Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Highlights and Lowlights

The first Barrett-Jackson Orange County auction is about wrapped up Costa Mesa, California today, and while the numbers might have been a bit lower than hoped-for this time around, there were still good prices for top-level machinery. Barrett-Jackson knows what it's doing, and Orange County is definitely a car-lovers' paradise, but there will surely be some doubters about this venue's long-term viability.

Take a look at the attendance though - at the turnout of vendors and manufacturers, of bidders and gawkers - and you'll see that the only thing lacking was an abundance of really high-quality offerings. For every numbers-matching LS6 '70 Chevelle SS convertible, there were ten daily-driver VW Beetles. The overall take was boosted by several charity lots, as is often seen at Barrett-Jackson events, but beyond that cluster of noteworthy vehicles, there wasn't much for bidders to excited about.

There was a fringe benefit to this, however. It gave us a chance to wander around the grounds a bit more than usual. To that end, we've pulled 50 of our favorite photos from the hundreds we shot over the weekend and posted them in the wrap-up gallery below. Clicking through should give you a sense of what it was like to be at Barrett-Jackson's OC event this weekend. You'll find the good, the bad and the fugly in there, but each and every one of these cars sold, so who are we to judge?