Inaugural Arizona Concours d’Elegance Exceeds Expectations

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Trevor Freeman

Concours d’Elegance is a French expression that means competition of elegance, and is most often used in relation to automobiles. A concours is essentially a beauty pageant for rare and elegant cars.

There are several examples of these shows in America. The largest and most well-known is the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, which has been held annually since 1950. A similar show has been held at Amelia Island in Florida since 1971.

Recently, a Concours d’Elegance show was held in Arizona for the very first time. On Sunday, January 12th, 2014, about 2,000 people gathered at the Arizona Biltmore Resort in Phoenix for this inaugural event. The resort, which opened in 1929, is known for its unique architecture and luxurious accommodations and has hosted every U.S. President since Herbert Hoover.

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Automotive Tech Takes the Stage at CES 2014

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Trevor Freeman

Every year in January, the world’s consumer electronics companies congregat in Las Vegas at the International CES Show to show off their latest and greatest products. Everything from digital cameras and tablet computers to washing machines and televisions are on display.

In past years, car manufacturers occupied a small part of the show to demonstrate the latest in-vehicle technologies. For 2014, automotive companies reserved 140,000 square feet of floor space for their booths – a 20% increase compared to 2013!

Here are some of the top automotive headlines from CES 2014:

Audi Introduces Self-Driving Car

Audi was at CES 2014 demonstrating a self-driving car, which uses a combination of RADAR, LASER, and imaging technologies to be aware of its surroundings. Last year, the car’s entire hatch was filled with computers to process this information. This year, it’s been shrunk down to a computer in the trunk no bigger than an iPad. Audi calls their new technology “piloted driving,” and it looked very close to production-ready on this A7 sedan.

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Micro Cars Fetch Big Bucks at Barrett-Jackson 2014

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Trevor Freeman

When it comes to collectible car auctions, everyone expects muscle cars such as Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, Chevelles, and Challengers to go for top dollar. These are the cars that most people think of when they think “Barrett-Jackson.”

But besides American Muscle cars, there seems to be a growing market for oddball cars as well. As I walked around Barrett-Jackson’s 2014 Scottsdale auction, I couldn’t help but notice how many micro cars were up for sale. Some of them genuinely surprised me with how much they sold for!

#675 – 1969 Goggomobil TS-250 Coupe
Sold for: $33,000

The Goggomobil is a micro car from Germany that seats 2 occupants. It has a 2-cylinder engine that makes 14 HP and a 4-speed manual gearbox. Top speed of 60 mph with a 0-60 time of 26 seconds. It’s an interesting little car that you definitely don’t see every day, but even given the car’s rarity, I was shocked that it went for $33 grand!

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9 Celebrity Cars Sold at Barrett-Jackson 2014

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Trevor Freeman

I have noticed that several of the cars for sale at this year’s Scottsdale auction belong to celebrities. Here are some of the ones I’ve spotted so far:

Lot #1319.2 – Simon Cowell’s 2008 Bugatti Veyron
Sold for: $1,375,000

This black-on-black Bugatti Veyron is the first used car to be certified by the factory. It belongs to Mr. Simon Cowell, who is best known as the outspoken asshole judge on TV’s American Idol (Seasons 1-9). Comes with a 1 year factory warranty!

#1355.1 – Alice Cooper’s 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Sold for: $82,500

The shock rocker behind “School’s Out for the Summer” is also a famed car collector. This ’69 Camaro has been beautifully restored to look showroom new. Comes with a signed picture from the man himself. Features a 396 V8 with an automatic transmission and a new interior.