Barrett-Jackson: Arrival and preview
click above image to view high-res preview gallery from the Barrett-Jackson Auction
Wow, what a day we had yesterday. Got into town and headed straight to Westworld to check in at the Barrett-Jackson auction. We arrived kind of late and it actually worked in our favor because nobody was around to stop us from parking where we wanted or to get in our way while trying to photograph some of the featured cars. We'll be bringing you as many of these featured cars as we can each day we're here and hopefully a good gallery of high-res pics of each to keep you sated.
Have to say that my first impression is that no matter how big you expect this place to be, it's bigger. The grounds are enormous but once you enter the big top, you have to make it past the GM and Ford displays (mostly a repeat of the SEMA vehicles), past the vendor booths hawking scale models, T-shirts, gas pumps, artwork, beds... practically anything you can think of that has an automotive theme, and a lot of stuff that doesn't too. After making it through that portion of the tent, you enter the arena. Huge bleacher sections at either end, the stage to one side and skyboxes facing it. It's like walking into the Coliseum.
Once you cross that cavernous tent area, you reach the featured car section. We immediately spotted some of the cars we were most looking forward to seeing: The Firearrows, Carroll Shelby's personal Cobra, the Warrior One CNN Hummer, the Tupolev amphibious vehicle, the 12 pairs of vehicles, and a whole lot of rare and raw muscle cars. COPOs, Hemis, Bosses, ZL-1s, Shelbys and the like. Enjoy this quick teaser galley of shots from Drew Phillips of Fast-Autos.net who will be working with us this week. Today we'll be getting down to business to start getting you in-depth profiles of some of the stars of the show, along with individual galleries for each. Hope you enjoy.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Richard 10:26AM (1/18/2007)
Wow! The bronze coloured Charger Daytona on the Fast-Autos site must be totally original! Check the primo example of 1970's fit and finish between the fender and the nose cone.
Still, the Daytona is still the coolest American car ever!
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dna 10:38AM (1/18/2007)
Been watching Speed's coverage...would it kill 'em to slide in some interesting foreign marques now and then?
Anything that didn't come from the factory with pea green paint job would be a good start (think they've met their 'Cuda quota for the next decade).
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chuck goolsbee 10:52AM (1/18/2007)
While I really enjoy wathcing the collector car market, and believe that a "rising tide floats all boats"... the Muscle Car matket bubble has *got* to start deflating at some point. I boggles my mind to see people throwing six figures at machines that were built from a bland donor chassis and some parts from NAPA. This bubble has made the Arizona auctions dull to watch as they are completely dominated by Chargers, GTOs, Mustangs, etc. I'd really like to see more of what they used to have: the pre-war coachbuilts, the classic Italian & British sports cars, rare racing cars, antiques, woodies, etc. You know... a variety of cars, not just an endless stream of Detroit V8s from 1965 to 1974.
I find myself staring at the Speed Channel thinking "Please... give me a Duesenberg, a Jaguar, or an Alfa Romeo... if I see another gawdamn Camaro I'll have to turn it off!"
*click*
--chuck
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Dave T. 11:22AM (1/18/2007)
good job getting a pro photog. it was impossible to shoot in there last year the lighting was so bad.
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Richard Warren 1:15PM (1/18/2007)
#2 Right with you on your first remark. The other thing I'd like to see is some of the lower price pieces that get sold. I've been several times, trying to make it this weekend. What the Speed coverage misses are some very interesting and clean vehicles that many folks can afford.
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TheMatt 11:38AM (1/18/2007)
And I thought this was Autoblog. Since they are sadly missing, here is what you were supposed to comment:
"They're all just trailer queens."
"Carlisle is better."
"These bidders are stupid."
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Gerry 10:44PM (1/19/2007)
The Barrett-Jackson hype is over. No one gives a damn about the show with its usual run of muscle cars. Where are all the European classics, 1930s antiques, and exotics? This show is over, and Speed TV is really sucking the big one.
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Accordsforall 2:28PM (1/18/2007)
Hmmm
THANK YOU JESUS = AUTOBLOG for posting pics of the Barrett Jackson show!!! I will try and be on to get every single pic.. as its posted.. all throughout the weekend. PLEASE DONT STOP POSTING PICS!!! 'Specially of those S U P E R B I R D S !!!! omg!!!
*ACTS LIKE A TEENAGE GIRL, around those superbirds* Please dear god..= autoblog... make the coverage at NAIAS look like "kids play". This is the big leages..!!! MOORE!!!!
*IM NOT WORTHY* BOWS DOWN TO AUTOBLOG!!!
*IM NOT WORTHY* BOWS DOWN TO AUTOBLOG!!!
*IM NOT WORTHY* BOWS DOWN TO AUTOBLOG!!!
*IM NOT WORTHY* BOWS DOWN TO AUTOBLOG!!!
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Brian 5:29PM (1/18/2007)
Fu#$!%!*#!*ck Barrett-Jackson!!!!
Those bastards have made it oh-so fashionable for rich guys with a few mill burning a hole in their pocket to snatch up these cars and stick them into a state of climate controlled dust collection.
Meanwhile true motorheads who have a love for these cars have been priced out of the market.
To hell with you Barrett-Jackson.
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Rudy James 5:29PM (1/18/2007)
Just like the real estate market in 2006 and most likely in 2007, the stock market in 2000, the muscle car market is ready for a correction. Investors have destroyed the market and only rich guys with way too much money are participating. When nobody wants to pay $100,000 more for the '70 Cuda they overpaid for, they will be forced to take less and prices will drop. Althogh I'd like to buy another muscle car, I'll wait because prices will be coming down. Of course, some people still think real estate in LA or Miami is still a good investment. Go figure...
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