Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”
And while that may be appropriate for a philosopher it has little import for astute business managers, or at least those with larger minds.
Barrett-Jackson has made consistency at its Las Vegas venue into a successful business, bringing a wide assortment of quality cars, offering all of them without reserve [in the past two years] and using the draw of Las Vegas excitement and the attractive docket to attract a hotel full of deep pocketed, enthusiastic bidders and spectators.
Consistency is a sale total that has deviated from the average by under 10% for the past four years. It’s an average sale that has varied by little more and, most impressive all, a median transaction that is similarly consistent.
It’s strong evidence of a formula that has been developed and perfected, a formula that produces consistent results for both buyers and sellers. Even as other auctions (think Monterey, for example) have dropped by double digit percentages from 2018 to 2019, B-J Las Vegas posted its second highest total ever and its third highest average transaction.
34.9% of the vehicles at B-J Las Vegas were self-described as “custom” or “rod”. B-J has built a strong following from both consignors and bidders in these categories. That loyalty carries over to support its consistent performance here in Vegas.
This is the best kind of consistency for managers running a successful business, showing they know their vendors, their consignors, their bidders and their visitors and building an attractive setting that caters to the varied constituencies.
To end with another Emerson quote: “Doing well is the result of doing good. That’s what capitalism is all about.”
Here are the [consistent] numbers:
| Year | Cars Sold/ Offered | Sale % | Average Sale | Median Sale | Total $ |
| 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 |
| 2017 | 671/675 | 99.4% | $45,835 | $31,900
[69.6%] |
$30,755,460 |
| 2016 | 754/755 | 99.9% | $43,180 | $33,000
76.4%] |
$32,557,660 |
Jose Martinez and Megan Boyd attended; the final content is Rick Carey’s responsibility.
There are 71 of 677 lots reported. They are sorted by Marque, Model and Year.
Lot # 695 2005 Acura NSX-T 3.2L Targa; S/N JH4NA21635S000182; Black/Black leather; Unrestored original, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $73,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $80,300 – 3.2/290hp, 6-speed, Bose stereo, yellow calipers. – Original paint with a hazy rear bumper and scratches on the tops of the doors. The windshield is scratched on the passenger’s side. Good interior other than cracks on driver’s side seat bolsters. A driver-quality NSX that could be better given the 36,334 miles but is not at all a bad car. – A final-year with the larger 3.2 engine, this car also has fairly low mileage for an NSX since this was the mid-engine exotic you could actually drive every day, so a lot of people did. This is a fair result that takes the low mileage into account, but acknowledges the flaws as well.
Lot # 174 1964 Autobianchi Bianchina Coupe; S/N 68728; Ivory/Brown vinyl; Recent restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $10,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $11,550 – 4-speed, hub caps. – Excellent paint and mostly good interior, but the brightwork shows pitting, the carpet is slightly faded, and the dash and gauges are original. Originally an Italian-market car, restored to microcar standards there within the past few years and recently imported to the States. Represented as 31,246km from new. – Intended as a stylish step up from a Fiat 500, the Autobianchi was a collaboration between Fiat, Bianchi and Pirelli that was sold through Fiat dealerships and even came with a Fiat warranty. Other than styling there isn’t much to the original Bianchina, but with this one’s relatively recent restoration and undeniable charm, it’s a good value at this price which is a bit less than the $12,100 it sold for at Worldwide’s Dallas auction in 2017.
