Barrett-Jackson, New Orleans, September 28-30, 2023
For reasons known only to Craig Jackson and Steve Davis Barrett-Jackson decamped some 350 miles east from the NRG Center in Houston to the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans after only two years in Houston. The result was not astounding with everything down by material amounts from what B-J was able to […]
RM Sotheby’s, Hershey, October 4-5, 2023
Hershey is not RM Sotheby’s most significant sale, but it is one of its most enjoyable and intriguing. The cars offered are so unusual that often there are several we’ve never heard of before. They aren’t the best concours-queens, but are positioned to reflect the Hershey AACA Swap Meet environment. In other words there were […]
Bonhams|Cars, Audrain, Newport, R.I., September 29, 2023
Twenty-two of the fifty-three lots in this year’s Bonhams Audrain auction were from the estate of James Messenger. Most were weak-in-the-knees gorgeous modified cars with impeccable construction, concept and presentation. The three Alfa GTs left me in awe, the things I would like my Alfa GT to be, but it isn’t and never will be. […]
Mecum Auctions, Monterey, August 17-19, 2023
Mecum Auctions is Walmart among the five Monterey car week auctions: There’s an ample selection, much of the inventory is relatively inexpensive, some of it is seriously out of the ordinary and there is enough premium product to keep buyers intrigued. Mecum has gradually transitioned to offering more high end, expensive, cars including late model […]
RM Sotheby’s, Monterey, August 17-19, 2023
After a pair of post-COVID years in the rarified stratosphere RM Sotheby’s three-day Monterey auction came back to more dense atmosphere in 2023, still exceptional but less effusive than it was in 2021 and 2022. It showed that RM understands it (and its Monterey competitors) can’t simply bulk up with hundreds of cars to build […]
Broad Arrow|Radius, Jet Center, Monterey, August 17-18, 2003
2023 was Broad Arrow’s second auction at the Monterey Jet Center coincident with the Hagerty Motorlux kickoff party. Last year was Broad Arrow’s first live auction, although the Broad Arrow team has decades of experience, coming mostly from RM. I’m going to put the numbers first to get the details out of the way: The […]