old car hobby. We owe our significant others a big debt of gratitude for their encouragement of our passion for old cars and trucks.

It may not reach the level of buying an expensive collector car at auction but our wives, or husbands, often go the extra distance to show that what matters to us matters to them. That’s what is touching and stays with me on the Mecum commercial. My sweetie falls into that category, being attentive and interested when I babble some trivia about a 1952 Hudson or a 1970 Chevrolet Nova, going to a car show or a museum and buying things that mean a lot to me.

I think it’s only fitting that we acknowledge our gratitude to our spouses for their devotion and honor their desires with equal fervor. That’s the feeling I carry with me from that Mecum ad.

Sometimes the missus will join me as I watch a Mecum auction, asking questions every now and then listening to my babbling about a car shown on the screen. A car auction is high entertainment, something I would never have imagined being a regular, well-promoted feature on television. Keep them coming!

This latest auction from Houston had a couple of affordable surprises. The viewer generally doesn’t know what to expect next. I was surprised to see a 1964 Chevrolet Corvair coupe roll onto the block and quickly sell for just $4,000; that had to be the bargain of the century where Camaros and Mustangs regularly bring six-figure prices.

Then there was a no-frills 1956 Ford two-door sedan that sold for only $9,000; it was a nicely detailed car, mostly stock with a rejuvenated interior and sparkling two-tone paint job. Both the Corvair and Ford were within the reach of most hobbyists, where others fall into the stratospheric realm.

It’s all entertaining, of course, but I especially look for common 1950s and 1960s cars which show up now and then amongst the high-dollar exotic cars and muscle machines.

Enjoy the TV auctions and invite your spouse to join you for some rolling amusement and reflection.