Since its first event in 2008 Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas auction has been held at the Mandalay Bay in late September-early October. But no less than holding the Scottsdale extravaganza in March the Las Vegas date shifted to mid-June and at the new Convention Center.
B-J can be glad it did because the $45,905,233 total (just cars and trucks, no motorcycles) was 35% better than its previous highest Las Vegas total of $34 million in 2018. The value of the cars was up substantially as well. Only 601 lots (the lowest since 2012) meant the average transaction was $76,381 and the median $52,800, both the highest ever for B-J in Las Vegas.
There was only one lot sold on a hammer bid over $1 million, the 2015 McLaren P1 for $1,567,500. Two other lots closed with all-in prices over $1 million but both had hammer bids under $1 million. There were only five lots sold on bids of $500,000 or more.
In other words, Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas 2021 was a sale populated by strong but not fantastic prices. 103 lots had successful hammer bids over $100,000; the other 498 were 5-figures or less.
It turned out to be the sweet spot in collector car values: middle of the market, quality cars presented to a well-heeled, receptive group of bidders in a released-from-social-distancing mood ready to celebrate.
In three months Barrett-Jackson goes to the NRG Center in Houston for the first time, September 16-18.
| Year | Cars Sold/ Offered | Sale % | Average Sale | Median Sale | Total $ |
| 2021 | 601/601 | 100% | $52,800 | $76,381
[69.1%] |
$45,905,233 |
| 2019 | 677/677 | 100% | $49,855 | $35,200
[70.6%] |
$33,752,060 |
| 2018 | 739/739 | 100% | $46,075 | $33,000
[71.6%] |
$34,049,345 |
On-site observations and photos are by Andrew Newton, sorted by lot number.
Lot # 28 1984 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Roadster; S/N ZARBA5413E1020319; Black/Black vinyl; Black cloth top; Unrestored original 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $15,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $16,500 – 1,962/115hp, 5-speed, alloy wheels, store brand tires, woodrim steering wheel, wood shift knob, power windows, air conditioning. – Represented with service records and a recent full tune up. Also represented with new chrome mirrors and recently recovered seats. Dull bumpers. Tired paint. Lightly pitted headlight bezels. Clean underbody. Newer replacement top. Clean interior but faded switchgear. Someone has consistently taken care of this Alfa but it is nevertheless a used car, with significant age and 105,364 miles on the odometer. – This car sold for $11,025 on Bring a Trailer just one month ago, and that price seemed about right. A month isn’t really enough time to get a car fully cleaned up for a major flip and the car looks much the same as it did on BaT, but this was nevertheless a successful trip to Vegas for the seller.
Lot # 32 1989 Rolls-Royce Silver Spur 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N SCAZN02A2KCX25414; Black,
Tan vinyl roof/Tan leather piped in black; Unrestored original 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $13,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $14,300 – 6,750/220hp, automatic, wheel covers, whitewalls, tinted glass, cassette stereo, footrests, rear seat tables, both tool kits, – No service history represented and showing 83,973 miles. Tired paint and bumpers. Mild discoloration and a scratch on the roof vinyl. Heavy cracking in the window trim but the rest of the interior looks good. Very much a used old Rolls. – The most expensive out of a collection of five equally used 1980s Rolls/Bentleys at this sale, this is yet another example of the fact that it doesn’t take much money to buy a Rolls-Royce. But with high miles and unclear mechanical needs underneath, it does take a lot of bravery.
Lot # 52 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300SD 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 11612012018002; Magnolia Beige/Brown leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $16,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $18,150 – 3,005/120hp turbodiesel five-cylinder, automatic, alloy wheels, power windows, climate control, Pioneer CD stereo. – Recently serviced. Single family ownership but not single family neglect, and although it shows 106,886 miles a diesel Mercedes will run forever. Lightly scratched bumpers and a crack in the plastic. Very aged wheels. Good paint. Tidy and maintained underneath. Excellent interior. Superior build quality and careful ownership. – It’s a well-maintained example of a bulletproof bank vault of a car, but vintage diesel Mercedes-Benzes carry relatively modest prices, and this is a fair result.
Lot # 60 1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible; S/N 1B7FL69X7LS619384; White,, Gray graphics/Gray cloth; Black cloth top; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $13,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $14,300 – 239/125hp V-6, automatic, Radial T/A tires, power windows, bucket seats, column shift, factory cassette stereo, power steering and brakes4. – Represented as one of 909 convertible Dakotas built in 1990. Showing 95,750 miles but looks cleaner than the odometer reading might suggest. There are a few scratches in the graphics and a few touch ups in the original paint. Tidy chassis and pickup bed. The top is solid and fits well but could use a deep cleaning, very good interior with only lightly worn carpets. – Crossed the block at Mecum’s Indianapolis auction a year ago where it attracted a bid of $16,000 but didn’t sell. It is a highly unusual vehicle and the epitome of a sport truck. The maintenance and preservation are impressive and it is a good value at this price.
Lot # 70 1970 Triumph Spitfire Mk III Roadster; S/N FDU85210L; Light yellow/Beige leather; Black vinyl top; Recent restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $15,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $16,500 – 1,296/76hp, 4-speed, 8-spoke alloy wheels, Kumho tires, older Clarion cassette stereo. – Represented as an older body-on restoration with new carburetors, new wheels and tires, and fresh paint. Chrome looks good. So does the paint, and this is a great color, but there are some cracks near the headlights and a few masking imperfections. Clean carpets and upgraded seats but the dash, gauges, and steering wheel are original and look tired. Restored and lightly used underneath. New top on an unrestored top frame. Corners were cut, but that’s fair on budget classics like a Mk III Spitfire. This is a lovely car. – It could be lovelier, especially at this price, but even though this is top of the market for a Mk III Spitfire, it’s hard to argue with the result when there are so few handsome, fun, usable classic cars that can still be had in this price range.