Lot # 53 1983 Avanti II Coupe; S/N 12AAV1234C1003558; Black/Saddle; Enthusiast restoration, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $12,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $13,200 – 305/155hp, automatic, factory air conditioning, front disc brakes, factory power sunroof, power windows, original Jensen stereo with power antenna, Momo woodrim steering wheel. – Fair old paint with numerous blemishes and scratches throughout. The bumpers and door handles are slightly pitted and the vent windows are severely pitted. Dry, cracked weather stripping and seals. The seats and carpet look newer, but the door panels are dirty and faded, the dash is weathered, and the rear package tray has a hole in it and is faded. Represented as restored, but in reality this is a rough and barely presentable Avanti II. – The seller passed on an $11,500 high bid at the Leake Dallas auction eleven months ago and was rewarded by a $500 higher bid here at Las Vegas which was accepted. Entry fees and shipping taken out of the result and the consignor was out of pocket by quite a bit for the Dallas decision. Both were reasonable offers for a fairly scruffy Avanti II
Lot # 164 1984 Buick Regal Grand National Coupe; S/N 1G4AK4799EH603639; Black/Black leather, Gray cloth; Visually maintained, largely original, 4 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $17,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $18,700 – 231/200hp turbocharged V6, air conditioning, power windows, factory radio, factory wheels. – Repainted with poor masking around the rear windows as well as microblisters, swirls, and light scratches. The interior upholstery has heavy cracking, discoloration, wavy piping and a cracked dashboard. Used original engine bay. Showing 67,317 miles. A used early Grand National. – The most fondly remembered and the most collectible Grand Nationals are the 245-hp 1987 models, but the first of the all-black turbo sleepers came in 1984, gaining 35 horses in 1986 and another 10 the following year. This is a strong, but outrageous price for one as used as this.
Lot # 145 1965 Buick Riviera GS Sport Coupe; S/N 494475H930935; Gold/Tan; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $21,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $23,100 – 425/360hp Wildcat V8, automatic, power steering, power brakes, AC, AM/FM pushbutton radio, power antenna, tilt steering column. – Chipped paint. Scratched front and rear bumpers. Scratched, indented, and pitted brightwork. Decently tidy and maintained but unrestored engine compartment. Very good upholstery, but pitted interior brightwork. A highly original Riviera with an aging but still decent repaint and neglected brightwork. – Reported sold here six years ago for exactly the same price. Nothing more need be said.
Lot # 67 1994 Buick Roadmaster Estate Station Wagon; S/N 1G4BR82P4RR420694; White, Woodgrain/Tan; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $22,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $24,200 – 350/260hp LT1, tow package, 9-passenger seating. – Represented with 5,517 actual miles and there’s no reason to doubt that claim. The paint is in excellent condition with zero signs of use, and it’s the same story on the inside. A time capsule. – With an engine out of the Corvette and rear-drive in a woodgrain-clad bloated-looking station wagon, the Roadmaster was and still is an absolute sleeper. And people like a sleeper, as evidenced by climbing prices for these, 1994-96 Impala SSs, Buick Grand Nationals, etc. People also love a fast wagon, and one would be hard-pressed to find a Roadmaster this well-preserved and with these options. It sounds like a lot of money ’94 Buick mom-mobile, but for this car the price isn’t surprising.
Lot # 696 1954 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible; S/N 546247761; White/Red, White leather; Black top; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $78,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $85,800 – Chrome wire wheels, wide whitewalls, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power top, AM radio, parade boot. – Fair older paint with some discoloration and some chips at the doors and right front fender. Good older top. The interior is complete but has dirty upholstery and a tired steering wheel. Tidy engine bay. Good chrome. The center caps of the wheels are slightly corroded. A solid older restoration that still presents of a car represented to have 19,240 miles from new. – At roughly half the price of a ’53 Eldorado, the ’54 is a cost-effective compromise for collectors who want an example of this sporting luxury car. It’s still rare and has all the style anyone could ask. The parade boot makes it ideal for… parades… and it represents a sound value in this transaction with little premium for the low miles.
Lot # 484 1964 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible; S/N 64E109844; Aspen White/White leather; White top; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000 – 429/340hp, power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, power windows, power bucket seats, wheel covers with whitewall tires, AM/FM pushbutton radio, power antenna. – Decent repaint with a few chipped edges and a scratch on the passenger’s side front quarter. Good front and rear bumpers. Scratched and lightly pitted brightwork. Decent interior. The engine compartment is not detailed and there is light rust. Always a West Coast car, it has benefited from a dry climate and never needed to be restored, but it does look a bit tired. – Not sold at a $26,000 high bid at Kruse Las Vegas in 2007, then at a $31,000 high bid at Russo and Steele Monterey 2007 and not sold at a $42,000 high bid at Kruse Las Vegas in 2008. An attractive but ultimately tired car that brought a realistic price here at Mandalay Bay.
