Barrett-Jackson Car Auction: Not just for the boys anymore

Photo by Matthew Hines

Barrett-Jackson Car Auction held in Scottsdale, Jan. 23rd featured novelty cars like Cher’s 1966 Ford Mustang convertible.

By Kelly Smith, March 2010
Staff Writer        

I visited the 39th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction at WestWorld in Scottsdale on Jan. 23. Since it was my first time, I was not exactly sure what to expect. Perhaps it was just to ogle at the ridiculous car sales, maybe laugh at the gold diggers or possibly to figure out just what exactly “carnival gourmet food” defines. Come the end of my day-trip under the big white tents of economic envy, I discovered that my original impression of this now cultural icon had totally changed.

It is easy to see why Barrett-Jackson attracts so many buyers from all over the globe. Not only are there automobiles to suit any taste, there are also vendors, entertainment, demonstrations and food to please even the most discerning of patrons. Despite our lackluster economy, the sales at the 2010 Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson Auction were a staggering $5 million higher than last year for a record high of $68 million
.
The highlights of the sales were the top two of the “Top Sales” for the Scottsdale 2010 show:
• A 1929 Hamilton, Metalplane H47 Serial #65 airplane, which sold for $671,000 and
• A 1964 Shelby Cobra Roadster, which sold for a cool $478,50 .

As I walked through the tents dodging drooling dragsters and the out-of-place booths selling everything from sculptures to furniture, something black and shiny caught the corner of my eye. Pretty soon , I was also drooling as I spotted for the first time in person a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda. I tried to imagine myself behind the wheel of this absurdly powerful pony car blaring “Barracuda” from the dash radio. This shiny piece of Americana had caught my attention and no one else was looking at her. She was all mine to behold. If it were not for my friends, who pulled me away, I would have stayed there if only to envy the lucky person who would win the bid for this car.

My friends pulled me over to the Jewelry by Gauthier booth where I was asked to try on the most expensive piece in the booth: A canary diamond ring encapsulated with tiny, perfect diamonds and the signature blue sapphire stone at the bottom. Not expecting this rare treasure at a car auction, I was awakened from my daydreaming about the ring by the sound of the car auctioneer’s voice announcing a 1970 Oldsmobile convertible. It was later to be sold for $145,000.

After my foray through the outdoor car lot where such novelty vehicles as a ’66 convertible Ford Mustang owned by Sonny and Cher and tripped-out automobiles ranged through the acre, I found what was to ultimately become my favorite experience of the entire show: The Ford/GM Ride-N-Drive, which I dubbed, “The Awesome Terror Ride.” Professional drivers and driving instructors from the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving were on hand to drive passengers at top speeds around a closed track in the lot. It’s not just about selling the cars anymore at the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction; it’s about the experience.