Most early Ford show cars were sent to be destroyed after serving their duty, but this special car, a one-off Thunderbird called the "Italien" managed to escape the crusher. The story goes that this special Thunderbird was displayed at the 1964 New York World's Fair (the one and only time it was shown), and was destined to be destroyed after the show. Instead, it was sold to actor Dale Robertson, and later in 1986 sold to Ford collector Don Chambers. Chambers owned the car for twenty years, and then sold it to Thunderbird restorer Tom Maruska, who brought the car back to its original condition as seen here. Design features of the "Italien" include a fastback roof line and a unique leather interior.

The gavel price (before auction fees) of $600,000 wasn't cheap, but it seemed like a steal for a one-off concept car, especially with the Pininfarina Rondine concept going for $1 million more just moments earlier and concepts from previous years going for much, much more.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2008: Ford Thunderbird Italien Concept

Barrett-Jackson 2008: Ford Thunderbird Italien Concept goes for $600,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Wikipedia is correct (isn't it always?), there were a total of 309 General Lee Dodge Chargers used in the making of Dukes of Hazzard. The show used at least one or two cars per episode, nearly all of which were destroyed by the end. However, a few of the car still exist in various states of (dis)repair, including this particular one owned by John Schneider who played Bo Duke. The car currently has a 511cid Hemi V8 with 725 bhp and 610 lb-ft torque and has hit 165 mph in the Silver State Classic according to Schneider. The car was featured in the "Dukes of Hazzard" TV reunion movie, and each member of the cast has signed the underside of the hood.

Despite Schneider leading the crowd in a rendition of "The Good Ol' Boys" while standing on the roof of his car, the General Lee couldn't muster more than a top bid of $450,000. We were expecting something a littler higher, especially since someone paid $360,000 for the Monkeemobile.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2008: General Lee Dodge Charger

Barrett-Jackson 2008: General Lee Dodge Charger brings $450,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who wouldn't want to own their very own 29 ton, 40 foot robot that can crush 20,000 pounds with its teeth and shoot 20 foot flames out of its nostrils. As the largest robot on earth, Robosaurus has entertained fans for nearly two decades by ripping cars and even airplanes in half. It is without a doubt the most ridiculous vehicle ever sold at Barrett-Jackson.

The winning bid of $575,000, not including auction fees, not only got the Robosaurus but a host of accessories to operate and maintain the robot including transmitters and receivers, special effects controls, a tool kit for loading and unloading, operation manuals, touch-up paint, and spare parts. The best part? Robosaurus can fold down into a trailer that can be transported on any public road, although the winning bidder has to purchase the hauler separately.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2008: Robosaurus

Barrett-Jackson 2008: Robosaurus crushes cars, wallets - sells for $575,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the image above for more of the first concept Challenger

We were hoping Dodge would give us our first look at the production version Dodge Challenger at Barrett-Jackson (we've seen plenty of it already with the reader-submitted photos!), but to no avail. The concept car was brought to represent what potential buyers would actually be bidding on - the first production Dodge Challenger SRT8. The car will come with all available options including the 6.1-liter Hemi V8, 5-speed automatic transmission, navigation, and sunroof. A plaque on the dash will identify it as car #1.

Not quite as high as the first GT500 KR or Corvette ZR1, the gavel dropped at a mere $400,000 (before auction fees) for the first Challenger. The winning bidder also gets two VIP passes to the Dodge Challenger 500 NASCAR race later this year. All proceeds from the sale will benefit notMYkid, an organization dedicated to understanding youth behavioral issues.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2008: Dodge Challenger SRT8 #1

Barrett-Jackson 2008: Right to own first Dodge Challenger SRT8 worth $400,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 01:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The automotive world waited what seemed like forever to get its first look at the 2009 Corvette ZR1, but one lucky bidder won't have to wait any longer to get into the driver's seat. The "first retailable unit built" ZR1 was snapped up with a final bid of $1,000,000, not including auction fees. The winning bidder, Dave Ressler, also bought the oldest available 1953 Corvette just a couple years ago at Barrett-Jackson for the exact same price. While the ZR1 on stage was not the actual one purchase, Ressler will get a one-of-one Le Mans blue version that no one else will get. All of the proceeds from the sale benefited The United Way, and everything over the $99,999 list price of the ZR1 will be tax deductible. Not a bad way to spend a million bucks!

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2008: 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 #1

Barrett-Jackson 2008: First production Corvette ZR1 goes for a cool million originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pininfarina, meet Corvette. Corvette, Pininfarina. This one-off 1963 concept car was created for the Paris Auto Show and has been stored at the Pininfarina museum since new. Chevrolet commissioned the design house to build the car, which is based on a 1963 Corvette chassis and has a 327cid/360-hp V8 under the hood. The car has a much more European feel, and features fixed headlights and a "swallow tail" rear end.

Once in the spotlight, the Rondine drew more attention than any car yet. Bidding for the car quickly skyrocketed past $1 million and was finally sold for of $1.6 million, with a final price tag of $1.76 million after auction fees. That's quite a lot of change, but less money than other desirable concept cars have sold for in past years.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2008: Chevrolet Corvette Rondine Concept

Barrett-Jackson 2008: Chevrolet Corvette Rondine Concept hits $1.76 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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[We originally listed a final selling price of $605,000, accounting the 10% auction fees. Since this auction was for charity, there were no additional fees and the final selling price is actually $550,000]

What does it cost to be the King of the Road? Apparently $550,000. That's how much Ron Pratte, who seems to be buying just about every Shelby at Barrett-Jackson, paid for the right to own the very first 2008 Shelby GT500 KR Glass Roof. That will only last for a while, though, since at least 999 more KR's will be built and are currently being assembled at the Shelby plant in Las Vegas. Numero uno features a black-on-black paint scheme that looks stunning in person, as well as a glass roof option that won't be available for the rest of production. As usual, Carroll Shelby was on hand to send the car off, reminding buyers why they are paying this much money for a Mustang. All the proceeds from the sale went to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, so it's all for a good cause.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2008: 2008 Shelby GT500 KR #0001

Barrett-Jackson 2008: First 2008 Shelby GT500 KR sells for $550,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.