Lot # 71 1971 Fiat 850 Sport Spider, Body by Bertone; S/N 100GBS10100655; Red/Black; Black top; Enthusiast restoration 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $6,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $6,600 – 843/49hp, 4-speed, hub caps, narrow whitewalls, older aftermarket stereo. Represented with a white hardtop not shown on-site. – Dull and badly pitted front bumper. Cheap respray with orange peel in spots. Cracked taillight lenses, both of them. Light restoration work underneath and a reasonably clean engine bay. Decent upholstery but the steering wheel rim is cracked, plus the woodgrain dash is cracking and missing a couple of screws. A charming little convertible, but nothing to be too proud of. – Not fast but fun and wearing a handsome Bertone body, this Fiat is a lot of car for $6,600. It’s the kind of thing you could drive around, wrench on and spiff up a bit, and then sell on without losing any money. It’s a low risk, high reward little sports car and one of the few clear bargains at this auction.
Lot # 82 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition Coupe; S/N 1G1AY0783C5100781; Silver Beige/Beige leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $25,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $27,500 – 350/200hp, automatic, Goodyear Eagle GTII tires, bronze T-tops, power windows, air conditioning, cassette stereo, original window sticker. – A handful of chips and touch ups on the nose, and a mild scrape on the plastic bottom front lip. Light wrinkles in the driver’s seat but very well kept interior. Showing 23,075 miles so it has been driven, but also treated like a collectible since new, like many of these one year only C3s have. – Like many special edition Corvettes, 1982 Collector Editions aren’t exactly “rare” by most standards with 6,759 built. Many owners also took the “Collector Edition” badge seriously so it isn’t hard to find examples with low miles and clean histories. They do command a significant premium over a base 1982 Corvette but bidders got a bit carried away on this one. Something closer to 20 grand would be a lot more realistic.
Lot # 89 1989 Ford Mustang LX Coupe; S/N 1FABP40E1KF199251; Black/Gray cloth; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $28,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $31,350 – 302/225hp, 5-speed, alloy wheels, power windows, factory cassette stereo. Comes with original window sticker. – Sold new in California and shows 38,781 miles, although it was babied the whole way and looks like a car with a fraction of that. Fantastic original paint. Clean wheels. Newer weather stripping. Clean and maintained underneath. Very mild wear on the steering wheel and switchgear but otherwise the interior looks nearly showroom fresh. Part of the Fox-body appeal is in just how delightfully bland they look, and this car – a black over gray notchback LX – plays the part perfectly. The owner even removed the 5.0 badges. – This Mustang may look bland, but exceptional cars never fly under the radar of Fox-body fans, who have proven time and again that they’ll pay massive prices. There were plenty of them raising their paddles in Vegas this year, and although this is an LX model with a not insignificant number of miles on the odometer, they gave it beyond top dollar.
Lot # 184.1 1954 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 546065841; Metallic green/Green, light green cloth; Visually maintained, largely original 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $15,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $17,050 – 331/230hp, automatic, wheel covers, whitewalls, fender skirts, pushbutton radio, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seat, air conditioning. – Old, faded, blistered, scratched paint. Dull chrome and brightwork. Decent but aged and musty-smelling interior. Rough underneath but represented with new shocks, sway bar bushings, fuel pump, and electronic distributor. It could still use plenty of attention. – Sold for $21,263 on Bring a Trailer in 2018 and at Barrett-Jackson’s Fall Auction last year for $22,000. It’s not getting more attractive with age although it is doubtful it has so deteriorated in three years that the $7,000 hit is appropriate. The fact of the matter is that it is a largely uninteresting, tired old car and the seller should be satisfied to get this much for it.
Lot # 190 1975 Chevrolet Vega Cosworth Coupe; S/N 1V77E5U258223; Black,, Gold/Black vinyl; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000 – 122/110hp, 4-speed, gold wheels, Goodyear tires, pushbutton radio. – Represented with 2,294 actual miles and with the original owner until last year. Lots of detail scratching in the paint. Dull bumpers. Nearly like new interior. Clean underneath. Low miles and solid shape (great by Vega standards). – The Cosworth Vega was the second most expensive car with a Chevrolet badge in 1975, and it cost twice as much as a standard Vega, so production was modest at barely 2000 units and they generally haven’t had much more than a cult following. This result, then, was a bit of a surprise. The Cosworth Vega’s more pedigreed rivals like the BMW 2002 and Alfa GTV have been commanding this kind of money or more for a while now, but we’re used to seeing more middling prices for the Chevy, but this was a desirable combination of low miles, absolute originality and good condition that brought a deserved superior price.
