Ford's F-150 SVT Raptor isn't much like a normal truck. One look at the machine, with its copious amounts of front and rear suspension travel, super-wide stance, unique front fascia and bright orange paint quickly proves that point, but the truck on display at Barrett-Jackson last night had a few more tricks up its sleeve in order to grab some extra bids: a truckload of kids. Specifically, the Raptor's bed was full of children that stood to gain from the sale of this machine, which is the first retail production model of its kind, as all proceeds above the Raptor's MSRP will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. After the gavel fell and all associated fees were paid, the truck went for $143,000 -- likely a hefty sum over the Raptor's as-yet unannounced base price. See the official auction description after the break.


Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Way back in the day, things took place a bit differently. Exhibit A: Chevrolet's Central Office Production Order system, which allowed dealerships a back door around GM's officially-sanctioned packages and options. For instance, it was possible to order a Camaro right from the production line that featured an engine that was otherwise reserved for the range-topping Corvette. Perhaps the best-known of these unique products came from Yenko Chevrolet, and bidders at Barrett-Jackson had a very nice group of these rare machines to choose from.

First up was a 1981 Camaro Z/28 that sold for $79,200.00, which was followed by an LT-1-powered 1970 Nova "Deuce" that went for $110,000.00. The compact Nova was followed by three 1969 Camaros, the first of which was a COPO 9561 with the L72 427/425hp engine that sold for $132,000, which actually strikes us as a pretty good deal. Next up was a COPO 9560 with the famed aluminum 427 ZL-1 engine, which sold for $319,000. Lastly, another COPO 9561 hit the block, though this one's status as 1 of 3 that was sold specifically for drag racing in the NHRA helped it earn $297,000.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Well, what do you know? K.I.T.T. was a big hit here at Barrett-Jackson today. We'd never have guessed that there would be enough fans (with money) of the original Knight Rider series here at the auction to drive bidding all the way to $40,000 (add another $4K in fees), but indeed there were. This isn't actually one of the original cars that was used by the Hoff in the '80s, but bits and pieces of it were in fact used in the craptastic new version that our own Mr. Núñez so lovingly mocks each and every week in his hilarious live blog. Not all is lost, though, for fans of the real K.I.T.T., as this is a fully functioning replica, complete with the trademark flashing front strobe lights and two working monitors inside. Plus, how many of your friends have talking cars that are signed by George Barris? None. Perhaps it was worth the dough after all.

Photos copyright ©2009 Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs, Inc.

We heard the first rumblings of discontent a few weeks after last year's Barrett-Jackson when it was reported that some people thought certain cars weren't getting their fair share of time up on the block. One man, David Clabuesch, went as far as chaining up his vehicle after it was sold and trying to prevent its delivery to the buyer. He even went a step further and posted signs around the vehicle expressing his displeasure with the auction company. Barrett-Jackson responded by filing a defamation lawsuit against Clabuesch, wanting to protect its reputation. The two have settled their differences, and Clabuesch has agreed to "no longer pursue any action alleging auction irregularities, including the claim that the car was short hammered while on the block." Read on past the jump for the full story from Barrett-Jackson's press release.

[Source: Barrett-Jackson]

Barrett-Jackson has been the king of muscle cars the last few years. Hemi Cudas, Shelby Mustangs, and Yenko Camaros have commanded high dollar bids from car collectors all around the world. Coming this January, Barrett-Jackson will not only have some of the best classic muscle cars, but the best new ones, as well.

Lot #1300 will feature the very first 2008 Shelby GT500 KR offered for sale, which will be one of around 1,000 built for the year. Next up is Lot #1316, the "first retailable unit built" (whatever that means) 2009 Corvette ZR1, just days after the car's official launch at the Detroit Auto Show. Last but not least, Lot #1331 will feature the first production Dodge Challenger SRT8 to come off the assembly line. Best of all, the proceeds from the sales will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), The United Way, and the notMYkid charity.

If previous years are anything to go by, the first of any collector car commands high dollars, and these three should be no exception. We expect six and possibly even seven figures for the right to own the very first of these modern day muscle cars. Be sure to watch for our live coverage of the show with auction results and photo galleries.

[Source: Barrett-Jackson]

Back in May we reported that Barrett Jackson was considering a move to Las Vegas after the Scottsdale city council refused to sell Craig Jackson the land he needed to build a permanent facility for his auction house. Nothing had been solidified after several meetings with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, but Jackson claimed to have a very positive response from Sin City officials. Now it seems that an auction in Vegas will indeed happen. Daniel Strohl from Hemmings Auto Blogs posted a photo of credentials and an information packet with "Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas" on the cover. Whether or not it will replace or simply supplement the famous Scottsdale auction is unknown, but we'll find out on October 29th, probabaly at the SEMA Show, when Barrett-Jackson makes an official announcement. For the record, we're behind any proposal that gives us another reason to visit Vegas.

[Source: Hemmings Auto Blogs]