Tag Archives: collector car auction

Berkowitz Collection Highlights Movie and TV Cars at Barrett-Jackson

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#3 Batmobile. Photo by: Barrett-Jackson

Throughout its storied history, Barrett-Jackson has auctioned off some of the most remarkable automotive collections ever assembled. In 2008, they featured 42 custom-built vehicles from the popular television series Monster Garage. The following year, they made headlines by auctioning nearly 200 vehicles from the GM Heritage Fleet, including rare concept cars and pre-production models. In 2015, they offered 140 prized vehicles from businessman Ron Pratte, a collection hailed as “the most significant ever” in Barrett-Jackson’s history. Now, for 2025, the spotlight turns to the Dr. Stewart Berkowitz Collection, which is already generating buzz among collectors and enthusiasts alike.

The excitement is building as the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2025 collector car auction returns to WestWorld of Scottsdale, bringing with it an unparalleled lineup of rare and collectible vehicles. Taking place from January 18 through January 26, this year’s event promises to be a celebration of automotive history and pop culture, drawing enthusiasts and collectors from around the globe.

Event Details

  • Dates: January 18–26, 2025
  • Location: WestWorld of Scottsdale, Arizona

Barrett-Jackson is renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and diverse offerings, and this year is no exception. With live auctions, thrill rides, family-friendly activities, and the Rock the Block concert, the Scottsdale event remains a cornerstone of the collector car calendar.

The Dr. Stewart Berkowitz Collection

One of the highlights of the 2025 auction is the collection of Dr. Stewart Berkowitz, a New Jersey-based enthusiast whose passion for classic TV shows and movies from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s shaped his impressive array of vehicles. Dr. Berkowitz (1959–2024) spent decades curating a collection that blends automotive artistry with Hollywood nostalgia.

This is the first time Dr. Berkowitz’s 53-vehicle collection will be offered at auction, making it a unique opportunity for bidders and fans alike. The collection primarily features top-quality commissioned replicas of vehicles from movies and beloved television series, each crafted with meticulous attention to detail.

1921 Oldsmobile Model 46 “Beverly Hillbillies” Truck. Photo by: Barrett-Jackson.

Standout Vehicles

While the entire collection is a testament to Dr. Berkowitz’s passion and dedication, two vehicles stand out as crown jewels:

  • 1966 Batmobile No. 3 by George Barris: An authentic creation by legendary customizer George Barris, the #3 Batmobile is built on a 1966 Ford Galaxie chassis. The car was used in the “Batman” TV series from 1966 to 1968, and the 1966 Batman movie. The car has been autographed by Barris and includes a Certificate of Authenticity. With its dramatic fins, bubble windshields, and unmistakable presence, this car is a showstopper anywhere it goes.
  • 1921 Oldsmobile Model 46 from “The Beverly Hillbillies”: This vintage treasure starred in the classic TV sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies,” symbolizing the Clampett family’s rags-to-riches journey. The Oldsmobile is an authentic piece of entertainment history. It is one of five original vehicles used during the 12-year run of the original TV series, and was also used in the 1993 “Beverly Hillbillies” movie.

Why Attend?

Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event is much more than an auction—it’s an experience. Attendees can explore hundreds of vehicles up for auction, including rare classics, modern supercars, and unique memorabilia. The Dr. Stewart Berkowitz collection adds excitement to this year’s event, offering a rare opportunity to own vehicles that are fun, whimsical, and iconic.

Whether you’re a serious collector, a movie buff, or simply someone who appreciates the artistry of classic cars, this year’s Scottsdale auction is an event you won’t want to miss. Join us at WestWorld of Scottsdale for nine days of fun, entertainment and auction excitement.

For more information, including ticketing and a complete auction catalog, visit the Barrett-Jackson website.

Janet Cussler Car Collection Headlines RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2025 Collector Car Auction

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1929 Minerva Model AK Coupe Chauffeur by Hibbard & Darrin. Photo by: RM Sotheby’s

January in Arizona is an exciting time for car collectors, as Arizona Car Week kicks off with multiple auctions and events taking place in the mild winter climate. Near the base of Piestewa Peak mountain is the luxurious Arizona Biltmore resort, which will once again set the stage for one of the most highly anticipated collector car auctions of the year.

The RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2025 event, now in its 27th year, features a spectacular showcase of automobiles, from pre-war antiques to modern day supercars.

Event Details

Mark your calendars for an unforgettable experience:

  • Free Preview Day: January 23, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Auction Start: January 24, 2025, at 11:00 AM

The Arizona Biltmore’s elegant ambiance provides the perfect backdrop for this prestigious event, which will feature a catalog of 92 exceptional vehicles. From vintage classics to rare collector’s items, this auction is a must-see for car enthusiasts, collectors, and historians alike.

A Highlighted Collection: The Janet Cussler Cars

Headlining this year’s auction is the offering of 32 antique and pre-war vehicles from the personal collection of Janet Cussler. These remarkable cars are a testament to the legacy of her late husband, Clive Cussler, a renowned novelist and passionate car collector.

Clive Cussler (1931-2020) was a literary giant, best known for his thrilling adventure novels. Over his prolific career, he penned more than 80 books that captivated readers worldwide. Beyond his writing, Cussler had a passion for classic cars, amassing an impressive collection of pre-war and 1950s automobiles. With over 150 vehicles in total, the bulk of his collection resides at the Cussler Museum in Arvada, Colorado, now managed by his children.

After Clive’s passing, Janet Cussler, his devoted wife and partner since their marriage in 2008, has chosen to part with a selection of vehicles from their Arizona home. These 32 vehicles, each with its own unique story, will take center stage at RM Sotheby’s Arizona auction, offering a rare glimpse into the couple’s shared passion for automotive history.

What to Expect

This year’s auction catalog reflects the diversity and richness of automotive design through the ages. Whether you’re drawn to the craftsmanship of antique cars, the innovation of pre-war models, or the enduring charm of 1950s classics, this event is sure to have something for everyone.

The free preview day on January 23 provides an opportunity for attendees to immerse themselves in the collection, appreciating the intricate details and storied pasts of these iconic vehicles. For serious collectors, the auction on January 24 is a chance to bring home a piece of history.

The Janet Cussler Car Collection

  • 1869 Western Concord-Style Stagecoach Recreation
  • 1903 Oldsmobile Model R ‘Curved-Dash’ Runabout
  • 1906 Packard Model S Touring
  • 1907 Cadillac Model M Touring
  • 1908 Columbus Autobuggy
  • 1910 Buick Model 10 Touring
  • 1911 Ford Model T Runabout
  • 1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 66-A Runabout
  • 1911 REO Thirty Touring
  • 1914 Chevrolet Series H-2 ‘Royal Mail’ Roadster
  • 1914 Renault Type EF Town Car by Locke
  • 1916 Pierce-Arrow Model 48-B-4 Touring
  • 1917 Cadillac Type 55 Victoria
  • 1919 Kissel Model 6-45 Speedster
  • 1919 Locomobile Model 48, Series 6 Town Car by Demarest
  • 1921 Mercer Series 5 Sporting
  • 1921 Wills Sainte Claire A-68 Touring
  • 1922 Cunningham V4 Town Limousine
  • 1923 Jewett Model 18-22 Special Touring
  • 1923 Stutz Speedway Four Roadster
  • 1927 Cadillac V-8 Sport Phaeton by Fisher
  • 1929 Minerva Model AK Coupe Chauffeur by Hibbard & Darrin
  • 1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight Phaeton
  • 1930 Cadillac V-16 All-Weather Phaeton by Fleetwood
  • 1930 Packard 740 Custom Eight Sport Phaeton
  • 1931 Cadillac V-12 Touring by Fleetwood
  • 1931 Ford Model A DeLuxe Roadster
  • 1932 Lincoln Model KB Dual-Cowl Sport Phaeton
  • 1936 Packard 1407 Twelve Five-Passenger Coupe
  • 1937 Chrysler Airflow Eight Sedan
  • 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged ‘Sportsman’ Cabriolet
  • 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr Three-Window Coupe

Join the Legacy

RM Sotheby’s Arizona auction has long been a hallmark event of Arizona Car Week. This year, the Janet Cussler Collection presents a rare opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts to see and appreciate the beauty of these vehicles, as well as celebrate the lives and passions of those who cherished them.