Lot # 325 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT Coupe; S/N 1G2PG1199JP219551; Red/Tan leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $20,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $22,000 – 173/135hp V-6, 5-speed, gold wheels, Goodyear Eagle GT tires, sunroof, power windows, air conditioning, factory cassette stereo. – Final year Fiero GT, which is the one to have. Showing 56,393 miles and mostly pampered. Very good original paint showing only light general age. Lightly worn shifter, seats and steering wheel, but mostly sound interior. Tidy underneath. – For all sorts of reasons, the Fiero was compromised from the start, but by 1988 the top-trim GT was finally the car it should have been from the beginning. Its issues were sorted out, and for that year it got all-new and much better suspension. In a classic GM move, however, the Fiero got good just in time for it to get the axe, and today most people remember the earlier Fieros that caught fire. Relative to the comparable Toyota MR2 or Honda CRX Si, Fieros don’t command as much respect, nor do they command as much money. This one sold for $8,715 last January on Bring a Trailer, where clean CRXs have sold for over twice that. It got so much more attention at Barrett-Jackson, and although other ’88 GTs have sold for more, the seller should be ecstatic with this result.
Lot # 329 1979 Lincoln Continental Mk V Coupe; S/N 9Y89S675769; Robin’s Egg Blue/Light blue leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $18,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $19,800 – 400/159hp, automatic, wire wheels, Cartier dash clock, moonroof, vinyl roof delete. – Showing 10,840 miles that are represented as actual. Original wheels and tires are included. Aged but presentable paint and chrome. Some rusty spikes on the wheels. Very good interior showing almost no age other than lightly wrinkled leather. Clean underneath. Not a time warp car, but not far from one, either. – In addition to base cars like this one, there were several “Designer Editions” available on the Continental Mark V (Bill Blass, Cartier, Givenchy, Pucci) but they all carry similar values and many cars have similarly low miles. This result was on the expensive side for a base car with some shortcomings, but not outrageous.
Lot # 336 1988 Porsche 928 S4 Coupe; S/N WP0JB0924JS861688; Black/Black leather; Visually maintained, largely original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $33,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $36,300 – 4,957/316hp, 5-speed, chromed turbo twist wheels, Sumitumo tires, sunroof, power windows, air conditioning, aftermarket Sony stereo. – Showing 134,090 miles. Represented with a recent service including timing belt, water pump, motor mounts, drive belts, rebuilt steering rack, and a brake job. New windshield fitted a few years ago, and recently re-clear-coated. Several sizable chips in the nose but otherwise the paint looks decent. Cracked weather stripping. Some tired looking switches and dry leather, plus two odd smudges on the left rear seat. A desirable late 928 with a reassuring amount of recent service, but still shows significant use and those chrome wheels aren’t to everyone’s taste. – Bid to $15,750 on Bring a Trailer in 2019, wearing different wheels and before the more recent clearcoat. The BaT bidders may have been put off by the mileage but the folks at Barrett-Jackson were apparently smitten with the car. A price somewhere in between these two numbers would have been more rational. because $36,300 can buy a cleaner 928 than this.
Lot # 341 1991 Nissan Figaro Convertible; S/N FK10001118; Topaz Mist,, White roof/White leather with gray piping; White top; Visually maintained, largely original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000 – RHD. 987/75hp 4-cylinder turbo, automatic, hub caps, factory CD/cassette stereo, air conditioning. – Showing 110,202 km (68,476 miles). Rebuilt turbo, rechromed bumpers, new dash, new roof, and new brakes. Solid paint. Tidy underneath. The only serious sign of age is a flat bottom and a few tiny rips in the driver’s seat, but the rest of the interior looks great. – A clear nod to the past with its retro styling and 1960s-style interior, the Figaro was only around for the 1991 model year and Nissan limited production to 20,000 units, delivered via a lottery system. They were available in four colors (Lapis Grey, Emerald Green, Pale Aqua, and Topaz Mist), one for each season. It may be a boring econobox underneath with front-wheel drive and a 3-speed automatic, but their looks are seriously charming. They’re also proof that Skylines aren’t the only JDM cars that Americans are clamoring to import and pay increasingly high prices for. Figaros turned 25 years old (and therefore legal to register in the U.S.) in 2016 and even as more make their way across our borders their prices continue to rise. $33,000 for one with this kind of mileage suggests that they aren’t done climbing.
Lot # 349.1 1966 Volvo P1800S Coupe; S/N 17184; California White/Black leather; Enthusiast restoration 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $25,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $27,500 – 1,778cc four with single Weber, 4-speed with overdrive, hub caps and trim rings, store brand tires, dual sport mirrors, Alpine CD stereo. – Early S model 1800. The S stands for Sweden, after Volvo moved production to its own facilities (Jensen in the UK screwed together the early cars and couldn’t do so to Volvo’s standards). Presentable, lightly scratched chrome but there is severe pitting on a few trim pieces. Quick respray with masking errors and orange peel. Lightly scratched rear window and wiper marks on the windshield. Recently undercoated chassis and tidy engine bay. The doors stick out slightly. Good interior with new-looking seats and a clean dash, but the badge on the steering wheel is cracked. Represented with a full service this March. Volvo 1800s are gorgeous, usable classics and this is a solid driver for the most part, although it borders on scruffy. – Volvo 1800s were low-priced classics for a long time and budget restorations like this were the norm. But more recently people caught on to just how good these sexy Swedes are and have been putting more money into them. This is driver-quality money for a driver-quality car, but it leaves the new owner with little room to make serious improvements.
