Autoblog

First production 2013 SRT Viper nets $300,000 at Barrett-Jackson [w/video]

Drew Phillips — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 18:18:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions

It's become customary for automakers to offer up the first production example of collectible cars, so it was no surprise that SRT announced earlier this year that 2013 Viper GTS VIN #1 would be selling at Barrett-Jackson's Orange County auction. Adding to the auction's appeal, proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Austin Hatcher Foundation, an organization that helps children and families dealing with issues resulting from pediatric cancer.

With the Viper's 640 horsepower V10 and beautiful carbon fiber bodywork shining under the lights, bidding for the red snake rose quickly past the six figure sticker price to a quarter of a million dollars. At this point an SRT Track Experience and a trip to this year's Petit Le Mans were thrown in as a bonus to go with the car, but it couldn't entice any bidders to go much higher and the hammer fell at $300,000.

You can view our huge gallery of photos of the 2013 SRT Viper GTS at Barrett-Jackson above, watch a video of the auction below, or head over to the Austin Hatcher Foundation web site to make a donation of your own.

Continue reading First production 2013 SRT Viper nets $300,000 at Barrett-Jackson [w/video]

First production 2013 SRT Viper nets $300,000 at Barrett-Jackson [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Jun 2012 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1963 Volkswagen Bus hammers at record-setting $217,800

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Minivan/Van, Auctions, Volkswagen

At Barrett-Jackson's recent Orange County, California auctions, a 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III James Young sedan went for $159,500, a 2005 Ford GT sold for $165,000 and a 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger cleared $215,600. Topping them all, and every other car for the weekend: a 1963 Volkswagen Samba Microbus, sold for $217,800 inclusive of bidder's fee.

Even though Sambas, which were the top-of-the-line first generation bus and made for Alpine touring, have strong values, no one appears to be sure why this one beat everything else on offer. It's restored to "much-better-than-new condition," but that still doesn't explain why it set a record for any VW bus at auction. We can only wonder where and when it will pop up for auction again, since for that kind of coin, we don't imagine it will show up at any Magic Bus Extravaganzas or follow Phish around...

1963 Volkswagen Bus hammers at record-setting $217,800 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Highlights and Lowlights

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions

2010 Barrett-Jackson Orange County Auction - Click above for high-res image gallery

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?

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Highlights and Lowlights

Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Highlights and Lowlights originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Batvette by Greenwood

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chevrolet

1979 Chevrolet Corvette Custom - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ever see an IMSA race from the late '70s or early '80s? If so, you probably saw one of the Greenwood widebody C3 Corvettes thundering through the field. Those massively-flared fenders barely contained the fury of the twelve-inch wide rear slicks as they clawed for traction. For fans of those racing cars, there was good news from the Greenwood garages, too. At the time, John Greenwood offered those body kits, as well as suspension and engine upgrades for the street, much like Callaway or Pratt & Miller do today for the C6 Chevrolet Corvette. At this weekend's Barrett-Jackson auction in Orange County, a particularly nice example of Greenwood's handiwork crossed the block.

We half-expected Bruce Wayne to be the high bidder, as this car was done up in a Dark Knight-worthy ebony that accentuated the flares and spoilers in bat-tastic fashion. The info card even referred to the ride as the "Batvette," which struck us as an ideal moniker. Powered by an original and stock L-82, with glass tops and aluminum wheels, this matching-numbers, 18,200-original-mile Corvette sold for just under a dollar per odometer mile: $18,000. Check out the gallery below.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Greenwood Corvette

Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Batvette by Greenwood originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Louis Vuitton-trimmed 1962 Cadillac fetches $40K

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:33:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Auctions, Cadillac, Design/Style, Luxury

1962 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible - Click above for high-res image gallery

Check eBay Motors or Craigslist for a '62 Cadillac convertible and you're likely to find a slew of them for less than ten grand. A particularly nice example might fetch twice that. So why did this particular Series 62 convertible bring in $40,000 at the first Barrett-Jackson auction in Orange County, California? Probably because OC-dwellers loves them some Louis V.

While this Series 62 Custom Convertible was pretty stock underhood, the car featured a tangerine metal-flake paint job courtesy of House of Kolors, a custom touchscreen sound system with over 1000 watts of power, and ginormous 22-inch wheels. All that aside, it was the monogrammed top and interior that really put this special caddy into the 40K range. What seemed like a square mile of genuine Louis Vuitton leather and "vinylized Egyptian cotton" - just like the handbags! - was used to fabricate the custom top and to cover almost every interior surface save for the gauges. Whether this car will be driven or used as a tear-down for its handbag raw materials is a question only the new owner can answer. Check out the gallery below.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Louis Vuitton Cadillac

Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Louis Vuitton-trimmed 1962 Cadillac fetches $40K originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Color-shifting Lamborghini LM002

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, SUV, Truck, Auctions, Lamborghini, Military, Off-Road

1990 Lamborghini LM002 American - Click above for high-res image gallery

Not only is this one of just 48 Lamborghini LM002 Americans produced, but it's the only "Rambo Lambo" we've ever seen finished in color-shifting DuPont ChromaLusion paint. That may be a good thing, depending on your personal sense of style and how it meshes with your image of Lamborghini. These Italian Hummers were built for military use but never really caught on. Maybe those expensive and fragile Countach V12s in the engine bay had something to do with it. Even after Lamborghini switched to the more robust Diablo mills, the trucks were still relegated to private service, mainly in the fleets of wealthy sheiks and celebs.

