Welcome to the second installment of our new series, In The CorvSport Ring, where we attempt to answer the age-old question in this feverish auction world: Do no-reserve auctions really matter? Do they bring more money? Will a no-reserve auction generate more hype and bids? Just like our other exclusive market features, In The CorvSport Ring is FREE and not behind a paywall. If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article.
This week, we will visit the two big-tent auctions, the king of no-reserve auctions, Barrett-Jackson, and the self-dubbed undisputed champion of collector car auctions, Mecum. During my 17 years as a used-car dealer, some of my more exciting memories are those on the auction block when I was battling another dealer on a no-reserve vehicle. The adrenaline gets pumping with the thought that I was only ONE bid away from winning. And in theory, that psychology is why no-reserve auctions should generate more bidding and a higher sales price? But, do they?
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In our first bout, we ventured over to the most popular online auction platform, Bring a Trailer, and pitted two nearly identical Corvettes against each other for each round in the ring, for a total of six Vettes over three rounds. After the dust settled and the blood was cleaned off the mat, surprisingly, the RESERVE auctions won two out of the three rounds versus the NO-RESERVE Corvettes. We have a running tally below today’s bout if you’d like to revisit the first fight in person. Alright, enthusiasts, let’s get ready to rumble!
In The CorvSport Ring: Bout #2
The No-Reserve vs. Reserve Corvette Battle
ROUND ONE
♦ In The Barrett-Jackson No-Reserve Corner:
- 1972 Corvette LT1 Convertible 4-Speed
- Miles: Not listed
- Date Sold: Scottsdale 2024 (January)
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Mecum Reserve Corner:
- 1972 Corvette LT1 Convertible 4-Speed
- Miles: 24,542
- Date Sold: Kissimmee 2025 (January)
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round One Decision Goes To!
The Barrett-Jackson NO-RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $82,500
- Reserve Sales Price: $80,300
ROUND TWO
♦ In The Barrett-Jackson No-Reserve Corner:
- 1990 Corvette ZR-1 Coupe
- Miles: 45
- Date Sold: Scottsdale 2023 (January)
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Mecum Reserve Corner:
- 1990 Corvette ZR-1 Coupe
- Miles: 56
- Date Sold: Indy 2024 (May)
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round Two Decision Goes To!
The Mecum RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- Reserve Sales Price: $62,700
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $52,800
ROUND THREE
♦ In The Barrett-Jackson No-Reserve Corner:
- 1963 Corvette Split-Window 327/340 HP Coupe
- Miles: Not listed
- Date Sold: Scottsdale 2025 (January)
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Mecum Reserve Corner:
- 1963 Corvette Split-Window 327/340 HP Coupe
- Miles: 8,686 showing
- Date Sold: FL Summer Special 2024 (July)
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round Three Decision Goes To!
The Mecum RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- Reserve Sales Price: $162,250
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $161,700
BOUT #2 Summary
Yikes, did you see how close some of these rounds were, especially the Split-Window Coupes?!? As always, CorvSport recognizes that this is not a scientific study and is primarily intended for entertainment purposes. While we attempted to find nearly identical models with sale dates that are close to each other, the auction market databases do limit how perfect our comparisons can be. Did any of the results surprise you? How about the tally, and that the reserve Corvettes are winning over no-reserve Vettes somewhat handily in these early rounds?!?
In The CorvSport Ring: Running Tally
[Updated and archived after every episode–click each bout to see the whole fight]
- BOUT #1 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 1 Reserve 2
- BOUT #2 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 1 Reserve 2
- Running Tally: No-Reserve 2 Reserve 4
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Thanks for joining CorvSport for our second bout! Are you CORVETTE OBSESSED like we are? The team of renowned authors and contributors at CorvSport hopes you sense our passion for the iconic Corvette, and our vast database of articles and guides should prove it–5000+ features since Scott Kolecki founded CorvSport over 15 years ago! Join the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 169,000 followers (50,000 since January 2023!). Meet other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello. This is Douglas B. signing off–click here if you would like to view more of my features.