Lot # 401 1971 Jensen Interceptor II Coupe; S/N 1255380; White/Black leather; Visually maintained, largely original 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $32,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $35,200 – 383/330hp, TorqueFlite automatic, Firestone tires, factory air conditioning, 8-track, power windows. Comes with original tool kit, jack, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and a copy of the original title. – Represented as a matching numbers two-owner car with 56,313 miles from new. Presentable but old repaint. Dull, tired original chrome. Dry weather stripping. The wheels look a bit tired. Dry and oxidized underneath but not rusty. Well-kept all original interior but it’s showing its age with dry, worn leather. An unrestored but solid and relatively rare Interceptor. – Based upon condition alone this is a realistic price but it gives no credit at all the two owners, matching numbers drivetrain and appealing preservation. It’s not to everyone’s taste but for the right buyer it is an attractive combination of performance, room and preservation and a solid value at this price.
Lot # 428 1968 Chevrolet Impala SS 427 Convertible; S/N 1646781107646; Matador Red/Black; Black top; Visually maintained, largely original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $47,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $51,700 – 427/385hp, automatic, Rally wheels, Firestone red line tires, bucket seats, console, horseshoe shifter, power steering, power brakes, original AM radio. – Sold new in Canada and presented with GM Canada documentation. Represented as the original engine and 45,329 miles from new. Mostly unrestored with one repaint that shows no serious flaws or age. The original chrome, however, looks ancient. Clean wheels. Lightly aged, seemingly original interior. Some restoration work underneath and an excellent engine compartment. A solid, relatively rare big-block Impala convertible. – These Sixties 427 Impalas are enjoyable drivers with sufficient power and torque to compensate for their size and mass. They’re more expensive than their 396 and 327 cubic inch counterparts; they’re also more rare and distinctive. This result is appropriate and is fair to both the seller and the buyer.
Lot # 448 1988 BMW M5 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N WBSDC9307J2875177; Black/Tan leather; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $62,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $68,200 – 3,453/256hp twin cam six, Getrag 5-speed, BBS wheels, Michelin tires, Recaro heated front seats, original tool kit. – Represented as a one-owner car. That owner has driven it 87,268 miles and kept it carefully the whole way with service records to prove it. There are plenty of minor paint flaws and a small dent on the right front fender, plus the bumpers are dull. Tidy and maintained underneath. Great interior with minor wear on the driver’s seat. The imperfections are mostly forgivable, and E28 M5s so rarely come to market that all of them are special. – The first generation (E28) M5 was the fastest production sedan in the world when it was new, with a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds and a 148-mph top speed. It is also one of BMW’s rarest models with about 2200 cars produced, and as modern BMWs in general have appreciated in recent years, classic M5s are one of the cars leading the charge. The Vegas bidders rightfully recognized this example’s careful ownership history and gave it a realistic price, one that would have seemed insane just a few years ago.
Lot # 450.1 1970 Plymouth GTX 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N RS23V0A159778; Ivy Green Metallic,, Gold side stripes/Green vinyl; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $61,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $67,100 – 440/390hp Six Barrel, column shift automatic, F60-15 Polyglas GT tires, Air Grabber hood, power steering, power brakes, bucket seats, Rally gauges, factory AM/FM radio. – Represented as unrestored with 34,898 actual miles and matching numbers. The bumpers are a little rough and there is pitting around the taillights but the paint is quite good. There are two small scrapes below the windshield and there is a scratch in one of the 440 decals. Very good original interior with nothing serious to pick on. A little oxidized underneath but nothing to be too concerned about. Restored engine compartment. A seriously well-kept GTX. – A strong argument should be made for a much stronger price for this 34,898 mile, original, Six Barrel GTX based on its preservation and quality. “Actual miles” are always a caution flag but this GTX’s condition backs up the claim. It would not have been overpriced at a $70,000 bid.
Lot # 462 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 Roadster; S/N CSX2439; Cobalt Blue/Black leather; Older restoration 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $825,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $907,500 – 289/271hp, 4-speed, side exhaust, centerlock wire wheels with AC caps, Goodyear Eagle GT tires, woodrim steering wheel, wood shift knob, Stewart Warner gauges. – This car has a lot of history, not all of it good. Originally delivered in Tennessee finished in white over red and equipped with luggage rack, radio, hardtop and dual four-barrel carbs, none of which are with the car currently. Wrecked in period and repainted red. A crane then fell on it during filming of the movie Cannonball Run. Fully restored in the 1980s and still wears that restoration. Serious microblisters in the paint on the nose, hood and trunk lid plus a handful of scratches and cracks. Good chrome. Clean wheels and tires. Dull gauges, lightly wrinkled leather, and the carpet is worn through in a few spots behind the shifter. “Date code correct engine and transmission”. If ever there was a 289 Cobra driver, this is it. – There’s an aphorism that goes like this, “Time heals all wounds”. It should apply to this repeatedly wrecked Cobra with its replacement engine and trannie and heaven only knows how many replacement and reproduction parts. The result here is fully-priced for an original drivetrain and less compromised history, but few today seem to recognize the difference as long as it’s the only known example with this chassis number.
Lot # 462.1 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350H Fastback; S/N SFM6S1559; Raven Black, Gold stripes/Black vinyl; Visually maintained, largely original 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $125,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $137,500 – 289/306hp, automatic, alloy wheels, Polyglas GT tires, original radio, dash-mounted tach. – From the Richard and Cynthia Grey collection. Tidy engine bay. Tired older paint and chrome. Light scratches on the original windshield. Cracking in the Plexiglas rear quarter windows. Dull dash and gauges. Worn pedals. Small chunk taken out of the steering wheel rim. Clean wheels. Looks unrestored underneath. A relatively rare GT350H rent-a-racer in driver condition. – There’s no representation about the driveline on this GT350H, a critical oversight but one that didn’t deter the B-J Las Vegas bidders from valuing like it had the original drivetrain. That’s an oversight that makes this an expensive GT350H.
