New Year, New Gear
The popular Barrett-Jackson Cup custom car competition returns this month as part of the 2023 collector car auction festivities at WestWorld. The contest selects 50 of the top custom car and truck creations that battle it out for multiple prizes ending in the selection of the Ultimate Best in Show as well as a People’s Choice Award that is picked by auction fans nationwide via social media.
Of those top 50 participants are two classic rides recently restored by Tucson-based Crown Concepts, from owners Curtis Brown and Joey Martin. The duo is proudly boasting their updated rides for the annual motomania event, including a 1961 Willys Jeep Truck and a 1969 Buick GS400, two rides with vast visual differences.
According to marketing director Christopher Loa, these two cars specifically show “the best of what Crown has done in terms of build quality and custom design up to this point. We have built several classic cars since we opened our doors in 2016, but the current Crown Customs team lead these two projects from start to finish for our customers and we are very proud of what was accomplished.”
The two models have been passion projects for the team, having worked on them for over a year each. Now, they’re ready for their big debut on what is quite possibly the auto industry’s premier event in the United States. And while Crown Concepts has bought and sold cars at Barrett-Jackson in previous years, including a custom 1955 Chevy Bel-air that the team built and sold in 2020, this will be its first year entering into the Cup builders competition.
There are a total of 50 Cup vehicles that will grace the stage at the Scottsdale Auction beginning Saturday, January 21. Builders Bobby Alloway and Troy Trepanier will select the Top Five finalists competing for the Ultimate Best in Show prize and will announce the winner at the beginning of the day the following Saturday, January 28.
“We are very excited that two of our builds were chosen for this year’s competition, and although we are hoping to win with either one,” Loa explains, “I think our team is most excited to have their work seen by the judges and the thousands of car enthusiasts that come to Scottsdale for this event.”
Apart from readying their rides for the stage, Crown Concepts is working hard on completing their two 1963 Corvette Pro-touring builds. And while Loa and company have their hands full with these 9-12-month projects, they still have time to head trackside at Maricopa’s premier racetrack, Apex Motor Club, to service the exotic cars of local drivers as they shoot around the bend.
“We think we are in a great position with our Crown Racing team..as well as taking drivers to compete at National Radical Sportscars events at top tier race tracks. Our Crown Customs team is busy getting the ’63 Corvette projects done so that we can start working on a custom show car that could possibly be shown at Barrett-Jackson or Goodguys in the near future,” notes Loa.
Barrett-Jackson 2023: Runs January 21- 29 at WestWorld of Scottsdale (16601 N. Pima Road in Scottsdale). Gates open at 8 a.m. each day. Ticket prices start at $25.
Crown Concepts is located at 3930 West Costco Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85741. Call them at (520) 900-7586, email sales@crownconceptsusa.com, or visit their website at www.crownconceptsusa.com
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