Get all the details on the car auctions
Dave Brewer came to Scottsdale last week with a trailer full of cars to sell.
He brought two Corvettes, a 1969 Camaro Z28, 1970 Oldsmobile 442 convertible and a 1934 Woody street rod.
Brewer, 60, of Longwood, Fla., is one of hundreds of consignors selling 2,300 collector cars at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event and four other auctions this week in the Valley.
He said he is excited to be back for his 15th year selling cars on the Barrett-Jackson auction block at WestWorld.
"It's my Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Indy 500 all rolled into one," Brewer said of the 39th annual auction, which has a docket of 1,200 cars.
Even in a down economy, the five auctions are likely to generate car sales in excess of $100 million and contribute nearly as much in visitor spending, according to previous Scottsdale economic studies of the Barrett-Jackson auction.
The Scottsdale collector-car event generated sales of $67 million last year. Three other auctions - Russo and Steele, RM, and Gooding and Co. - reported a combined $63 million in sales.
That is a lot of horsepower in the West's Most Western Town.
Scottsdale-based Barrett-Jackson kicks things off with a family preview event today at WestWorld, northeast of Loop 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard.
Visitors can see the cars from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's free for children 12 and under, and for veterans and military members in uniform or with a valid ID.
Tickets are $15 for adults today and $10 for students and senior citizens. Adult tickets range from $10 to $55 the rest of the week.
Russo and Steele, Gooding and Co., RM Auctions and Silver Auctions will be selling a combined 1,100 cars starting later this week in Scottsdale, Phoenix and the Fort McDowell Reservation.
The most sought-after cars selling for six and seven figures will be on the auction block Thursday night for the RM event at the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix, and Friday and Saturday at the other three auctions in Scottsdale. That includes Barrett-Jackson, Russo and Steele, and Gooding and Co.
Silver Auctions is a much smaller event running Friday through Jan. 25 at the Fort McDowell Casino northeast of Fountain Hills.
Barrett-Jackson is selling a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS/RS with 600 horsepower on Saturday, with the proceeds going to the Childhelp charity.
It is also offering a 1930 Ford Model A used by gangster John Dillinger in a bank heist, an unrestored 1949 Hudson police cruiser, and a restored 1929 Hamilton airplane.
The collector-car market has been affected by the recession, but sellers such as Brewer say they aren't worried about prices.
"When you buy the best of the best, you find out that they hold their value very well," Brewer said, adding that he has confidence in his cars.
He stays in a motorhome for more than a week at Barrett-Jackson, socializing with dozens of other car collectors who gather each year at the event.
Brewer is also likely to buy some cars.
"It would be rare time if I left with an empty trailer," he said.
At the other events, Russo and Steele will bang the gavel on its 10th annual auction at 10 a.m. Thursday southeast of Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road. Its 600-car docket includes a 2005 Ford GT race car with 550-horsepower V-8 engine and a top speed of more than 200 miles per hour.
RM Auctions, with 170 cars, added a second day to its event at the Biltmore. RM will feature British cars Thursday evening. They include a 1963 Aston Martin DB4 GT with an estimated price of up to $1.1 million.
Gooding and Co. has also expanded to a two-day auction at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Its lineup of 125 automobiles features a 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C with an estimated price of up to $2.5 million.
All the auctions are bracing for wet weather this week.
No comments:
Post a Comment