Lot # 469.1 1969 Mercury Cougar 2-Dr. Coupe; S/N 9R91H500001; Pastel Gray/Dark Red; Visually maintained, largely original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $44,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $48,400 – 351/250hp, automatic, MSD ignition, Firestone Wide Oval tires, bucket seats, console, Philco radio, Elite Marti Report. – VIN 001, reportedly hand built and the 24,639 miles showing are represented as actual as is the matching numbers engine. Light scratches on the front bumper and heavy pitting on the headlight doors. Lightly scratched window frames. Good older repaint. Lightly scratched rear glass. Aged dash and switchgear but good upholstery. Tidy engine bay and underbody. The condition is mostly ordinary, but its build date is special. – Let’s be clear: this is the first Cougar off the San Jose assembly line. There’s another one out there from Dearborn and other than the sequence number this is a perfectly ordinary ’69 Cougar. This result is an improbable premium for a relatively meaningless chassis number distinction: a dull, ordinary car that brought a fantastic price that even the reported low miles do little to support. It is seriously expensive.
Lot # 470.1 1995 AM General HMCO Open Top Utility 4×4; S/N 137YA9034SE163936; White, Black fender flares/Tan leather; Tan vinyl top; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $72,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,200 – 395/170hp diesel V-8, automatic, brush guard with fog lights, Alpine CD stereo, power windows, air conditioning. – Showing 35,469 believable and claimed original miles. The paint is a bit faded and shows several large touch ups. Large crack in the left fog light. Clean chassis. The left front fender flare is cracked and loose-fitting. Upgraded interior that matches the mileage. The top shows some smudges and stains, plus the rear window is cloudy. A used H1. – But one-fifth the cost of a Lambo LM002 with the same attitude. It would be instructive to see a Hummer like this in a pull-off on dirt with an LM002, pitting the torque of the Hummer’s diesel V-8 against the horsepower of the LM002’s V-12.
Lot # 491 1984 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Station Wagon 4×4; S/N 1JCNJ15NXET119112; Gold, Woodgrain/Brown leather with cloth inserts; Visually maintained, largely original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000 – 360/175hp, automatic, Kumho narrow whitewalls, roof rack, fog lights, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, cassette stereo. – Dull chrome. Some scratches in the woodgrain but nothing terrible. Aged wheels and tires. Decent paint with a few cracks, chips, and spots of orange peel. Unrestored but maintained underneath. Lightly wrinkled leather and worn steering wheel but mostly great interior. Not much in the way of history represented, but a well-maintained V8 Grand Wagoneer. – Although some exceptionally clean original Grand Wagoneers have sold for over 50 grand, this is a more sensible result for one that can actually be driven and enjoyed.
Lot # 634 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ43 Soft Top 4×4; S/N FJ43113538; Olive green/Gray; Gray top; Truck restoration 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $35,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $38,500 – 4,230/125hp, 4-speed, power windows, aftermarket stereo, air conditioning, fog lights. – Represented as matching numbers engine. Body-off restored but done quickly and on a budget. Rough-looking respray. Odd scratches in the windshield. Surface rust poking through on some of the hinges. Good interior with newer upholstery and door panels. Undercoated chassis and tidy engine bay, but the exhaust looks very old. A late FJ43 with metric gauges and kilometer speedometer, likely shipped up from Central or South America and given a superficial refresh a while back. – Somewhat noteworthy as a longer FJ43 model and the matching numbers is a plus, but this price could have bought a more thoroughly and carefully restored example. A few years ago FJ40s and cloth-topped FJ43s were the flavor of the month. Hundreds were found working coffee plantations and fincas in Central and South America, brought to the U.S. and gussied up to please buyers in California. That bubble has burst, as this result indicates.
Lot # 637 1960 Daimler SP250 Dart Convertible; S/N 100191; Silver/Red leather; Black top; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $48,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $52,800 – 2,548-cc V-8 with Edelbrock 4-barrel, 4-speed, modern aluminum radiator, alloy wheels, Sumitumo tires, woodrim steering wheel. – High quality paint with one small chip on the driver’s door and another on the passenger’s door. Erratic fit on the trunk but the doors look good. Wheels and tires look new. Very clean fully redone engine that is represented as matching numbers but upgraded with an Edelbrock 4-barrel. Restored chassis. Very good interior other than some worn spots on the driver’s seat. It’s hard to call one of these V-8 British oddballs beautiful, but this is a great example. – Much of Daimler’s history is filled with luxury saloons, limousines and hearses, and Daimlers were the royal family’s favorite marque. So it was a big surprise when Daimler put out a fiberglass-bodied hemi V-8 sports car with outrageous American-inspired styling, unofficially chosen as the ugliest car at the New York Auto Show where it was introduced. The body designer remains nameless. Called the Dart in the UK and the SP250 in the U.S. (Chrysler objected to the use of the Dart name over here), it enjoyed a short 2,654-car run from 1959-64, after which Daimler kept right on building comfortable saloons. Today, SP250s are worth similar money to an Austin-Healey but are a lot more rare and more interesting. This was a spot-on result for a clean, sorted, and tastefully improved example.
