Forty years, 1,300 cars — and millions of guests and viewers.
This year, Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Auction celebrates four decades serving the collector-car hobby at WestWorld of Scottsdale, Monday, Jan. 17, through Sunday, Jan. 23. Gates open at 8 a.m. each morning, and bidding continues into the evening until the last docketed vehicle sells.
“Our 40th anniversary event celebrates the automotive passion that has transformed this hobby,” says Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson — “The World’s Greatest Collector Car AuctionsTM”. He notes that a book will be available at the auction commemorating those 40 years.
“We are expecting more than a 1,000 cars this year — all offered at no reserve,” adds Craig whose father, Russ Jackson, and business partner, Tom Barrett, first offered the “Fiesta de los Auto Elegantes” car show in Scottsdale in 1967.
Four years later, they held their first classic car auction at the Ramada Safari Resort, also in Scottsdale. Today, that original Barrett-Jackson event has expanded to four, including annual Palm Beach, Orange County and Las Vegas auctions.
Activities for the weeklong automotive event include a Cruise-In, the second annual Road Rally, Opening Night Party, Family Value Day and six days of no-reserve bidding.
Thousands of guests nationwide, who have made the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction an annual destination event, are expected to attend. In addition, to commemorate the 40th anniversary, SPEED will broadcast 40 hours of live coverage during the six auction days.
“Because we sell all of our cars at no reserve, we believe we are a true barometer of the collector car market,” says Craig, noting that this year’s Scottsdale auction will also reaffirm Barrett-Jackson’s commitment to vehicle diversity and widening buyer and bidder demographics.
This spectrum of cars includes numbers-matching classics, hot rods, resto-mods, exotics and muscle cars. “We want people at Barrett-Jackson to enjoy a large cross section of cars,” he says. “Many of the younger buyers are asking for more resto-mods, so we are seeing, and embracing, that broader demand. My associate at Barrett-Jackson, Steve Davis, likes to say, ‘We are a supermarket of collectibles.’ We think that’s healthy and a true mirror of the car market as it is today.”
Craig explains that Barrett-Jackson continues to celebrate the changing collector-car hobby: “We have been an incubator of new enthusiasts for years,” he says, explaining that the most recent Las Vegas auction attracted more than 50 percent new buyers and bidders — a very different paradigm than auction numbers 10 or 20 years ago.
He expects that the Scottsdale auction will green flag another good year offering, perhaps, new trends. “For a while, American muscle was Mopar like iconic Hemi ‘Cudas, but collections change and hot streaks change,” Craig says. He explains that the demand for collector Oldsmobiles has heated up, and Buicks and the just-discontinued Pontiac division cars may show particular strength in Scottsdale and the coming year.
To further celebrate 40 years, Barrett-Jackson, in partnership with SPEED, will offer bidders the opportunity to take home four collectible cars — all 1971 vintage — from the Barrett-Jackson Collection.
These vehicles will travel in a Barrett-Jackson anniversary-themed transporter nationwide to make appearances in 23 cities at race tracks, grassroots events and each of the four 2011 Barrett-Jackson auctions. The four anniversary vehicles will be auctioned and delivered at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction.
Among the cars offered this year in Scottsdale:
• 1953 Buick Skylark two-door hardtop — This is a one-off GM concept car with every option available at the time plus trunk-mounted factory air conditioning, foot-controlled signal-seeking radio and Skylark chrome knock-off wire wheels.
• 2002 Ferrari 360 Modena F1 Spider — This 100-percent original contemporary classic has 3,000 actual miles and includes the F1 paddle shift transmission. This is Rick Henrick’s personal 360 and has never been in inclement weather. Performance is 0–60 in 4.3 seconds, with a top speed of 183 mph. This is just one of 379 F1 Spyders produced from 1999 through 2004.
• 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible — An unrestored survivor, the 427/435- horsepower classic is 100 percent original, with 17,800 original documented miles. This rare car has Bloomington Gold awards, multiple NCRS Top Flights and is a Triple Crown award winner.
