My .02 on Barrett-Jackson

[Charley Lillard]

All the way up to the start of this years auction I was a firm believer that this owuld be the last year they could pull off running all "No Reserve" cars. I thought the quality cars would go somewhere else and only lesser cars would be there. When their feature vehicle was Robosaurus I thought it was a joke.

After attending and looking at lots of quality cars and the prices they got for them I am amazed at just how wrong I was. If I had the money I would have owned Robosaurus. I would have dressed him up like Santa Claus at XMAS time and terrorized my town. It is a amazing piece of engineering. Barrett-Jackson is one huge party and a very good one at that. You don't have to have the best of the best cars. The auction had something for everyone.

[socaldodger]

How much did the Robosaurus go for?

[Steve Shauger]

I think around $500K

[Yankit]

It sold for $575K which is the same price the RCR 69 Camaro sold for, there no question which I'd rather have given the choice......

[Late BrakeU2]

Like it or not it has become a tradition.It fits perfectly into the winter gap in Speeds line up,and serves as a platform to postion and promote speedweeks.They are smart inviting people like Robert Yates,Ray Everenham,T.S. etc as it attracts the crossover viewer market.Defintely the theatre of the absurd with the early stuff(i.e. pasta making 308 Fazazz and sewer sucking RR on Dayton's) but they made ya laugh all the same.Looked like more than a few cars were bought that could be sold higher elsewhere..

My only problem is the amount of commercials,and the heavy Ford overtones courtesy the homer with the shades.They can't show every car and have to pay bills but it sure looked choreograhed to cut away whenever possible when GM cars were up.Personally think they should make it a three day event with longer hours-would save the consignors and bidders quite a bit on incidentals.All said it is a great event,something for every one..but if I ever sell there it will be down the street.

[Canuck]

I agree with Charlie. I expected this year to be down. In some cases prices were, but the quality and documented cars got their price. A few jokes were thrown in (General Lee).
I also felt BJ management responded to the feedback they were receiving and took a page from the lawsuit and made some changes.
Watching it on TV was a little painfull with all the advertisments, but that is how the bills get paid.
BTW, does Craig say anything other that "way under the money".
Kudos to Bruce and Sam for the photo coverage. I will be there next year.

[kwhizz]

After being there this year and seeing the Vague and or "Creative" wording being used.....It's pretty obvious that Re-creation or Clone cars are getting to be more of the norm........The Oregon Plated cars seem to get away with it over the years, so the "Standard" of what's deemed ethical has so of gone to the Wayside........Now......Most of the People on this Site are Smart enough to sort thru the cars and know what's going on........But.....The average person going there that get's caught up in the Feeding Frenzy (Buying) and T.V. Camera's (Hype) are not as Sophisticated as you guy's are.....and are probably looking at the car for the First time when it hit's the Block under all those Light's and look's like a Perfect car from 100' away........That's the way it "IS"......Like it or Not.....the "Made" Cars are now a Part of this Cycle and the Oregon Guy probably doesn't care what we or anyone else thinks about what is going on.......and besides, a lot of people don't care if the cars are real or not........They just want it........"And" it's there......

Ken

[SOM2001SS]

So is Westworld upping the rent and is BJ moving to Las Vegas in the near future? I wouldn't be surprised.

[showyourauto]

[ QUOTE ]
...is BJ moving to Las Vegas in the near future? I wouldn't be surprised.

[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't that where most tired acts migrate too once they've overstayed their time in the limelight?

[Canuck]

Perspective offered by a friend:

Some interesting stats from the BJ:



2008 - sold 1,167 cars, boats, trucks, dinosaurs etc for a total of $88 mil and had 280,000 attendees .



2007- sold 1,270 for a total of $112 mil with 250,000 attendees.



In 2008 sold 8% fewer cars for 27% less money. On a per vehicle sale basis about 15% less year over year (from an average of $88,200 in 2007 to $75,400 in 2008)



Fewer big dollar cars in the $1mil+ range, no Ferrari boy? Early onset recession? Average sale price was $75,400 this year - hardly chump change.

He is a Exec VP at a big brokerage firm,so I guess he had some time on is hands this week, or it was done by his analysis department.