Glendale 2026

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<a href="https://www.mecum.com/auctions/glendale-2026/collections/from-the-john-lemmons-collection/">The From the John Lemmons Collection</a> refuses to lean on spectacle or volume. It reveals itself the way beautiful meanings often do—gradually and quietly, once pulses slow enough to notice that something in front of them is uniquely special. When the Lemmons assemblage heads to Mecum Glendale 2026 this March, it won’t feel like a finale so much as a turning of pages, the sound of velvety paper being leafed through in a well-read book.

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John Lemmons was never the fellow to chase milestones, trophies or headlines. Rather, he followed a sensation—an early, indelible yank that took hold of a young boy as he stood beside his grandfather’s 1930 Chevrolet, bought new and lived with as a family car. It wasn’t cautiously preserved as a garage goddess; it was utilized, enjoyed and counted on. That distinction mattered for Lemmons. It taught him that machines, like people, reveal their true character only when they are allowed to live.

“I remember being captivated by it,” Lemmons expressed. Though this captivation was not by rarity or value, but by the reality of discovering that things can be both beautiful and utilitarian.

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What followed was an accumulation steered by instinct. Lemmons would go on to save patiently, search carefully and construct a wide-ranging collection that suited his taste. Cars would find him through magazines and classifieds, auctions and trades, and through like-minded conversations that carried a certain recognition between people who understood what “originality” really meant. When he sensed something truly rare surfacing, Lemmons traveled out of state, far out of his way, because he knew that the best specimens rarely popped up within arm’s reach. These cars were always low-mileage, unaltered and authentically honest. Mecum became part of that journey too, as a reliable hunting ground for some of the most consequential vehicles ever built.

Having formed a special appreciation for the Mecum platform, Lemmons is now ready to return to the auction stage, this time offering his assemblage as the From the John Lemmons Collection.

The Cars of the John Lemmons Collection

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When asked about his favorite car, Lemmons first laughed, then pondered. He settled on his <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166119/1931-lincoln-limousine">1931 Lincoln Limousine</a> at the end of his reflection.

“Gosh,” he said. “I’ve owned it for over 20 years. Does that make it my favorite?”

Its Willoughby aluminum body bears the posture of prewar world stylings: formal without a trace of stiffness. Beneath it, a few wonderful updates breathe life into an old soul, where a 460 CI V-8 Lincoln drivetrain, circa 1975, hums with modest conviction, while Vintage Air dispels the dread of modern summer heat. Power steering and brakes with front discs, cruise control, a tilt steering column with Banjo-style wheel, and folding footrests are additional amenities that exhibit just why this might be Lemmons’ “favorite.” This is not a car trying to be “old” or “new.” It is simply itself, allowed to persist with a couple of subtle additions that make the drive just a tad more pleasurable.

More compact and better suited for U-turns, the collection’s <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166112/1946-mercury-sportsman-convertible/?aa_id=763401-0">1946 Mercury Sportsman Convertible</a> occupies an ephemeral postwar moment. One of just 205 built, its Botsford Blue Green finish settles on the eye like an ancient, rediscovered pigment, while maple and mahogany bodywork reflect an era when materials were chosen for how long they would endure, not for how long they would impress—although the latter’s grand success is undeniable. A body-off restoration completed in 2014 is transparent throughout. Beneath the surface sits a 239 CI flathead V-8, paired with a 3-speed manual transmission and faithful Columbia rear end.

Timber reappears across the collection in the same manner a ship’s deck does at port—glossy, dependable and quietly fascinating to those unaccustomed to hand-crafted work. The <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166123/1942-mercury-woody-wagon">1942 Mercury Woody Wagon</a>, purportedly once a Naval staff car, exudes the subtle authority of service and chugs along under the power of a 239 CI flathead V-8 and 3-speed transmission.&nbsp;

Another timber darling, Lemmons’ <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166114/1950-ford-custom-deluxe-country-squire-wagon/?aa_id=763399-0">1950 Ford Custom Deluxe Country Squire Woody Wagon</a>, correspondingly houses its own 239 CI flathead. The charming car was once part of The Nick Alexander Collection and is offered with its manuals intact. These Woody autos are just two instances where the John Lemmons collection rewards patience over spectacle, understanding over appraisal, and care over conquest, where lavish wood is not so much an ornament but evidence of a caretaking discipline rehearsed over many years.

When high-performance dexterity enters a narrative, it should do so with charisma. Such is the case with Lemmons’ <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166111/1969-ford-torino-cobra-fastback/?aa_id=763400-0">1969 Ford Torino Cobra</a>, a muscle icon uninterested in compromise. Its concours restoration by Steve’s Auto Restorations Inc. was thorough enough to earn accolades for engine and paint at the Portland Rod and Custom Show, but impressive distinctions were never the solitary goal for this Blue Oval legend. The 428 Cobra Jet engine, C6 automatic transmission, factory air and the radio with optional fader remind road-carving muscle motorists that superiority once arrived fully evolved, unrestrained and prepared for almost anything—speed-wise, that is.

From the John Lemmons Collection: Cars on the Move

Regular usage was never restricted in this assemblage. For years, Lemmons piloted his cars whenever the weather was acceptable, occasionally taking them to shows and allowing them to live cheerfully in motion rather than the doldrums of climate-controlled repositories. He understood something often overlooked in the collector car hobby: Motion is its own form of preservation.

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Lemmons’ <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166113/1948-ford-super-deluxe-convertible/?aa_id=760757-0">1948 Ford Super Deluxe</a> reflects that “active” philosophy. Restored to like-original condition, it carries subtle personal choices, such as a leather interior that never appeared on the order sheet, though it is executed quite faultlessly. The Columbia rear end, blue-dot tail lights and wood-grain trim illustrate just how each element was positioned with care and an appreciation for the right look.

Around these mechanical anchors gather reminders of eras when automobiles were shaped by temperament as much as design, such as a <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166115/1973-ford-ltd-brougham">1973 Ford LTD Brougham</a>, a <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166124/1962-oldsmobile-98-sedan">1962 Oldsmobile 98 Sedan</a>, a <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166128/1958-pontiac-bonneville-convertible">1958 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible</a>, a <a href="https://www.mecum.com/lots/1166122/1954-mercury-monterey-sun-valley">1954 Mercury Sun Valley </a>and numerous others that are not footnotes so much as complements to an already extensive, exemplary array of vehicles.

Lemmons is now pivoting his full concentration toward family and other heartfelt affairs that ultimately outweigh his devotion to automotive accumulation. While he has loved every moment with his cars, there is no sorrow in his decision—only bold, confident certainty that a life, too, must move forward to endure.

What John Lemmons hopes to maintain within his collection offering is understanding. “I hope people will grasp the real treasure within these cars,” he said. “These days, having something all-original, low mileage and taken care of meticulously for many years is a rare, rare thing.”

<a href="https://www.mecum.com/auctions/glendale-2026/collections/from-the-john-lemmons-collection/">This collection</a> exists because John Lemmons listened carefully over a lifetime and noticed when something motorized had an important statement to make. When the From the John Lemmons Collection crosses the block at <a href="https://www.mecum.com/auctions/glendale-2026/">Mecum Glendale 2026</a>, the cars will continue a mission begun decades ago, right beside a grandfather’s remarkable 1930 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chevrolet</a>, when captivation first took hold of a car-adoring young boy and never quite let go.

What Moves Forward Is What Endures

From the John Lemmons Collection heads for the auction block at Mecum Glendale 2026