Despite coronavirus, Mecum's Indianapolis event will be biggest yet. Here's what to know.

Mecum Auctions CEO Dave Magers said in the lead-up to the annual auto extravaganza at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, he has gotten the same two questions over and over.

Yes, the event is still happening. And no, don't expect to see a stripped down, diet version of the beloved auction because of the newly established coronavirus protocols.

In fact, Magers said his team has been working alongside city, county and state officials for more than a month to ensure that attendees get the Mecum experience that they know and love.

"We think we thought of everything that needs to be done to run a safe auction in this environment. We have about 250 people working this event. They come from all over the country, and they're all wearing masks because I've been walking around making sure," Magers said Thursday afternoon while sporting a black face mask of his own. "Not only are you not getting a scaled-down version, you're getting a ramped-up version.

"It's Mecum-plus this time."

Masks and temperature checks

Friday marks the start of Dana Mecum’s 33rd Original Spring Classic Auction. It runs through July 18. While the event has been going strong for more than three decades, 2020 is the first year that the muscle cars and memorabilia will be paired with mandatory masks and temperature checks at the door.

Magers' claim that this will be the biggest to hit Indianapolis yet is backed by the number of rides up for grabs and the sheer scope of the event. Boasting around 2,000 vehicles and nine days of action, the event is a couple hundred cars and three days bigger than Mecum 2019.

Officials are also coming into Indianapolis with plenty of practice and a refined safety plan that has grown into a 10-page document. The Indiana auction will be the third Mecum event since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered plans, following events in Iowa and North Carolina.

"We took everything that we learned from safety protocols in Iowa and enhanced them for the North Carolina, which went very well and we had absolutely no issues. We did that again coming here to Indy," he said. "With everything that we've implemented in order to be able to hold this auction in a safe manner — and of course with this event being indoors and outdoors — it gives us a lot more capacity than we would have being at a convention center or a more closed in environment."

The new normal

Daily touch-free temperature screening will be required for all attendees and employees before entering auction grounds. The procedure involves a staff member briefly holding a no-touch thermometer to your forehead and getting a reading.

Anyone with a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees will not be allowed in.

Under the direction of Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, masks have become mandatory in Indianapolis, and that rule extends to Mecum.

"I know some people would look at the (mask mandate) and say, 'Oh no. The mask thing is going to hurt you.' But it's actually one of the better things to happen," Magers said. "It makes our lives a lot easier. You need to wear a mask to enter. Period."

Started Thursday: What to know about Marion County's mask requirement

For those who forget their masks at home, on-site masks will be provided. Officials working Thursday said about 10,000 masks have been ordered for those who need them.

The auction floor itself also looks a bit different while still retaining the traditional Mecum look and feel. The long rows of touching seats have been replaced with classroom style seating with tables and spaced out chairs.

The men and women working the auction are now seated behind large plexiglass barriers, and ushers will be working the floor to remind people not to share a table space with people they don't know. 

And much like your local grocery store, the entire event space is outfitted with hand sanitizer stations and reminders to maintain social distance.

How to attend remotely

Planning aside, Magers said he knows that there are a lot of auction fans who may not be comfortable going to the event. That's where online and phone bidding comes in.

"Right now we have about the same number of pre-registered and on-site bidders that we've had in each of the last five years, but what we're seeing is a significant increase in the number of internet and phone bidders," he said.

It also makes the television broadcast and the additional days vital to this year's event. Magers said while his team is more than able to do 2,000 cars in the traditional six days at previous events, the three additional days allow them to space out cars and manage crowds.

He also wants the newly established safety protocols to be apparent to anyone who tunes in as the event is broadcast on NBC Sports Network.

The headliners

One of the biggest attractions for Mecum Indianapolis 2020 is the nine Shelby Mustangs from the John Atzbach Collection, highlighted by the first 1965 Shelby GT350R Competition Model built.

Known as the “Flying Mustang” and driven by Ken Miles, Shelby 5R002 stands today as one of the most significant and historic competition cars ever constructed by Shelby American Inc., according to Mecum officials.

And if the name Ken Miles sounds familiar to movie buffs who aren't racing fans, it's because Christian Bale portrayed Ken Miles in the 2019 film "Ford v Ferrari."

Eight other rare Shelby Mustangs round out the collection, including two supercharged cars and one of the four GT350 convertibles produced in 1966. Atzbach’s Road Art collection will also be offered and includes approximately 15,000 items ranging from rare Shelby artifacts to original and authentic vintage automotive signs and collectibles.

Other auction headliners include a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible known as The Ultimate L88; Bill Holland’s 1947 Indianapolis 500-winning Indy Car known as the Blue Crown Spark Plug Special; two 1971 V-Code 440 6 BBL Plymouth Cuda Convertibles; a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta and more.

If you go

First thing's first. If you feel sick, don't go. If you do, don't forget your mask.

Advance tickets are being sold until 11:59 p.m. Thursday for $20 per person, per day.

Once the auction begins, tickets are $30 per person, per day at the gate and online. It runs through July 18.

Children 12 years and younger get in free.

All Mecum admissions are sold on a nonrefundable basis.

General parking is available for $10 a day and is handled directly through the Indiana State Fairgrounds. 

Also, don't forget your mask.

Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at 317-444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.