Lot # 777 1957 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe; S/N 5762095355; Tuxedo Black/Red leather; White top; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $49,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $53,900 – 365/300hp, automatic, power brakes, power steering, power windows, power seat, AM radio, power antenna, wheel covers with whitewall tires. – Good repaint with some scratches and masking errors. Scratched brightwork throughout. Good interior with a few small tears on the rear seat, and some pitted interior brightwork. Clean and tidy engine compartment. An older restoration, but still stylish. – Unerringly elegant and luxurious, the new owner got prestige and style for a realistic price with this Series 62 convertible. There are worse ways to invest $53,900, and they don’t come with driving enjoyment with the top down.
Lot # 416 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N VC56L056443; Red, Beige/Red, Beige; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $41,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $45,100 – 265/205hp, Powerglide, power brakes, aftermarket AM/FM radio, wheel covers with whitewall tires, continental kit. – Good paint other than a deep and wide scratch on the passenger’s side fender. The brightwork has a high polish, and presents well but unfortunately there are areas where it is pitted. The engine compartment and interior are very good. This Bel Air has an older but well-maintained restoration. Unfortunately some of the brightwork was poorly refinished or neglected. – An entirely ordinary ’56 Bel Air Sport Coupe with nothing going for it beyond decent condition and good care, the price should have bought a better car or one with better specifications.
Lot # 707 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC57N115574; Tropical Turquoise/Turquoise, White vinyl; White vinyl top; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $155,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $170,500 – 283/220hp, Powerglide, pushbutton radio, spinner wheel covers with whitewall tires, AM pushbutton radio, electric wipers, rocker panel moldings, dual outside mirrors. – Very good paint, brightwork and interior, and the engine bay is highly detailed. A recent fully restoration finished this summer and driven just 3 test miles. – This is a beautiful and exquisitely restored ’57 Bel Air Convertible but it has no notable options other than the relatively standard 283/220hp Power Pack engine. It is real eye-candy in Tropical Turquoise, but it brought Fuel Injection money, a momentously expensive car.
Lot # 488 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala Sport Coupe; S/N F580131859; Black/Black, Turquoise, Silver; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $28,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $30,800 – 283, automatic, power steering, clock, AM radio, red line tires, spinner wheel covers, red line tires – Swirls and surface scratches in the black paint. Surface scratches on the side molding and both bumpers. The window and windshield brightwork is very good. The interior is very good, but there is light pitting on the radio. The engine compartment is clean with a rebuilt 283. An older restoration on a first-year Impala that still presents well but has aged paint and chrome. – There’s a 4-barrel atop this 283 V8, but no idea which of several 283 four-barrels it is, not that it makes much of a difference in value. This result comes down solidly on the side of minimal power and is a reasonable result for an attractive driver quality ’58 Impala.
Lot # 784.1 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad 2-Dr. Station Wagon; S/N VC57K123322; Canyon Coral, India Ivory roof/Black cloth, Grey vinyl; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $52,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $57,200 – 283/220hp, Hydramatic, clock, AM radio, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, WonderBar radio. – Some fisheyes on the front fenders. Scratches in the stainless and pitting on the hood emblems. The interior in good condition. The seats and door panels great. The dash needs polishing, and there is slight pitting on the horn ring and door handles. A driver. – Not sold at a $50,000 high bid at Mecum Monterey this year and brought a little bit more here, a sound and attractive Nomad unusually equipped with the 3-speed Hydramatic rather than the 2-speed Powerglide slushbox that brought a sound and attractive price fair to both the buyer and the seller.
Lot # 352.1 1972 Chevrolet C10 Pickup; S/N CCE142S107131; Blue, White/White vinyl with Blue plaid cloth inserts; Truck restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $21,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $23,100 – 350/300hp, automatic, dual mirrors, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, radio, dual exhaust, spray-in bed liner, Highlander package. – Fair repaint with several runs, chips and minor scratches throughout. Rough chrome, and the trim around the windshield is severely dented. The windshield is delaminating at the bottom. Very good interior, but the dash looks largely original. A driver-quality but restored vintage C10. – Not good enough to be shown, there may be some practical use left in this C10 which is reasonably accounted for in the price it brought.