Whether you’re an avid collector, a casual enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates the artistry of classic automobiles, the 2025 Arizona auction is an event not to be missed. Join RM Sotheby’s at the Arizona Biltmore for an extraordinary journey through automotive history and design.

For more information and to view the full catalog, visit RM Sotheby’s website. We’ll see you in Phoenix for a celebration of automotive excellence and enduring legacy.

Barrett-Jackson Breaks Records, Doubles Down with Second Scottsdale Auction

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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!

Supercars Capture Top Auction Sales at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2023

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The 2023 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction featured a record 1,907 vehicles on the docket. The bread and butter of the auction has always been American muscle cars from the 1950s-1970s, and this year was no exception.

Here are some numbers showing a partial analysis of Makes/Models in the 2023 auction:

154 Chevrolet Corvette
113 Chevrolet Camaro
102 Ford Mustang
64 Pontiac
58 Chevrolet Chevelle
58 Mercedes-Benz
46 Plymouth
45 Jeep
45 Cadillac
43 Porsche
36 GMC
29 Volkswagen
24 Buick
23 Oldsmobile
21 Ford Thunderbird
21 Bentley
20 Chevrolet Nova
18 BMW
16 Mercury
15 Lincoln
13 Jaguar
12 Ferrari
10 Maserati
9 Rolls-Royce
8 Lamborghini
7 Nissan
4 AMC
3 Volvo

As you can see, American cars such as Ford, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Jeep, and others dominate the auction catalog by a wide margin. There were only a handful of exotic cars with 12 Ferraris and 8 Lamborghinis, which says a lot about the customer base that both sells and bids at this auction. These are blue-jean wearing, bona-fide muscle car guys.

In 2018, 7 of the top 10 sellers were mid-century cars with only two late-model supercars and one boat in the top 10. This year was a different story, with 7 of the top 10 most expensive sales going to late-model supercars.

This 1989 Ferrari F40 Competizione in Nardo Grey was the top seller at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale 2023 collector car auction, with a final sale price of $2.75 million.

1. 1989 Ferrari F40 (Lot #1405.1) – $2,750,000
2. 2005 Porsche Carrera GT (Lot #1405) – $1,595,000
3. 2019 Ford GT Lightweight Carbon Series (Lot #1419) – $1,320,000
4. 2020 Ford GT Carbon Series (Lot #1390) – $1,320,000
5. 1966 Shelby Group II Mustang – Built for Ken Miles (Lot #1396) – $770,000
6. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Custom Convertible (Lot #1367) – $770,000
7. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (Lot #1353) – $770,000
8. 2012 Lexus LFA (Lot #1382) – $748,000
9. 2021 Ferrari SF90 (Lot #1391) – $742,500
10. 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (Lot #1407) – $671,000

It was a similar situation in 2019 and 2020, with supercars dominating the Top 10 rankings. 2021 had an even split between vintage cars and late-model cars.

Is this signaling a change in the collector car market? I have to wonder if the sixties Camaros and Shelbys peaked in value few years ago before the pandemic, and if they will ever see those numbers again.

On the other hand, those vintage cars may be holding steady in their value. It could be the case that supercars are dominating the block just because there have been more of them offered for sale in recent years. A supercar is a highly liquid asset, one that can quickly be bought or sold relative to other investments.

Where do you think the collector car market is headed? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.

Top 10 Most Expensive Cars Sold at Barrett-Jackson 2023 Scottsdale Auction

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Barrett-Jackson returned to Scottsdale for their 51st annual collector car auction, which took place January 21-29, 2023 at Westworld of Scottsdale. The event drew more than 300,000 spectators and a record-breaking 1,907 vehicles consigned to sell at the no-reserve auction.

Here is a look at the Top 10 most expensive cars sold during Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale 2023 auction:

1. 1989 Ferrari F40 Competizione in Nardo Grey (Lot #1405.1) – $2,750,000
2. 2005 Porsche Carrera GT (Lot #1405) – $1,595,000
3. 2019 Ford GT Lightweight Carbon Series (Lot #1419) – $1,320,000
4. 2020 Ford GT Carbon Series (Lot #1390) – $1,320,000
5. 1966 Shelby Group II Mustang – Built for Ken Miles (Lot #1396) – $770,000
6. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Custom Convertible (Lot #1367) – $770,000
7. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (Lot #1353) – $770,000
8. 2012 Lexus LFA (Lot #1382) – $748,000
9. 2021 Ferrari SF90 (Lot #1391) – $742,500
10. 2019 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ (Lot #1407) – $671,000

Overall, the collectible vehicles totaled more than $184.2 million in auction sales and $6.41 million for 1,100 pieces of automobilia collectibles, bringing the total auction sales to $190.6 million.

