The next big-ish auction on the calendar is Mecum Houston, which will tide us over until Bonhams Cars’ Goodwood Members Meeting Sale on April 13th. Mecum’s Houston event will be chock full of the usual American classic and muscle car lots, but there is some decent European metal on offer. In this week’s Market Monday, I’m highlighting 10 Euro gems at Mecum Houston 2025 that I believe could be potential bargains.

Mecum is auctioning around 1000 lots in Houston April 3-5, 2025. The vast majority of offerings are the typical Mecum fare of American muscle cars, classics, and trucks. Needless to say this will likely draw in an audience primarily interested in those lots, meaning the German, Italian and British cars have the potential to be mostly overlooked. This could lead to some potential bargains for the savvy bidder, especially in today’s buyer’s market.

In the list below I’ve selected my top 10 cars from the 100 or so European cars on offer. I’m not going to lie: there’s not much to choose from, given most of the cars are what I would consider standard used car fare. I tried to pick vehicles that represented the current market interest in the Rad-era or could just be fun summer season buys.

While my favorite BMWs (aside from icons like the M1) are the E34 and E39 5-series, the 3-series actually fits my usual preference for small cars. What makes this particular car special is its 3-liter 6-cylinder diesel engine. It’s only good for 280hp, but delivers a lot of grunt with 430 lb-ft of torque. Pity the 335d only came with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

When you’ve designed one of the most beautiful shapes ever draped over the chassis of a modern GT car, can you blame Maserati for keeping it essentially the same for a decade? Here’s a nice low-miles example of the Maserati GranTurismo and it’s offered at no reserve. Prices are soft for the GranTurismo and given this isn’t an S or MC/Stradale trim-level, it may sell for a song. This is one to watch.

The US variant of the M635SCi, badged “M6” in North America, was produced in rather low numbers with only 1,700 or so imported. Under the hood thumps a modified version of the engine from the M1 supercar, putting out enough horses to drag the 3,600lb car from 0-60 miles per hour in 6.8 seconds. This one wears “throwing star” wheels from the E34 M5, which isn’t a bad look. Personally I’d prefer the original alloys. Average values hover in the mid-40K USD for an M6. As the mileage is TMU on this one, a deal could be had. One to watch.

I’ve always had a soft spot for these low slung British GT cars with what is the most affordable V12 engine on the road today. The odometer reading of 53,088 is backed up by the interior, which appears to be in great shape. In today’s market, I’m not sure this car breaks out of the teens, but anything can happen.

The first new Bentley released after acquisition by the Volkswagen Group, Continental GT has been an undeniable success for the brand. While it’s not a coachbuilt car, quality actually benefits from VW’s mass-production techniques. You’ll want to ensure regular maintenance was performed on the 6.0-liter W12 engine. Convertible tops can be outrageously pricey to fix or replace, so the fact that this one needs service will dramatically dampen bidding.

Offered at no reserve, and rightly so given the mileage is TMU. This W203 C32 AMG looks rather clean inside, suggesting this car was taken care of, at least a little. Average prices hover around $10,000 for cars with under 100K miles, so this one should be a steal. I love understated cars, and this one was quick when new. They get bonus points for being used as the Medical Car for Formula 1 in estate trim.

If convertibles aren’t your thing, here’s a CGT coupe. Unlike the cab, this one is offered at no reserve, and could be another steal as it’s pretty clean but has a TMU notice on the listing. Early Continental GTs like this one are often pretty destroyed on the inside, as they come cheap these days and used buyers can’t afford to fix or maintain them properly. This one actually looks pretty nice. While beige isn’t the best color for the interior, the wood is beautiful. I bet this one goes for well under $30k based on recent sales data.

BMW spent a billion Deutsche Marks developing this car, and it was the first V12 road car fitted with a 6-speed manual. In North America, the 8-series is a pretty rare car with only 6,920 sold here. Based on the year this should have the M70 engine putting out a respectable 332hp. This one’s Euro-spec and was recently repainted. A bit of a dice roll, but could be a cheap entry into rarified Bimmer ownership.

Ferrari 308 prices have just gone through the roof in recent years, which I suppose is only natural. People have discovered that it’s one of the most beautiful cars to come out of Pininfarina. That said, values are a bit all over the place, ranging from the mid $50Ks up to $80K+ for low-miles cars. Despite being photographed in an RV sales lot, the meaning behind which escapes me, this car should do pretty well. It’s offered at no reserve, however, so a deal is possible. This lot’s recent high-dollar service should help it perform pretty well with bidders.

Lightly modified and recently serviced, this Guards Red over black 930 Turbo looks pretty good, though the photos aren’t exactly inspiring. The 930 got a 3.3-liter engine starting in 1978, and retained the 4-speed transmission all the way up to 1988, so this car should have both. Average values for cars in similar condition hover around $150K. We’ll see if this one manages to meet its reserve on April 5th.

Clearly Mecum Houston isn’t the ideal place to find the best selection of European sports cars, sedans, and grand tourers but it could be a great place to pick up a bargain.

Of the cars above, I’m probably most interested in how the 8-series BMW performs. A V12 BMW with a 6-speed feels like it should be worth much more money. 0-60 in 6 seconds is pretty good performance for the era, though many Bimmer faithful consider the car slow and ponderous. Perhaps it would have more cachet if the brand had released a beasty M8 version. To me, it’s immortalized forever as Neil McCauley’s ride in Michael Mann’s “Heat.” That alone should make it a cool car.

Which of the cars above sings to you? Let me know in the comments!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisals, and auction services for buyers and sellers of collector European cars. If you’re interested in acquiring an overseas car, give us a call or drop a line!