Movie Cars Bring Excitement to Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2019

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Trevor Freeman

You may not be a celebrity, but you sure can feel like one in one of these movie cars! Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale 2019 collector car auction is just weeks away. Browsing through the catalog, I noticed a number of interesting vehicles that have been featured in movies and television shows, as well as some tributes and re-creations of famous cars.

Each of these cars will be auctioned off in Scottsdale, Arizona starting January 12, 2019.

Lot #81 1977 AMC PACER “WAYNE’S WORLD” RE-CREATION

Excellent! This 1977 AMC Pacer “Wayne’s World” re-creation retains its original drivetrain and includes correct mismatched wheels and hubcaps, and 1992 “Wayne’s World” memorabilia.

Lot #146.1 1989 JEEP CHEROKEE CUSTOM SUV

This custom 1989 Jeep Cherokee was built in a “Jurassic Park” theme for promotional use when the movie debuted, but was never used. It was instead used as a daily driver by the builder. This Jeep is powered by a 4.0-liter EFI engine backed by an automatic transmission. It’s loaded with all power options, including the sunroof, oversized wheels and tires, 4-wheel drive, winch bumper and a 14” widened body. All of the “Jurassic Park” logos are still in place.

Lot #200.1 1988 PEGASUS CUSTOM TRANS AM “BL STRYKER”

When Knight Rider debuted on NBC in 1982, David Hasselhoff and KITT became a big hit. Possibly inspired by the success of Knight Rider and other detective shows like Columbo, Kojack, and Matlock, NBC put together a show called B.L. Stryker which debuted in 1989. The series starred Burt Reynolds and ran for just two seasons.

This 1988 Pegasus was built for two episodes of the 1989 television series “BL Stryker” starring Burt Reynolds and filmed in Palm Beach, FL. Co-director Hal Needham ordered two of these cars for the show. This one is powered by a 5.7-liter V8 engine backed by an automatic transmission.

Lot #206 1968 FORD ECONOLINE CUSTOM “MYSTERY MACHINE” VAN

This 1968 Ford Econoline van underwent a body-on restoration and is styled after the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo. It is finished in the correct movie exterior color combination along with the Mystery Machine livery. The interior is a custom blue, green and orange movie-style look and is complete with a Ghost Finder instrument panel. It is powered by a factory 302ci V8 engine mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission.

Lot #234 1974 VOLKSWAGEN BUS CAMPER “SUNCHASER”

This custom-made VW bus was made specifically for the 1996 movie “Sunchaser” starring Woody Harrelson, and is still in movie condition. The look and feel of this bus was created by artists for the desert scene where Woody’s character is stranded and is picked up by a hippie character, who saves him. It’s powered by a 4-cylinder engine and a 4-speed manual transmission.

Lot #663 SHIRLEY TEMPLE’S 1989 MERCEDES-BENZ 300TE WAGON

This Mercedes-Benz 300TE Station Wagon was purchased new by Shirley Temple-Black in 1989. Shirley Temple was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and she appeared in dozens of movies. She has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame and she remains an American film icon today.

Not only was she known for her work on the silver screen, but also as a United States ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. This vehicle was her actual diplomat vehicle and still has the Czech flag receptacle installed on the fender. This Mercedes has its original paint and bodywork, and is powered by a 3.2-liter inline 6-cylinder engine offering 217hp, backed by an automatic transmission. It’s equipped with 4-wheel power-assisted hydraulic disc brakes with ABS. It is well-optioned with a tan interior, air conditioning, sunroof, power seats, power doors and power locks.

An unusual option is the electric rear window shade. It is also equipped with the optional Acceleration Slip Control for secure traction. This car was in Mrs. Temple-Black’s care until her passing in 2014. Included with the car are copies of the registration documents in Shirley Temple’s name.

