Barrett-Jackson 45th Scottsdale: In Front From the Start
A magnificent 1953 Delahaye 235 Saoutchik, Boyd Coddington’s last creation, three consecutive VIN #001 Corvettes, 1955−1957, the famous “Entombed” and “Purple People Eater” ’Vettes, and an A list of celebrities will be among the stars of the 45th Barrett-Jackson Anniversary Scottsdale auction, Jan. 23−31, at WestWorld of Scottsdale.
In nine days of celebration and car mania, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions® will feature 1,400-plus vehicles on the auction block with most selling at No Reserve, events, exhibits, new symposiums, Ride ’N Drives and Thrill Rides with Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge, the extensive Barrett- Jackson vendor marketplace and family fun.
“Forty-five years ago, my father, Russ Jackson, and his friend, Tom Barrett, started the auction with a few select cars in a hotel parking lot in Scottsdale,” recalls Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson, which also produces annual events in Palm Beach, Florida, at Mohegan Sun, Connecticut, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Now, more than four decades after that first Sunday-afternoon event, Barrett-Jackson is the World’s greatest collector car auction,” he adds. “And it has evolved into a true lifestyle event.”
New for the 45th Anniversary Scottsdale are the Experts’ Symposiums throughout the week. Attendees can meet with Barrett-Jackson’s team to learn about what to look for when buying a car. For every company auction, these professionals review high-end and rare cars that consignors may represent as having matching numbers or a show history.
“Barrett-Jackson has always been as much about the future as the past,” Jackson explains, “and that’s why we continue to bring new assets to our events such as these informative symposiums.”
Remaining a constant is the charity commitment. In its 45 years, Barrett-Jackson has raised more than $84 million –– $8.6 in 2015. “We’re honored to be able to help raise funds supporting a variety of charities, including our veterans and active service members and their families, cancer research at TGen in Phoenix, Childhelp and numerous other causes throughout the community,” says Jackson, noting that Childhelp was particularly close to his brother Brian’s heart, and it remains an essential part of the charity life for Barrett-Jackson, 20 years after his death.
Many celebrities are expected such as last year’s Jeff Gordon, Sharon Stone, the Valley’s car-loving Alice Cooper, Chip Ganassi, Reggie Jackson, Stirling Moss, Don Prudhomme, Bobby Rahal and Linda Vaughn. As always, media coverage is exemplary: Velocity and Discovery Channel will include live broadcasts to 100-plus countries internationally.
The anniversary festivities begin with the Cox Family Value Day on Saturday, Jan. 23, with free admission for children under 12. On the 24th, the memorabilia auction begins, and on Jan. 25 the by-invitation Opening Night Gala will welcome registered bidders, consignors and sponsors. And, on Jan. 26, the Collector Car auction begins.
“The Barrett-Jackson 45th anniversary celebration is a true automotive lifestyle experience and the most incredible environment of its kind anywhere,” says Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “Our amazing docket will be a milestone in Barrett-Jackson history, showcasing cars that will impress even the most car-savvy professionals.”
Classics
The 1953 Delahaye 235 Saoutchik (#1379.1) is one of the superspecial Barrett-Jackson Salon cars, representing the vintage autos that Tom Barrett and Russ Jackson began offering in 1971 when they started out with their first event.
After World War II, Delahaye, founded in 1895, was one of the first French firms to resume production. With custom coachwork by the renowned Jacques Saoutchik of Paris, this Delahaye is the only Saoutchik-bodied Delahaye Type 235 existing. Just the following year, both Delahaye and Saoutchik closed. This magnificent example was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1990 and returned in 2012.
Three additional Salon cars are a 1950 Ferrari 195 S Inter Superleggera (#1395), a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Kellner (#1398) and a 1947 Talbot-Lago T-26 Worblaufen Cabriolet (Lot #1383).
The first chassis in the 195 series and a former Tornio show car with singular features, the Ferrari would be eligible for the Mille Miglia, Colorado Grand, Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti and even the Shell Ferrari-Maserati Challenge.
With performance comparable to a 166 MM, this superb early Ferrari is offered with a tool kit, jack and manuals as well as a complete report compiled by marque guru Marcel Massini that includes ownership history and copies of the original Ferrari Build Sheets.
Delivered in May 1934 to Edmond Blawl of St. Cloud, France, the Rolls-Royce marries one of the most desirable chassis of its day with the striking coachwork of Kellner, the highly respected French car-body builder.
After two additional ownerships, it came to the U.S. in 1956 and was recently restored by one of California’s premier facilities. This low-mileage RR was the Gwenn Graham Award winner for the most elegant open car at the 1990 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, followed by Best of Show at the 1991 Chicago International Concours d’Elegance and Best of Show at the 1991 Fisher Island Concours d’Elegance.
