Cops N Rodders-Spring Classic Auto Auction

Welcome to another edition of Cops N Rodders! This month, I'll be featuring not one but many cars! In May, I went with "The Crew" to Dana Mecum's 39th Original Spring Classic auto auction in Indianapolis, Indiana. Right in our back door, over 3,000 classic cars are offered for sale.

I haven't been a cop my whole life; before becoming a full-time police officer, I worked in the automotive industry. Going to the Auto Auction was part of the job. Now, in my later years, going to Mecum's is an experience. For more details about the Mecum experience, visit their website at www.mecum.com.

Our day began early. Brother Bob, Uncle Gary, and Bob's lifelong friend Brian, aka "Mil," were along for the trip. 

We headed out in the early morning hours in Bob's Ford F-350 Crew Cab Diesel, pulling a car trailer, in case we were successful in buying at least one car.

Half the fun of the trip is getting there. The cab of the truck was full of fun conversation, talking cars, and, most of all, "Talking smack" about one another's cars. Bob was taking jabs at me, and my 1979 Pontiac Trans Am. I dished it back about his Nova, and his 1966 Ford Mustang that's been under a cover for the last 25 years, but that's a story for another day.

We soon arrived at the Indianapolis Fairgrounds, parked the rig, and headed into the main building to get our bidder numbers and press credentials, for me that is, and worked our way around the display areas to find those cars that piqued our interest.

When going to the Auction, stay focused on which car or cars you want to buy. When attending a large classic car auction, you can quickly become a "Kid in a Candy store."

My quest for this sale was to find a 1982-1993 Ford Mustang Fox Body SSP (Special Service Package). Police Agencies used these for traffic enforcement. These cars were a favorite for drivers when they were offered for sale after police service. Today, these cars are rare in their original condition.

I was not able to find a Mustang SSP; however, I did find a 1970 Plymouth Satellite, mocked up to look like a Plymouth Road Runner and marked as a California Highway Patrol Car! Lot T186. Now this car was cool, and is our feature car for this story, among other cool cars I picked out.

The 1970 Plymouth Satellite was not an actual police car, but a fun mock-up. The car has a 318 Cubic Inch V-8 engine, an automatic transmission, and what we call an open rear differential. The car has an aftermarket Super Bee aerodynamic front end, fender scoops, and a Superbird high-rise wing. The car is painted black and white and lettered with California Highway Patrol graphics.

I was seriously thinking about buying this car because of how unique it is and the attention it would draw at public events and the like. I developed a market value, then headed into the arena to watch the bidding. 

The car drew quite a crowd, and the bidding quickly exceeded the price I was going to pay. As with any other auction, when you have two bidders for the car, auction magic happens. Lot T186 sold for $31,900.00!! I wanted to pay between $20,000 and $22,500.00, in case you were wondering. 

The 2026 Mecum auction set a new record for sales, with total sales of $193 million, and Dana Mecum's 39th Original Spring Classic closing in on $200 million. Over the nine-day event, held May 8-16, more than 2,600 lots crossed the auction block, achieving a strong sell-through rate of 76%. Thanks in large part to the incredible lineup of vehicles offered at Mecum Indy 2026, the Auction shattered its previous event record of $124 million, posting an almost $70 million increase to $193 million. The final day of the Auction, Saturday, May 16, set a new single-day record for the Spring Classic, with sales totaling $127 million, surpassing last year's total and the event's overall record high. With the Bid Goes On department still closing deals, total sales are expected to continue increasing in the coming days. 

Do you have a car with a great story you'd like featured in this column? You can email me at Marcthecop@tippgazette.com, 

The opinions and statements in this column are those of the author, who is not affiliated with any law enforcement agency. This column is for entertainment purposes only. Persons referred to may be fictional for comedic purposes only.