Lot # 665 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III BJ8 Convertible; S/N HBJ8L32843; Golden Beige/Red; Red top; Recent restoration 2+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $80,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $88,000 – 2,912/150hp, 4-speed with overdrive, centerlock chrome wire wheels, Nexen tires, red cloth boot cover, heater, finned aluminum valve cover, show polished SU dashpots. – Recently restored by Healey Lane. Very good paint and chrome. Even gaps. Spotless interior. Fully restored underneath with no stones left unturned. A gorgeous fully redone Big Healey in unusual but attractive colors. – There were five Austin-Healeys in Vegas this year and all of them sold reasonably well. This car was the best example, though, and was deservedly the most expensive. It sold for a similarly strong $79,200 at Mecum Monterey in 2019, but in 2021 it seems just about every collector car out there is selling for more money, even cars that have been traditionally quiet like Big Healeys. This is a big price for a Big Healey in 2021.
Lot # 673.1 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi QV Spider, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N ZFFUA13A0E0052097; Rosso Corsa/Tan leather piped in red; Unrestored original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $75,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $82,500 – 2,927/230hp, 5-speed, Goodyear tires, Momo steering wheel, power windows, air conditioning, later CD stereo. – Showing 53,589 miles, and represented with a belt service at 53,369 miles. Good paint. A few scratches on the front bumper. Tidy engine bay. Severely worn driver’s seat that is on the verge of having some rips. A few scratches on the wheels. A used 308 GTSi QV in the standard colors. – Hello? World to 308 GTSi QV buyer: This price should buy the bestest, beyond perfect, FCA-judged Platinum 308 GTSi QV in the world. This is a $48,000 308 GTSi QV with a magnanimous originality premium that defies rationality. It was belt serviced 200 miles ago, but no one is talking about how many months (or years) that was in the past.
Lot # 674.1 1969 Jaguar XKE SII Fixed Head Coupe; S/N J681E34702; Dark silver/Black leather; Visually maintained, largely original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $60,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $66,000 – 4,235/246hp, 4-speed, centerlock wire wheels, Michelin tires, wood shift knob, Blaupunkt pushbutton radio, original tool kit. – Represented as a California car since new and with a black plate. Decent older paint and chrome. There are a few chips at the back of the hood and doors, which stick out a bit. Pitting on the taillight bezels. The wheels look tired and chrome is flaking off in spots. Tidy interior, engine bay, and underbody. Never fully restored but got attention when necessary, and overall just a used but carefully enjoyed SII E-Type. – This is a spot-on result for a driver-quality SII coupe.
Lot # 677 1997 Toyota Supra Mk IV Limited Ed. Turbo Sport Roof; S/N JT2DE82A2V1000759; Deep Jewel Green Pearl/Tan leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $80,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $88,000 – 2,997/320hp twin-turbo, 5-speed, Michelin Pilot Sport tires, rear spoiler. – Rare 15th Anniversary model. Represented as a two-owner car, showing 58,240 miles, and no visible mods whatsoever. There are lots of small chips on the nose and hood but the rest of the paint shows well. Visible wear and light cracks in the driver’s seat leather but the interior mostly shows very well. Clean wheels and tires. Some understandable dirt and road wear underneath. – It’s a twin-turbo model, it’s a manual, it has a very short list of owners, it has no mods, and it has just the right amount of miles for someone who wants a Mk IV Supra to drive rather than fill up a collection. In other words, it’s a great car and the bidders in Vegas recognized it as such even though most of the eyes in the convention center were on the bright orange Fast and Furious Supra. This price is a fair one and the car will probably never be worth less. [Read between the lines of this description and comment and realize that Andrew Newton who wrote it thinks this is a spectacular car that he’d like to own. It’s difficult to take offense at his enthusiasm.]
Lot # 686 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe; S/N 194376S111940; Milano Maroon/Tan leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $80,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $88,000 – 427/390hp L36, 4-speed, centerlock wheels, gold line tires. – Represented as a two-owner California car, and all-original with the original driveline. Has reportedly done just 1300 miles since 1975 and currently reads 45,382 on the odometer. Tired chrome and significant crazing and cracking in parts of the paint, but everything is holding up well. Totally original engine bay, but it is tidy in here and there are new hoses and wires plus a new alternator. One split seam in the driver’s seat but the interior mostly looks great. A very solid preservation class Corvette and likely a winner. – Not sold at a $60,000 high bid at Mecum Indy in 2017 and Indy 2018 at the same bid, then sold for $67,100 at Barrett-Jackson’s Online May sale last year. Unlike those two auctions, the bidders in Vegas gave this car a significant but not at all undeserved premium for its impressive originality, and it’s still a fair result to both parties. The difference between May 2020 online and June 2021 live is what we’ve all waited for: the ability to put hands and eyes on the actual object.
Lot # 691.1 1990 Toyota Supra Mk III Turbo Sport Roof; S/N JT2MA71J5L0149046; Super Red/Gray leather; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $68,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $74,800 – 2,954/232hp turbo, 5-speed, Sport Package, alloy wheels, Goodyear tires, rear window wiper, power windows, climate control, factory CD/cassette stereo. Not dealer prepped, with bags still affixed to the seats and sun visors. Includes books, tools and original ownership documents. – Sold new in Canada. Showing 156 km (97 miles) and looks like a new car top to bottom, as you might expect. – Barrett-Jackson sold this car in Scottsdale last year for $88,000, a record for the model at the time. Given its still-in-the-wrapper presentation it is probably always going to lead a life of static display, but it does show 10 more km than it did last year so it does at least run and drive. Given this lower but not at all unfair result, those were 10 rather expensive kilometers (a $12,000 difference between the hammer bids). A Toyota dealer could do worse than displaying this time-capsule in a showroom while waiting for the right Toyota enthusiast.
