KISSIMMEE, Fla. – In case you were wondering if the collector car world would be under duress in today’s post-pandemic, inflationary world, results from one of the year’s early auctions indicates quite the opposite. Major auctions have continued to grow in popularity year over year, and interest in collectible Ford vehicles of every vintage and stripe has grown along with them. Some big auction companies hold events all across the United States every year, garnering news headlines for notable cars as well as live TV coverage, and 2023 is no exception.

Each January, Mecum Auctions holds a big event in central Florida, just a short drive south from Orlando, to jump-start the collector-car auction season. For this year, the auction house again lined up high-end collector cars as the headliners, as well as plenty of classics that everyday fans could both bid on and afford. After a 12-day run that concluded on January 15 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, a record 4,000 vehicles were consigned from 47 states, with the 3,180 that were sold racking up a record $23 million in total sales. The top Ford, a 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra Roadster, sold for $1.43 million. Not only does the show auction off cars, but also motorcycles, tractors, road art – even boats.

As is usually the case for events in The Sunshine State, Jeff Burgy, our Florida Ford super enthusiast and SAAC-MCR Club founder, was on-site with his camera to seek out the Fords that would be crossing the block in Kissimmee. As he walked through all the displays on the show grounds, he found exemplary Fords from many different generations. From vintage 1960’s Ford drag cars and early Shelby Cobras to modern Ford GT’s and the latest Mustang variants, Burgy sent us photos of some the top Blue Oval rides he saw there to share with our FordPerformance.com readers in his gallery below:

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY JEFF BURGY