Lot #704 BRUCE WILLIS’ 1954 CHEVROLET 3100 CUSTOM PICKUP

This custom pickup was previously owned by, and built for, actor Bruce Willis. Bruce Willis had the truck built in the early 1990s. Bruce sold the truck in November 2014 to a friend in Santa Monica, CA, and it was then sold and moved to Alberta, Canada. This truck is equipped with a 350ci 8-cylinder engine, 4-speed manual transmission, headers, high rise intake with Holley carburetor, dual exhaust, Nova front clip with power disc brakes, Nova rear differential with drum brakes. The custom interior features leather power seats and air conditioning.

Lot #1352 1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD FORMULA “THE ROCKFORD FILES”

Note: This is not the actual auction car. Image from IMCDB.

This was one of three Firebird Formulas provided by Pontiac Motor Division to the TV show “The Rockford Files,” and was used from 1978 until the series ended in 1980. With a special Solar Gold exterior and tan interior, the factory Formula 400 model was modified to look like an Esprit for the show. This car was the sound car, used for close-ups while driving, and still has the original mic box, holes drilled to run recording wiring, and a skid plate to protect the engine and transmission from damage during stunts.

It’s powered by a 6.6-liter V8 engine mated to an automatic transmission, and features air conditioning and Rally gauges, as well as power windows, steering and brakes. This car, which was purchased by actor James Garner at the conclusion of the series and driven by him until May 1981, was the only one used in the show that had power windows and an AM/FM radio. It was recently frame-on restored by noted Pontiac restorer Mike Flaherty and presents just as it would be to start a season of filming “The Rockford Files.”

Included is a copy of the dealer invoice showing the car was delivered to Pontiac Motor Division in Sherman Oaks, CA (the location Vista Group/Product Placement used to get their vehicles from GM), as well as a letter from James Garner’s production company identifying the car as an actual screen-used Firebird Formula 400, and that he drove this car during the filming of “The Rockford Files.”

Lot #1437 1967 FORD MUSTANG CUSTOM FASTBACK “GONE IN 60 SECONDS” ELEANOR

This is one of the original cars from the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds.” This car was used in the street scenes in the movie, and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Cinema Vehicle Services signed by Ray Claridge, President of Cinema Vehicle Services. Also included is license plate that was on the car in the movie. This Mustang is powered by a 351ci Ford Motorsport crate engine mated to a 3-speed automatic transmission and is equipped with Total Control suspension.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2018 Auction By the Numbers

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Trevor Freeman

Every year, I cover the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale. This usually means checking out the auction catalog and writing about some of the more exciting or interesting cars for sale. The 2018 auction featured plenty of interesting vehicles, but I wanted to do something a bit different this time around.

This post is about looking at the Scottsdale auction from a data-driven perspective. If you want to see a bunch of photos of the cool cars at the auction, check our Instagram or follow our blog for more in the future.

Now in its 47th year, Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale 2018 auction had a total of 1,752 vehicles consigned to sell, which was a new record for the company. The oldest car was a 1914 Rolls Royce, and the newest was a 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.

Here is a chart showing the distribution of vehicles in the 2018 catalog by year of manufacture. You can see that 1,095 out of 1,752 vehicles (62.5%) were manufactured between 1950 and 1979. The mean (average) year is 1970, while the median (middle) age of all cars for sale is 1968.

This chart shows the vehicles for sale by Make or Manufacturer. It should come as no surprise that American cars are the most popular, with 1,258 out of 1,752 vehicles (71.8%) for sale produced by Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Chevrolet was the top marque with 588 vehicles, followed by Ford with 314. While you can buy a Porsche or Ferrari at a Barrett-Jackson auction, it’s pretty clear that the bulk of the catalog is centered around American cars from the 1950s through 1970s.

Here we have a similar chart showing the most popular models of vehicle by name. The Corvette was the most popular model of car at the auction with 158 of them for sale (9% of the entire catalog!). The Mustang and Camaro tied for second place, with exactly 103 of them for sale for each car. The Chevrolet Chevelle came in third, with 49 examples for sale at this year’s event. The Ford Thunderbird came in fourth, with 39 cars for sale.