Barrett-Jackson also had five special auctions with 100 percent of the hammer price of each vehicle benefiting a nonprofit organization. The five vehicles at this year’s auction raised $1.89 million for charity.

The charity vehicles that sold during the 2023 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction included:

1. 2021 Shelby Super Snake Count’s Kustoms Edition (Lot #3000) – $350,000 to benefit Camp Freedom
2. 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning 4×4 Super Crew Pickup (Lot #3001) – $275,000 to benefit Fighter Country Foundation
3. 2024 GMC Hummer EV Edition SUV VIN 001 First Retail Production (Lot #3002) – $500,000 to benefit Tread Lightly!
4. General Colin L. Powell’s 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (Lot #3003) – $200,000 to benefit America’s Promise Alliance
5. 2024 Ford Mustang GT Fastback VIN 001 (Lot #3004) – $565,000 to benefit JDRF. The Mustang hammered for $490,000 and received an additional $75,000 in donations from generous guests on the auction block.

For more information on the Scottsdale auction and other events, visit https://www.barrett-jackson.com/

 

Barrett-Jackson to Host Inaugural Houston Collector Car Auction

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For more than 50 years, Barrett-Jackson has hosted its annual collector car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The auction has grown over the years into a multi-day event and has become the cornerstone of Arizona Car Week.

Now the auction house is expanding with the launch of their first ever Houston, TX auction scheduled for September 16-18, 2021. The auction will be held at the NRG Center in Houston.

This is not the first time Barrett-Jackson has entered a new metro area. The Scottsdale-based company launched auction events in Palm Beach, Florida in 2002, Las Vegas in 2008, Orange County in 2010, Reno-Tahoe in 2013, and the northeastern U.S. in 2015. In a statement, Barrett-Jackson’s CEO Craig Jackson said “The car culture runs deep in Texas, which is why we’ve had our hearts set on bringing an event to the state. The pent-up demand for collectible vehicles and the hobby in 2021, combined with the level of excitement we see at our inaugural events, will make this Houston Auction one that enthusiasts around the globe will not want to miss.”

The event is more than just a simple car auction. Barrett-Jackson will be kicking things off on September 15th with an invitation-only gala for registered bidders and VIPs. There will be an exhibitor marketplace during the event featuring vendors and companies centered around the automotive lifestyle.

Additionally, guests will have the opportunity to ride with a professional driver on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track. Chevrolet and Ford will provide hot laps in their C8 Corvette and Mustang Mach 1, respectively. Toyota and Dodge will also be on site with Thrill Rides in a drifting exhibition featuring the Toyota Supra, as well as Dodge Charger and Challenger.

The sales commence on September 16th, starting with automotive memorabilia such as antique gas pumps, neon signs, and other decorations for the ultimate collector garage or man cave. Then, it’s on to the cars.

Barrett-Jackson specializes in postwar American muscle cars of the 1950s through 1970s, though their auction catalog includes everything from prewar cars to the latest sports and exotic cars. Here are some highlighted vehicles that will be sold at the Houston auction:

Lot #748 – 2019 Ford GT with 19 Miles

The Ford GT is an amazing, purpose-built, low-production race car for the road. While each of them is special, this one carries a high number of factory options that distinguish it from the pack.

  • Liquid Blue paint with Frozen White stripes
  • Exterior Exposed Carbon Fiber Package with matte finish
  • Ebony and white Ford GT Re-Entry interior
  • Carbon fiber seats
  • Indoor car cover
  • 6-point harness anchors
  • 18.1 actual miles

Lot #741 – 1966 SHELBY GT350 – STIRLING MOSS RACE CAR

  • Formerly owned by Sir Stirling Moss
  • Raced from 1991-97
  • Car upgraded to “R spec”
  • Extensively documented

 

If you are not able to attend in person, don’t worry! The auction event will be live streamed on Barrett-Jackson.com Presented by Toyota.