The doom and gloom of the pandemic is over. Everywhere I turn, I am hearing news stories about travel returning to pre-pandemic numbers. The most predicted economic recession in history seems, for now at least, to have been avoided, replaced instead by the “soft landing.” Supply chains are getting back to their new normal. Consumer confidence is high, and so is consumer spending.

But this isn’t an economics website, it’s a car blog. So what does this have to do with the collector car market? Well, strong consumer confidence may have played a big role in the recent Barrett-Jackson 2024 collector car auction in Scottsdale.

Barrett-Jackson broke several of their own records for most cars sold, overall sales, and sell-through rate.

Total Consignments: In recent years, the Scottsdale auction catalog has averaged 1,600 to 1,800 vehicles. For 2024, there were a total of 2,016 vehicles consigned to sell at the auction. The previous record was 1,907 vehicles sold at the 2023 Scottsdale auction.

Sell-Through Rate: The Scottsdale 2024 auction had a 100% sell-through rate, meaning that every one of those cars sold. There were no lots which did not receive any bids.

Total Sales: Barrett-Jackson recorded automobile sales of $200.9 million and an additional $6.7 million for automobilia, for a combined auction sales of $207.6 million. The previous record was $184.2 million combined sales at the 2023 Scottsdale auction.

World Record Sales: More than 190 lots set world record prices.

In fact, demand is so high that the company has announced a second Scottsdale auction event to take place in the fall, from October 10-13 at Westworld. The fact is, the four day auction is necessary because Barrett-Jackson is hitting the limit of cars they can consign to the January auction. The second auction is necessary to meet the needs of consignors and bidders alike.

We will be there to cover the action and excitement, so subscribe to Generation High Output to stay in the loop!