Here is the same chart but without the “Other” vehicles shown. I think it gives a pretty clear picture of what cars people are most interested in buying and selling.

According to the listing titles, just 405 out of 1,752 (23%) of vehicles at the auction were convertibles.

Pickup trucks were even less popular, comprising just 241 out of 1,752 (14%) of vehicles for sale.

Many sellers try to distinguish their vehicle from the others for sale by doing customizations. Analyzing the titles of auction listings, 458 vehicles or 26% of the entire catalog contained the word “custom.”

So what have we learned? Barrett-Jackson will sell whatever someone consigns to them, but we can see that the majority of sellers and buyers are interested in American cars from 1950 to 1979 and more specifically, Corvettes. If you’re in the market for one of these vehicles, Barrett-Jackson is where you need to be!

I hope you enjoyed this look at the numbers behind the auction. Stay tuned for more coverage of Arizona Car Week 2018!

1988 Cadillac Eldorado | Barrett-Jackson 2018

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Cameron Tunstall

This personal luxury coupe was an interesting choice for the discerning Cadillac connoisseur in 1988.

Equipped with the 155hp 4.5l V8 instead of the 165hp LN3 3.8l V6 available in it’s platform mates, the Oldsmobile Tornado and Buick Riviera. Cadillac’s penchant for “high tech” proprietary power plants in the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s instead of the venerable 3800 V6 would continue to haunt them until they stopped designing their own engines altogether.

Notable for also being shortest Eldorado at 191.2″ in length which would make it 0.5″ shorter than a current 2017 Ford Fusion.

This particular car was purchased by the local bank in Clovis, NM and managed to accumulate 58,000 miles. This car sold at auction for $4700.

Barrett-Jackson 2017: Is It Hard To Tell Where Our Loyalties Lie? (1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2)

Posted on February 28, 2017 by bryan lusk

Classic cars are easily the closest thing we’ll ever have to a time machine. Step inside of any restored (or simply not beat to shit) car of yesteryear and you’re instantly transported to another time.. completely surrounded by the smells, sounds, and styles. Continue reading →

Barrett-Jackson 2017: 1986 Grand Prix 2+2

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Cameron Tunstall

One of the more interesting vehicles found at Barrett-Jackson this year was this Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2. Among the more high-profile G-bodies like the Monte Carlo, El Camino, Cutlass and Buick T-type, the Pontiac tends to become more of a forgotten offering. Couple that with this aerodynamic-enhancing body conversion by Auto-Fab for homologation purposes and you find yourself with one interesting piece of history.

Being one of only 1,225 Grand Prix models converted, it’s provenance is evident in it’s smooth Firebird/Camaro-esque rear windshield, revised front fascia and small fiberglass trunk lid. That’s correct: Despite it’s appearance, that window is static, not hatch.

And that lack of useful storage space is only one of the many issues that kept this production variant out of the General Motors limelight. The lackluster performance from the 150hp 5.0L carbureted v8 available only through the 2004r auto and a 3.08:1 rear end ratio didn’t help either. If you remember correctly, even the lowly Monte Carlo SS had an alternative 180hp variant during it’s run, not to mention the offerings from Buick and Oldsmobile.

Despite it’s shortcomings, aesthetically it’s a stud in the confines of it’s era. Which, along with it’s rareness, is probably why this well-kept, low-mileage example went for an impressive $11,000 at auction.

Check out the lot listing for this vehicle over at Barrett-Jackson.com

Barrett-Jackson 2017: Auction Photos

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Trevor Freeman

Barrett-Jackson returned to Scottsdale, Arizona for their 46th annual Collector Car Auction event, which was held from January 14-22, 2017. They sold a record number of cars, and raised nearly $2.2 million dollars for charity. In case you missed it, here are some photos that should give you a sense of what it was like to be there.

Approximately 320,000 people passed through this entrance during the eight day event. Continue reading →

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