During more than the first few years of my collector-car auction career, whenever I told anyone about my work life, they would usually ask “Do you work for Barrett-Jackson?” I’d have to politely say “No,” and tell them which company I was with. Usually, that would be met with blank stares. Obviously, Barrett-Jackson possesses massive gravity on the collector-car auction space and in popular culture today. Then again, with nearly 50 years in the game, Barrett-Jackson’s brand equity and sheer presence are certainly well-deserved. No such business can last this long and continue from strength to strength unless they are doing a lot right. The statistics are staggering and confirm the company’s amazing record. Consider this – at Scottsdale alone in January, Barrett-Jackson racked up a phenomenal $131.6-million in sales, selling over 1,800 collector vehicles – the vast majority of them at No Reserve.
Following another hugely successful auction event on its Scottsdale, Arizona home turf, Barrett-Jackson’s four-auction calendar takes the company to Palm Beach, Florida, another collector-car hotbed, April 11-13. As always, a wide selection of automotive genres will be offered at Palm Beach, including great classics, muscle cars and resto-mods, street rods, customs, and a particular emphasis on modern supercars and high-performance exotics. Astutely tailoring its offerings In line with the growing market and demographic trends favoring these elite, big-ticket performers, Barrett-Jackson is offering a stunning 2017 Dodge SRT Viper ACR – a “1 of 1” example with its options and color combination. Other exemplars of the genre on offer will include a wild Volcano Orange 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, plus a Mk IV Red 2005 Ford GT, 2010 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano F1, 2014 Ferrari F12, and 2012 Lexus LFA, to name only a few.
Modern American muscle is similarly well-represented on Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach docket, with a group of extreme-performance Dodge Challengers comprising a 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye in B5 Blue, another in white with the 27Z Customer Preferred Package and 16 actual miles, and a
2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon in retina-searing Tor Red paint with Satin Black accents with 7 actual miles, plus a first-year 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 for good measure. Wait…I just saw a listing now for a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon in Octane Red. It is an example of the fastest and quickest American production car, so bad that it was infamously banned by the NHRA. Stated to have never been raced, this example has less than 2,500 miles. So much for trying to encapsulate this auction event into a preview-type article!
Barrett-Jackson’s charity offerings at Palm Beach are equally captivating, including the “one-off” 2009 Ford Mustang AV-X10 “Dearborn Doll” Custom Coupe. Offered with 100 percent of the hammer price to benefit Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), the Mustang echoes the colors and looks of U.S. Army Air Corps P-51 Mustang fighter planes of WW II fame and features the glass-roof option, 550-HP 4.6-liter V-8 power, and a 6-speed manual transmission, with just 18 actual miles.
With so much to offer, Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction promises something for everyone. We will attempt to capture the scale and scope of the event as the consignment list continues to grow, but please do head over to the following link to the company’s event page with full details for reference and to plan your time at this amazing spectacle: https://bit.ly/2HxKeda .
Please Note: All images courtesy Barrett-Jackson.