The elegant Talbot-Lago has a 4.5-liter, 6-cylinder engine and a Wilson pre-selector gearbox used in Talbot race and road cars. This is one of just three Talbot-Lago T-26 Cabriolets built by Carrosserie Worblaufen, one of the most important Swiss coachbuilders. The company produced cabriolets and roadsters using prewar Isotta-Fraschini, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo and Bugatti chassis. After World War II, they worked on Talbot-Lago, Delahaye, Bentley and Lancia.
“The sporty chassis of the Talbot-Lago T26 was a favorite of European coachbuilders,” Jackson explains, noting that the car is being offered at sale for the first time in 24 years.
American Salon classics include three Desoto Adventurers, which will be docketed in consecutive years, 1957 (#1380), 1958 (#1381) and 1959 (#1382), and a 1965 Shelby 289 Cobra, CSX 2495 (#1396), by the legend.
“Three consecutive Desotos like these convertibles is an incredibly rare find,” Jackson says. “These remarkable vehicles selling at No Reserve gives our bidders an excellent opportunity to own a piece of American automotive history.”
Corvettes
The same year this year’s Delahaye 235 Saoutchik appeared, the first 300 Corvettes left Flint, Michigan. And this year, the 45th Barrett-Jackson has ’Vettes, ’Vettes and more ’Vettes.
“I couldn’t be more excited about our docket of Corvettes,” Jackson says. “We’ve always had exceptional groupings of America’s sports car at our auctions, but this may be the best we’ve ever offered to our buyers. We are very proud of them.”
The three VIN #001 Corvettes begin with a 1955 convertible (#1351), Polo White on Red and White interior, featuring the 265-cid V-8 engine. This car has scored an extraordinary 99.3, leading to a 2008 NCRS Top Flight award.
The 1956 convertible (#1352), with a Motorama show color combination of Venetian Red with Polo White coves and solid Red interior, including the dash, has the first dual 4-barrel production engine, rated at 225 horses with a special solid-lifter Duntov 098 camshaft.
The 1957 Cascade Green and beige convertible (#1353) was the first production 283-cid Corvette as well as the first production 283-cid Chevrolet vehicle with most components dated July 1956, including the engine, transmission and differential.
The “Entombed” Corvette, a 1954 Corvette (#1279) was owned by Richard Sampson, a Maine businessman who enclosed it in a brick and mortar vault in 1959. His daughter broke down the walls in 1986 and has preserved it since. Amazingly, it still has the same 2,335 odometer miles when she disentombed it 28 years later.
Another ’Vette with a past is a 1967 Corvette 427/435 convertible (#1372), the “Music Car” as it was owned by musician Freddie Haeffner and used to promote his band at car shows and parades until 1987. A multiple Bloomington Gold winner and part of the Bloomington Gold Hall of Fame, it is also a five-time NCRS Regional or National Top Flight award recipient and was awarded the coveted NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence.
The Rally Red Corvette features a close-ratio 4-speed transmission, 3.55 posi-traction, F41 suspension, telescopic steering column, power brakes, N89 bolt-on wheels, side exhaust, transistor ignition, 7.75×15 Firestone nonDOT red line tires, tinted glass, AM/FM radio and the original white soft-top. Music to any ’Vette lover, for sure.
Another very rare, original, unrestored 1967 427/435 Corvette coupe (#1371) is liveried in Tuxedo Black with Black leather interior. This Corvette features a factory-original 435- horse engine, a 4-speed close-ratio transmission and a factory-original side-exhaust.
And, from the Chip Miller Collection, a particularly colorful Corvette is the 1959 “Purple People Eater” (#1389), a fuel-injected car that won that year’s SCCA National Championship in the B/Production class with Jim Jeffords driving and campaigned by Nickey Chevrolet.
“Every one of our 45th Anniversary Corvettes has a great story,” Davis says. “As exciting as it’s been to work with their owners –– the current caretakers –– it’s just as exciting to see these cars pass on to the next set of owners to preserve these amazing Corvette legacies.”
Coddington
The 1938 Boyd Coddington V-12 Hemi (#1387) was the great Boyd Coddington’s last build before his death, undoubtedly Figoni et Falaschi-inspired as it is patterned after a few of the pre- and postwar Delahayes, principally the full-fender 1939 Type 165 and the 1949 Type 175S.
On a custom Art Morrison chassis and a hand-formed aluminum body by Marcel & Sons, it’s powered by a 12.8-liter (781 cid), all-aluminum HEMI V-12 BPM marine motor, 12 Weber cars turned into easily manageable throttle bodies and an upgraded Turbo 400 transmission.
A custom Ford nine-inch rear end, coil-over suspension and one-off Boyd Coddington wheels are also included. Inside is a luxurious ostrich/cowhide leather interior. Coddington’s last vision for a car, it comes with a Letter of Authenticity from his wife, Jo.
The “French Connection” represents Coddington at his best, says his son, Boyd Coddington Jr. “My dad . . . strived to personalize each hot rod to be different without being odd. [He] set a standard for his workmanship, creativity and thinking from which he never deviated.”
Barrett-Jackson, barrett-jackson.com, 480.421.6694