It’s that time of year when car collectors and enthusiasts from around the world gather in Scottsdale, Arizona, for one of Barrett-Jackson’s famous annual events, also known as “the world’s greatest collector car auctions.”
Now in its 48th year, Scottsdale is the first of Barrett-Jackson’s four auctions of 2019. It’s quite a feeling to be surrounded by some of the most sought-after vehicles in the entire world, and perhaps no one’s more excited that our own resident car fan, Kim Komando, who never misses the show.
But what’s in store? Of course the most revered luxury, performance and rare collector cars in the world. But I’ve got a few highlights, and you won’t believe just how rare some of these vehicles are.
Barrett-Jackson is underway in Scottsdale, Arizona
It’s a banner year for Barrett-Jackson. That’s because they’ve consigned 1,800 no-reserve vehicles for the Scottsdale event, which is not only a record for Barrett-Jackson, it’s also the most on record for any public collector car auction. Here’s a look at some of the vehicles up for auction:
2012 McLaren MP4-12C High Sport
This is a limited edition McLaren, number 9 of the 10 High Sport versions produced in 2012. From the listing: “The High Sport engine modification to 675hp could now achieve 0-60 mph in under three seconds flat in launch mode with a top speed north of 200 mph.” Yeah, it’s fast.
John Lennon’s 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL Roadster
That’s right, this car was once owned by the late Beatle. It even includes a copy of the original U.K. registration bearing John Lennon’s iconic signature. From the listing: “The new SL went on to become an unqualified postwar icon and, given the instantly iconic styling, upscale cachet and inherent excellence of the 230SL, it is only natural that it would captivate a fast-rising musician/songwriter from Liverpool, who was finally enjoying the fruits of virtually endless writing, touring and recording. That young man was John Winston Lennon, and this is his 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL.”
2005 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
There weren’t very many of these produced, and this was the first Saleen S7 Twin Turbo to be shipped to Europe. From the listing: “This Saleen S7 Twin Turbo made its public debut at the Top Marks Show in Monaco, where its admirers included Prince Albert of Monaco and actor Roger Moore, who famously portrayed James Bond in numerous films.”
1965 Ford Mustang – First Pre-Production Hardtop VIN 00002
This is the very first Ford Pilot Plant/Pre-production Mustang hardtop. From the listing: “It was hand-assembled at the Ford Pilot Plant and is one of three known existing Pilot Plant Mustangs to survive. This special Mustang has been restored to factory new specifications, with all major components having matching numbers.”
2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 6×6
You read that correctly. It’s a 6×6 Mercedes-Benz truck. From the listing: “This Mercedes-Benz 6×6 truck is what the company calls the declaration of automotive independence. Mercedes produced very limited numbers of the G63 worldwide, with very few ever making it to the U.S.”
1953 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
This is one of only 300 manufactured in 1953, the lowest production Corvette from any year. From the listing: “Chevrolet introduced the Corvette in 1953 as ‘America’s sports car,’ and the first one reached the end of the assembly line on June 30, 1953. This was the first mass-produced fiberglass-bodied car, and all of the 300 cars built were assembled by hand in the back of a customer delivery garage in Flint, MI.”
2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition
How about a V10 supercar that goes 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds or less? From the listing: “This is the LFA Nürburgring Edition in black; a two-seat supercar. It is one of only 50 LFA Nürburgring Editions ever built. Only driven by its one owner, it has 885 actual miles.”
1966 Chevrolet Nova II SS Custom Coupe
This one was rebuilt from the ground up with a lot of customizations. From the listing: “Taking 12 months to build and finished in 2017, this Nova is painted in Mercedes Hibiscus Red with professionally chromed original trim and a Maxtel H4 light conversion with built-in turn signals.”
2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition
The Ford GT40 is an iconic car in American automotive and racing history. From the listing: “Ford Motor Company marked its 100-year anniversary in 2003. In celebration of Ford’s 100 years, and to honor the 40-year anniversary of the GT40’s 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, as well as its consecutive wins from 1966-69, the Ford GT was born.”
2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta
This Ferrari sports a V12 engine and 6-speed manual transmission along with a number of other bells and whistles. From the listing: “One of 448 produced to commemorate Pininfarina’s 70th anniversary, this 2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta has 28,000 actual miles and has had a recent concours-level detail.”
Barrett-Jackson began on Saturday at WestWorld of Scottsdale on Saturday, Jan. 12. For schedule and ticket information, click here.
If you’d rather check it out from home, there will be 37 hours of live TV coverage on MotorTrend and Discovery. You can also watch online by clicking here.
The auction wraps up on Sunday, Jan. 20. The next auction will be in Palm Beach, Florida, in April, then Uncasville, Connecticut, in June and finally, Las Vegas, Nevada, in October.