The 5.2-liter, 420-horsepower Diablo V12 in this particular LM has just 3,068 original miles on it, and in addition to the chromatic color-shift paint, it features bespoke magnesium wheels, revised hood and trim, along with polished aluminum skid plates. It once belonged to renowned wildlife artist Christian Lassen, who had it painted this quad-toned hue. At Barrett-Jackson's inaugural Orange County auction, this LM002 hammered home $75,000. Check out more photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Color-shift Lamborghini LM002

Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Color-shifting Lamborghini LM002 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson OC '10: 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner "Hammer" has fame, nets fortune

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 09:25:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chrysler, Dodge, Celebrities, Specialty

1970 Plymouth Road Runner "Hammer" - Click above for high-res image gallery

This big-block '70 Plymouth Roadrunner was at SEMA last year, but many readers may better remember it from its appearance as a feature car in Hot Rod magazine, a spot on the television show RIDES, and its big-screen debut in The Fast and the Furious franchise. Vin Diesel's character, Dom Toretto, showed up in the closing minutes of Tokyo Drift behind the wheel of this malevolent Mopar, and it made enough of an impact that it returned in the 2009 follow-up as well.

Underhood, there's a supercharged 500-cubic-inch Mopar wedge pumping out 750 horsepower. To those familiar with the car, it's known simply as Hammer. The bidder who brought home this Plymouth also got a GMP limited edition 1:18-scale die-cast model of the car. Its closing bid of $175,000 made Hammer one of the top sellers at the 2010 Barrett-Jackson Orange County auction. Check out our mini-gallery below.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Hammer '70 Plymouth Roadrunner

Barrett-Jackson OC '10: 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner "Hammer" has fame, nets fortune originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Jun 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Project American Heroes Chevelle brings $250,000 for charity

Frank Filipponio — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:29:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Chevrolet, Specialty

Project American Heroes Chevelle - Click above for high-res image gallery

The top seller in Barrett-Jackson's first Orange County auction on Saturday was a very special Chevy Chevelle. Built by Route 66 Motorsports and chronicled by Super Chevy Magazine, it's known as the Project American Heroes Chevelle, and it brought a cool quarter of a million bucks for the Armed Forces Foundation. This Chevelle is the third in a series of souped-up muscle cars built for this particular charity, which supports the families of injured veterans.

The car itself is a 1970 Chevelle, with an intercooled, supercharged GM Performance Parts LSA engine where you might expect to see an LS5 or LS6 big block. Detroit Speed & Engineering did the suspension, the binders are Baer's new "6P" brake system, power is routed through a TCI Automotive 6x 6-speed 4L80E transmission, and the end result of these and about 30 other component contributors is one badass Chevelle that sold for $250,000 on Saturday afternoon. Take a look at the gallery below to see some shots of this very special Chevy, the color guard that escorted it onstage, and the cheerleaders that helped keep the crowd revved up during the auction.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Armed Forces Foundation Chevelle

Barrett-Jackson OC '10: Project American Heroes Chevelle brings $250,000 for charity originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Jun 2010 21:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barrett-Jackson rallies support for first Orange County auction

Frank Filipponio — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Event Alert

2010 Barrett-Jackson Orange County Auction Rally - Click above for high-res image gallery

The folks behind the Barrett-Jackson auctions have been called many things, but "stupid" isn't one of them. They know that trying to start up a new auction in a new locale requires a lot more than propping up a tent and putting out the "For Sale" sign. You need to get the community behind you if you plan on staying.

Hoping to become a permanent fixture in the Southern California car scene, the crew descended upon Orange County a week ahead of their scheduled auction in Costa Mesa and tried to show that they're in it for the long haul. In addition to winning over some local legislators and law enforcement, they also recruited car clubs from all over the Southland for a road rally from the iconic South Coast Plaza "please-don't-call-it-a-mall" shopping destination over to the site of the auction, the Orange County Fairgrounds.

There were 100 cars in the parade, including Mustangs old and new, Porsches of every era, vintage and late-model musclecars, a ton of British roadsters and a small squadron of Hollywood hero cars. A police escort led the cars on their three-mile route. At the Fairgrounds, the cars were then put on display and the drivers were given goodie bags that included tickets to next weekend's auction.

We tagged along and took some pics, which you can see in the gallery below. Click through and you'll find some of our favorites - one of the original Batmobiles, a 'Starsky and Hutch' Gran Torino, an Adam-12 Plymouth, K.I.T.T., a sick custom T-Bird (check out the grille), a Panther Pink Challenger T/A and an LS2-powered Studebaker Golden Hawk. We'll be back next week to share some auction highlights as well. If you're going to be in the area, check out the Barrett-Jackson website to see if there's anything you might want to bid on. We have our eye on a certain Fiat Multipla already.

Gallery: 2010 Barrett-Jackson Orange County Auction Rally

Barrett-Jackson rallies support for first Orange County auction originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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