Lot # 703 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL Roadster; S/N WDB10702512001557; Black, Gold/Black leather; Unrestored original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $77,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $84,700 – 3,839/155hp, automatic, gold BBS wheels, Pirelli tires, rear-mounted spare, wood trim. – Built for Wayne Newton (no relation) by Niko Sokol of Long Island, who fitted this boat-like body and modified the SL’s hardtop. Long displayed at Newton’s home museum, showing 1,929 miles, and represented with consistent servicing. Seriously ugly and ostentatious, but that’s Las Vegas. Dull paint, but the rest of the car looks clean enough and most of the appeal is the celebrity cachet. It ain’t pretty, but it’s unique. – The only real way to gauge the value of a one-off car like this is to put it in front of a bunch of bidders and see what happens. And, being a car owned by “Mr. Las Vegas,” it probably wouldn’t have sold for more anywhere else. The final price is about four times the value of a normal 380SL in this condition but it’s hard to beat Wayne Newton (no relation) provenance in Las Vegas.
Lot # 726 1966 Ghia 450SS Convertible, Body by Ghia; S/N BS4008; Red/Gray leather; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $200,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $220,000 – 273/235hp Plymouth V8, Borrani centerlock wire wheels, Vredestein tires, woodrim steering wheel, air conditioning, hardtop. – One of around 50 built, documented history from new. Featured in several magazine articles. Good older paint and chrome with some light age and detail scratching. Slightly dirty wheels and tires. Good, lightly worn interior. Solid, straightforward older restored example of a rare Italo-American hybrid. – Essentially a Plymouth Barracuda Formula S dressed up in a fancy Ghia suit, the 450SS was hand-built and sold exclusively through a Hollywood dealer for about the price of a Ferrari when new, so it has always been exclusive. It was also the last car to come out of Ghia’s 20-year fling with Chrysler, which had included Virgil Exner’s memorable show cars from the 1950s as well as the Dual-Ghia and the Ghia L6.4. The price for this car was more than expected, but with something like three-dozen of these cars left they don’t come up often and the Vegas bidders jumped at the chance to have it. They paid a generous price.
Lot # 740 1970 Maserati Ghibli Coupe; S/N AM1151564; Silver, Red pinstripes/Black leather; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $300,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $330,000 – 4,709/310hp, 5-speed, Borrani alloy wheels, Michelin XWX tires. Has three circular taillights rather than the usual rectangles. – Purchased new by Frank Sinatra’s son-in-law, from whom Sinatra bought it in 1973. He then sold it to actor George Hamilton, who then sold it to Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas. Later restored. Good paint and chrome other than some blemishes at the front of the hood. The doors stick out slightly at the bottom. Very good, lightly worn interior. A solid Ghibli on its own merit, but the main appeal is that it is a Sinatra car selling in Vegas. – Sold by Christie’s in 1999 at Pebble Beach for $43,700 and was a $38,000 no-sale in Scottsdale at Barrett-Jackson the following year, but the market for Maseratis and indeed most classic Italian cars is an entirely different ecosystem than it was 20 years ago. Typically, celebrity-owned cars bring a big premium only if the celebrity was very famous (like household name famous) and was a well-known car enthusiast. George Hamilton and Dave Thomas don’t quite tick those boxes but Frank Sinatra certainly does, and the premium for his butt in the seats here (even though it’s unclear Old Blue Eyes ever drove it) over an ordinary base Ghibli in this condition was around $100,000, a rich premium for a ephemeral connection.
Lot # 744 1994 Toyota Supra Mk IV Turbo Sport Roof; S/N JT2JA82J3R0009030; Dandy Orange, Gray, green graphics/Black, blue; Modified restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $500,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $550,000 – Automatic, TRD-style hood, aluminum rear wing, 19-inch wheels, Bomex front spoiler and side skirts, Greddy gauges, Momo steering wheel. – Driven by Paul Walker in “The Fast and the Furious,” then further modified for use in “2 Fast 2 Furious” before returning to its original form more recently. While it is a stunt car rather than a “hero car” used for detail shots, it is confirmed to have been driven by the lead actor on camera, unlike most stunt cars. Its condition is presentable and not all that relevant. It’s all about the movie mystique here. – This wasn’t the most expensive car in Vegas this year but, unsurprisingly, it got the most attention and brought a world record price for the model. Like it or not, the Fast and Furious franchise has made a huge cultural impact in the car world and it’s not a huge stretch to look at this car sort of like a millennial version of the Mustang from “Bullitt.” How much is the F&F effect? This car sold for just $43,200 at Auburn Fall in 2006 and was bid to $41,000 without selling at Branson Fall in 2014, an order of magnitude tribute in 2021 for the F&F franchise and silly money that won’t stand up after Vin Diesel finds other movie tropes (or is that memes?)
Lot # 748 2015 McLaren P1 Coupe; S/N SBM12ABA6FW000236; Dark blue, Bare carbon fiber/Black, white; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $1,425,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $1,567,500 – 3,799/903hp twin-turbo hybrid, black wheels, Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, orange calipers, dual zone climate control, navigation. – Bought new by Canadian DJ Deadmau5. 3,177 miles and like new. – While the P1 was a groundbreaking hybrid hypercar and is still one of the quickest things on the road, newer and more exotic McLarens have come along since 2015. The first P1s to hit the collector car market a few years ago commanded around $2M, but prices have slid more recently and this is a reasonable result in 2021. Deadmau5 brings no real celebrity premium, but good on him for being able to own a million-dollar car.