Lot # 102 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS 35th Anniversary Sport Coupe; S/N 2G1FP22G422144818; Red, Gray stripes, Black roof/Gray, Black leather; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $22,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $24,200 – 346/325hp, 6-speed, commemorative leather portfolio with factory tire gauge, ballpoint pen and note pad, owner’s manual, both keys and key fobs, Hurst short-throw shifter, power windows and door locks, air conditioning. – Represented with 654 miles and looks like a new car. – A total of 3,369 Camaro buyers in 2002 ponied up the $2,500 to add the Z4C 35th Anniversary Edition package to their SS. While they’re not super-rare or super-valuable, they are more collectible than any other standard production ’02 Camaro and this was an appropriately strong price for a like-new example even if it’s only what the first owner could have picked it up for off the dealer’s lot when new, small compensation for insuring and protecting it for the past seventeen years.
Lot # 669 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 124379N679510; Rallye Green, White stripes/Black vinyl; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500 – 302/290hp, 4-speed manual, 3.73 Positraction, power brakes, power steering, bucket seats with headrest and center console, AM/FM radio. – Very good paint with a few small blemishes. Very good brightwork. Detailed engine compartment. Very good interior. Clean wheel wells and underbody. Well restored and mostly gorgeous. – While not represented as matching numbers, this car sold for what a fresh and documented Z/28 normally brings and quite a bit more than the $61,600 it sold for at RM Fort Lauderdale this March. This is a result very much favorable to the seller in view of that history but not unduly expensive for the buyer.
Lot # 782 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Sport Coupe; S/N 124379N530286; Fathom Green, White stripes/Parchment vinyl; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $72,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,200 – 302/290hp, 4-speed M21, power brakes, power steering, Rally wheels, bucket seats with headrests, center console, MacNeish certified. – The paint is very good but there are two rock chips as well as a blemish on the driver’s side front fender. Light scratches on the highly polished brightwork. Detailed engine compartment. Very good interior. Fully documented and well restored with only a handful of details to nitpick and represented as the matching numbers engine and gearbox. – This car sold for $62,700 at Palm Beach in 2007 when freshly restored. More recently, it sold for $69,300 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale this year. It shows 2,050 more miles on the odometer here than it did back in 2007. First gen Z/28s with their punchy, underrated 302s and better handling are perennial muscle car favorites, but values have taken a few steps back recently. This one bucked the trend in Vegas, and it is expensive at this price.
Lot # 450 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Sport Coupe; S/N 1363701547097; Fathom Blue, White stripes, Black vinyl roof/Black vinyl; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $59,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $64,900 – 396/350hp, M20 4-speed, power brakes, power steering, bucket seats, center console, SS Wheels, AM/FM radio, hood pins, GM Canada documentation. – Very good paint. Dull and scratched front bumper. Good brightwork with few scratches. Good interior. Clean roof vinyl. Detailed engine compartment. A Canadian-built Chevelle that received a full, high-quality restoration and shows only light general age. – A spot-on result for both the quality and the age of this car, the market for which isn’t particularly dynamic but remains steady given the Chevelle’s enduring popularity. This one sold for a similarly appropriate $57,200 at Barrett-Jackson Northeast this year. This result is a bit more, but not enough to signify any realignment in the marketplace.
Lot # 131 1932 Chevrolet Confederate Roadster; S/N 12BA216707; Green, Black fenders/Beige; Tan cloth top; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000 – Dual sidemount spares with accessory mirrors, rumble seat, luggage rack and luggage, dual chrome horns, chrome hood louvers. – Decent paint with a few chips and surface swirls. The black fenders and running boards have cracks in the paint. The interior is in very good condition. Tidy underbody, but there is rust and oil visible in the engine compartment. An older budget restoration. – “A six for the price of a four” is the way Chevrolet positioned its cars, and it worked as well as the 60hp overhead valve six under the hood out-powered Henry’s Model A flathead four although about to be challenged in 1932 by Henry’s revolutionary V8. The survival of Chevys from this period is rare, but even at that the price that this mediocre example brought is exceptional.