• 2010 Marine Technology Inc. Catamaran Custom 44-foot Performance Boat — This MTI was themed after a 2008 Special Edition Corvette Z06 with all the original GM parts used in the build such as original headlights, taillights, gauges, door panels, steering wheel and gear shift. It will be sold with the following two lots.
• 2006 American Tilt Custom Trailer — Customized to fit the Marine Technology Inc. 44-foot Z044 catamaran performance boat, it’s equipped with custom lighting, paint with Z044 logo, 18-foot storage box with hydraulic lid and 100-plus-gallon fresh-water tank. And,
• 2008 Chevrolet Corvette LE Z06 coupe — One of 427 Crystal Red Metallic Z06s built and delivered in North America, it includes the Z06 sports package with the 7.0L 427cid V8.
This year in Scottsdale, many collections will be represented, including cars and motorcycles of Sylvester Stallone such as his 1955 Ford F-100 Custom Pickup, driven by him in “The Expendables”; the collection of Alan Jackson, with muscle such as a 1970 Pontiac GTO two-door coupe. Others include cars owned by Keith Henderson (e.g., 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 two-door coupe, certified by Jerry McNieish); Lance Moretensen (e.g., 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge two-door convertible); and Rick Hendrick (e.g., 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS custom two-door hardtop).
In addition, Barrett-Jackson continues its tradition of charitable giving in Scottsdale 2011 with more than a dozen vehicles auctioned for local and national charities. These include a 1973 Chevrolet Corvette two-door coupe, detailed and donated by San Diego Classic and Muscle Cars of Escondido, Calif., and benefitting the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation, which was formed after Chip’s death from amyloidosis to help spread awareness of the disease and raise money for education and research.
Other charity cars include a 1971 Chevrolet C-20 Custom Pickup for Casa Esperanza Para Ninos (House of Hope for Children), a nonprofit providing an atmosphere that will protect, feed, nurture, educate and love children who would not otherwise have a stable environment for development; a 2009 Dodge Charger Race Car, driven by Kasey Kahne in Sprint Cup races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, for Paralyzed Veterans of America; and two vehicles for the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, providing awareness, prevention, support and ultimately a cure for paralysis: a 1990 Coors Extra Gold Top Fuel Dragster Replica and a 1974 Mercury Montego Street Version Race Car, a replica of the car David Pearson drove to defeat Richard Petty in the memorable 1976 Daytona 500.
Completing the list of groups benefitted at Barrett-Jackson by sales of cars and motorcycles are Motorsports Charities (a 2003 Victory Vegas motorcycle from Rusty Wallace’s collection); Cox Charities (the one-off Local Motors Rally Fighter); Bennett’s House (2011 Ford Mustang two-door Custom Coupe); Fisher House (2010 Hardcore Speedster Motorcycle); St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (2008 Ford Mustang FR500S Race Car); and ChildHelp and Victory Junction (2011 Ford Mustang Custom two-door coupe); two Rick Hendrick-donated vehicles (1996 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am IROC Racer and 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Callaway/Henrick Edition), both benefitting Carolina’s Healthcare Foundation; Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer (2010 Ford Mustang GT Pace Car Convertible); Child Safety Network (2007 Chevrolet Corvette two-door coupe); Ralph Braun Foundation (two 1981 Chevrolet Corvette coupes), the last one built at the St. Louis and the first at Bowling Green.
Finally, in January 2010, Barrett-Jackson established the Barrett-Jackson Cancer Research Fund in Memory of Russ and Brian Jackson to help fund colon and prostate cancer research at TGen North’s Center for Metagenomics and Human Health in Phoenix. Craig Jackson donated $500,000 in December 2009, and Rick Holland, car collector and Colorado Springs businessman, matched the donation.
Says Craig of Scottsdale 2011: “For 40 years, Barrett-Jackson has been one of the catalysts for the public acceptance of car collecting as a hobby, and we’re excited to throw a party for the millions of people who have joined us in that pastime.”
Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, www.barrett-jackson.com, 480.421.6694
