Later on in his collecting years, Brewis developed a taste for modern exotics, a passion that ultimately began with a 2017 McLaren. As a result, his collection grew even more to incorporate his newfound appreciation for exotic performance, with Brewis adding numerous unique and exclusive cars from the likes of Lamborghini and McLaren, many of which will cross the auction block in Kissimmee this January. Brewis knew it was better to pay a premium for a low- or no-mile, well-preserved gem than to restore a car that had long been neglected, and as such, he understood the high level of care and maintenance that was needed to ensure those cars remained gems. It was something he took great pride in. Brewis viewed each of his cars as an investment, and they were treated accordingly, with Brewis protecting his investments by maintaining them in top condition during their time in his collection. While Brewis was never one to sell his cars, he ultimately decided to begin thinning out his extensive collection two years ago, selling more than 100 of the cars he had collected over his lifetime. The selection now headed to Mecum Kissimmee 2022 from the Jerry Brewis estate includes the remaining 45 cars, the very last of his top-shelf automobiles that he hadn’t yet decided to part with before his passing earlier this year, and all are set to cross the auction block at no reserve. With Brewis’ first purchase being a fuel-injected 1957 Corvet te convertible, included in this collection and showing a mere 71 miles on the odometer, it’s no surprise that Corvettes make up a large part of the Jerry Brewis Estate Collection, with examples ranging from the early Corvettes of the mid-‘50s and early ‘60s up to the newest iterations of America’s Sports Car. Some are stunningly original, with one of his ’59 convertibles and his pair of ’61 convertibles all being recipients of the Duntov Mark of Excellence, amongst other awards, and yet others have been treated to some modern upgrades, like his 1964 convertible that is the result of a two-year build by HIS Place of Emmitsburg, Maryland, and his other ’59 convertible, which packs a 6.2L/505 HP LS32 V-8 engine beneath the hood and claimed First Place Best Vette at SEMA in 2012. Meanwhile, his selection of modern Corvettes spans from rare prototypes, customs and low-mile examples to those that are nearly fresh off the production line. Among these are a pair of AAT Commemorative Edition Corvettes, the 2003 example being one of only two concepts produced, and the example from 2002 bearing No. 97 of the 50-Year Edition production run and showing only 13,075 miles. His 2010 Z06 split-window and 2014 Z51 Forgiato carry on the custom tradition, with the latter claiming SEMA Car of the Year in 2014. His 2009 ZR1 shows just 36 miles on the clock, though it’s still not the lowest mileage Corvette in the collection, with his 2020 3LT coupe and 2019 ZR1 both only showing 11 miles, his 2012 ZR1 showing just 8 miles and his 2017 Grand Sport Heritage Edition sporting a dedication plate to Jerry and Lori Brewis and showing just 7 miles. MECUM.COM // 53