Lot # 749 2019 Ford GT Coupe; S/N 2FAGP9CW0KH200072; Liquid Red, Black stripes/Dark Energy; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $935,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $1,028,500 – 213/647hp, carbon fiber wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, exterior carbon fiber package, car cover. Comes with custom trailer. – 21 miles and like new. – The Ford GT is not a normal car, and the market for them isn’t like a normal car, either. To snag a new one, buyers have to apply and, if selected, agree to wait two years before selling the car on. New GTs start at around $500,000. Once the first ones started hitting the second-hand market, anybody could buy a GT. Well, anybody with a million bucks to throw around. Prices ballooned to over $1.5M in some cases. They’ve settled since, but low seven-figures for a car loaded with options like this one isn’t out of the ordinary.
Lot # 773 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury Convertible; S/N M293106647; Red/Red vinyl with pattern cloth inserts; Older restoration 1- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $120,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $132,000 – 361/305hp with dual quads, pushbutton automatic, wire wheels, whitewalls, dual mirrors, dual antennas, pushbutton radio, dash clock. – Formerly in the John Staluppi collection. Several concours awards from the late 2000s and early 2010s. Light general age and the paint has lost some shine, but no major flaws. Although its show days are behind it, it’s still an attractive car. – Sold out of the John Staluppi collection at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach in 2018 for $148,500, and this lower but fair result is indicative of three more years’ age on the restoration.
Lot # 777 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible; S/N E7FH223728; Thunderbird Bronze, Bronze hardtop/Bronze vinyl; White vinyl top; Visually maintained, largely original 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $46,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $50,600 – 312/270hp, dual quads, 3-speed manual, overdrive, wheel covers, whitewalls, both tops, reverse lights, heat/defrost, Town and Country radio, tinted glass. – Represented as matching numbers and as a two-owner car with 7,056 miles. Good, possibly original chrome. The paint looks old and a little faded but too bright to be original. Very light pitting on a few pieces of brightwork. Very good interior with lightly faded dash top. Clean and maintained underneath. The original soft top has never been installed. Never needed to be restored, and shows the benefits of careful ownership and a dry western climate. – Something is missing in this result which is inexplicably cheap. In fact it would be cheap even for a C-Code single 4-barrel 292 ’57 T-bird with these miles, both tops and the manual transmission in such well-maintained condition. Sometimes cars are expensive at auction, and other times they’re cheap for no obvious reason. This is the latter and a huge value for the new owner.
Lot # 784 1961 Dodge WM300 1 Ton Power Wagon Utiline Pickup 4×4; S/N AZ378595; Red, Black fenders/Black; Recent restoration 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500 – 251/125hp six, 4-speed, winch, dual mirrors, wood bed, fold-out windshield. – Very good fresh paint on the body and frame. New wood in the bed. Slightly uneven gaps. Fully restored like new interior. No apparent corners cut in fully redoing this neat Power Wagon. – Barrett-Jackson just sold this Power Wagon at its delayed Scottsdale auction in March for an expensive $77,000. Why it’s changing hands again a mere three months later isn’t clear, but the bidders afforded it a similarly strong price this time around.
Lot # 785 1970 Shelby Mustang GT500 SportsRoof; S/N 0F02R483237; Grabber Green, White side stripes, black hood stripes/Black vinyl; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $155,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $170,500 – 428/335hp Cobra Jet, 4-speed, power brakes and steering, Magnum wheels, Polyglas tires, factory radio, Deluxe Marti Report and original build sheet documented. – Represented as matching numbers. Tidy older restored engine bay and underbody. Good chrome. Very good paint. The doors stick out slightly. Very good interior other than some paint chipping off the console. Straightforward, honest older restoration of a late GT500 in good colors. – This car sold for $105,000 at Mecum Indy in 2008 and again for $104,500 at Russo and Steele Scottsdale in 2009. Muscle car prices tanked shortly thereafter and GT500s were among the harder hit models. Although prices have gradually crept back up, this result is well ahead of the curve and very expensive. The odometer has added only 189 miles since 2008 and the restoration is aging well from limited use.
Lot # 790 2009 Ford Mustang Iacocca Edition Coupe; S/N 1ZVHT82H795139437; Silver/Black leather; Unrestored original 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $81,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $89,100 – 4.6-liter/320hp V-8, 5-speed, 20-inch chrome wheels, Ford Racing Handling Package, Ford Racing suspension, Brembo brakes. Represented as the only one with Ford Racing cold air intake. Comes with a lavish package of documentation including a certificate of authenticity signed by Lee Iacocca. – One of 45 built as a collaborative effort between Lee Iacocca and designer Michael Leone with special fastback bodywork by Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters, sunken headlights, and slanted grille. 208 miles and like new. – It’s worth whatever the Las Vegas bidders said it is and is unlikely ever to turn over a fourth digit on its odometer.
Lot # 807 1962 Ford Thunderbird Sport Roadster; S/N 2Y85Z107926; Rangoon Red/Black leather; Black vinyl top; Older restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $39,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $43,450 – 390/300hp, automatic, wire wheels, air conditioning, power windows, power seats, power steering and brakes, original invoice documented. – Good older paint, chrome, and interior. Light general age on an older restored Sport Roadster but no major flaws. Represented as 34,659 miles from new. – Sold at Mecum Los Angeles 2018 for $55,000. Today’s result is appropriate for today’s times, even if it’s a lot lower than it was three years ago.