Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2019 Summary

Posted on by

Every year in January, I find myself wondering how Barrett-Jackson is going to top their recent Scottsdale collector car auction in the upcoming year. And somehow they do, time after time. The 2019 auction saw higher numbers across the board – more cars sold, more sales, and more money raised for charity than last year.

While most people think of Barrett-Jackson as a car auction, they also sell a lot of memorabilia – vintage gas pumps, signs, and various other items. This year, the Scottsdale auction brought in more than $118 million from auto sales, $4.05 million from automotive memorabilia, and more than $9.6 million in charity auctions, bringing the total auction sales to more than $131.6 million.

In the memorabilia category, more than 1,500 lots were sold, with the top seller (Lot #9499) a full size carousel from 1962 fetching $506,000.

In the automotive category, the auction sold 1,817 of their 1,818 lots for a 99.74% sell-through rate. The average sale price of all automotive lots was $69,571. The top 10 lots were as follows:

  • 2019 McLaren Senna (Lot #1405) – $1,457,500
  • 2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 6X6 (Lot #1410) – $1,210,000
  • 2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition (Lot #1412) – $918,500
  • 2005 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo (Lot #1415) – $550,000
  • 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition – 3,092 actual miles (Lot #1313) – $533,500
  • 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition – 288 actual miles (Lot #1376) – $495,000
  • 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition – 77 actual miles (Lot #1406) – $462,000
  • 1967 Ford Mustang Custom Fastback “Gone In 60 Seconds” Eleanor (Lot #1437) – $385,000 / 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split-window Resto-Mod Coupe (Lot #1333) – $385,000
  • 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS (Lot #1409) – $363,000 / 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Convertible (Lot #1371) – $363,000
  • 2001 Lamborghini Diablo VT (Lot #1416) – $352,000

But it’s not just about big sales for supercars and resto-mods. Barrett-Jackson does a lot for charitable causes as well. The 2019 Scottsdale auction featured 16 special charity auctions which raised $9.6 million – more than any single year in the company’s 48 year history.

Top charitable auctions included:

  • 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition VIN 001 (Lot #3012) – $2,500,000 benefiting United Way for Southeastern Michigan
  • 2018 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet (Lot #3011) – $200,000 benefiting Fighter Country Foundation at Luke Force Air Force Base
  • 2020 Toyota Supra – First Production VIN 20201 (Lot #3010) – $2,100,000 benefiting the American Heart Association and The Bob Woodruff Foundation
  • Chevrolet Bumblebee Camaro Collection (Lot #3009), (Lot #3009.1), (Lot #3009.2) (Lot #3009.3) – $525,000 benefiting Operation Homefront
  • 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 VIN 001 (Lot #3008) – $1,100,000 benefiting JDRF
  • Jeff Gordon’s 2016 Corvette C7.R (Lot #3007) – $600,000 benefiting the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation
  • 2015 Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R (Lot #3006) – $500,000 benefiting the Petersen Automotive and Henry Ford Museums
  • 1981 Jeep CJ7 Custom SUV (Lot #3005) – $1,310,000 benefiting the Gary Sinise Foundation
  • 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Custom Coupe (Lot 3004) – $165,000 benefiting Childhelp Through SEMA Cares purchased by singer/songwriter Ray J
  • 2018 Ford Fusion NASCAR Race Car (Lot #3003) – $300,000 benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children

2019 Auction Trends

As you can see from the top sales, supercars and other limited-production vehicles remain in high demand. The market for the 2004-2006 Ford GT vehicles is red hot, with eight of the 4,038 cars built sold at the Scottsdale auction. Low-mileage examples and special options like the Heritage Edition package set record-breaking prices, with the top car (Lot #1313) selling for more than half a million dollars.

To no one’s surprise, Chevrolet Corvettes continue to dominate the auction catalog, with more than 100 different vehicles from all eras offered for sale. Early Corvettes (1953-1962) fetched the highest prices, with numerous examples selling in the high $200,000s and two cars (Lot #1451.1 and Lot #1440) both selling for $330,000.

One thing that surprised me about the Scottsdale 2019 auction was the vast number of 2003 and up Bentley Continental GT models for sale. I’ve been attending the Barrett-Jackson auction for well over a decade and have never seen so many Bentleys as I did at the 2019 auction. For some reason, Bentley owners all decided to part with their cars this year, creating a real buyer’s market for these cars.

In fact, I actually researched Barrett-Jackson’s auction catalog going back 10 years and created this chart of 2003+ Bentley models offered for sale by year. 2019 was the highest ever, with 24 vehicles offered for sale. The average sale price for an 03+ Continental GT was $73,327, while the cheapest example (Lot #1552.1) went for just $33,000.

2019 was another record-breaking year for Barrett-Jackson, and I cannot wait to see how they top this year’s excitement again next year. I am confident that they will continue to do so as they approach their milestone 50th year in 2021.