Lot # 436 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N 194676S101343; Silver Pearl/Black vinyl; Black top; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $48,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $52,800 – 327/300hp, 4-speed, power antenna, aftermarket radio, narrow whitewall tires. – Chipped and cracked paint. Scratched brightwork. Rusty engine compartment. Represented as a matching numbers three-owner car, but in unremarkable maintained but never fully restored condition. – This is a decent, honest driver, but this price is more than it really deserves. There is no shortage of mid-year Corvette convertibles out there to choose from, and this money could easily buy a car in better condition, equipped with better options, or even both.
Lot # 687 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Convertible; S/N 194677S117825; Marina Blue, Black stinger/Blue leather; Black vinyl top; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 427/435hp L71, 4-speed, 3.70 Positraction, side exhaust, turbine wheels, AM/FM radio. – Good older paint. The rear bumpers are heavily scratched and have light pitting, but the front has been rechromed. The brightwork is scratched throughout and there are areas of light pitting. The interior is good but the door panels have some discoloration. The engine compartment is good and clean but there is some light rust. A well restored and well equipped L71 showing some age and flaws. – This car is more than presentable enough, and is loaded with desirable equipment, but it is missing some documentation and it isn’t represented as matching numbers, an inference backed up by the extensive treatment of its ID numbers in the description which notably lacks an engine number. It could have brought a lot closer to 150 grand if it ticked the right boxes, which just goes to show how much the details matter in this hobby, especially to Corvette people.
Lot # 781 1962 Chevrolet Corvette FI Convertible; S/N 20867S105936; Tuxedo Black, Tuxedo Black hardtop/Red; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 327/360hp Fuelie, 4-speed manual, WonderBar radio, black wheels with chrome hubcaps and blackwall tires, hardtop, Positraction. – Good paint with a few surface scratches. Underspray and cracks around the fender brightwork. Recently detailed engine compartment. Good interior. Restored a while ago but still attractive, and represented as a matching numbers engine, transmission and rear axle Fuelie with an NCRS Second Flight Award. – This price might have bought a fresher ’62 Fuelie, but this is a solid, well-optioned, no-excuses car and will still likely be a very rewarding one even if this result is slightly favorable to the buyer.
Lot # 788.1 1963 Chevrolet Impala Convertible; S/N 31867L146923; Gold Metallic/Black vinyl; White vinyl top; Visually maintained, largely original, 4+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $60,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $66,000 – 409/425hp dual quads, 4-speed, Positraction, power brakes, power steering, SS wheel covers with narrow whitewall tires, AM pushbutton radio, bucket seats, power windows, automatic trunk, grille guard, 2-speed wiper/washers, padded dash. – There is damage on the passenger’s side front quarter, and the door cannot open without rubbing. Chipped paint with a few blemishes in the clear coat. The boot area is dry and cracked. Good brightwork but there are scratches and a few things on the rear cove trim. The engine compartment is decent enough, but there is some light rust and it is not detailed. A matching numbers 1963 Chevrolet Impala convertible with low mileage and the legendary 409/425hp dual quad 4-speed drivetrain that has some body damage, paint defects and dinged up trim. – While the condition leaves a lot to be desired the car is complete and desirably equipped. It could easily bring well over $100,000 when competently restored but is, all things considered, arguably better driven and enjoyed for some time while preserving its originality and identity before spending a fortune on restoration. The claimed 17,108 miles are seriously suspect and this result gives them no credence at all. With its many power accessories and options this is not a ’63 Impala that was driven in 1/4 mile drag racing spurts and put away when it was no longer competitive. The price it brought reflects all of that and is realistic.
Lot # 424 1966 Chevrolet Impala Convertible; S/N 164676L202499; Engine # 11S164669; Regal Red/Black vinyl; Black top; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $50,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $55,000 – 396ci/325hp L35, 4-speed, power steering, power brakes, power convertible top, bench seat, floor shift, Rally wheels with BF Goodrich radials. – Surface scratched hood and trunk with rock chips on hood and fender. Scratched, indented, and pitted brightwork. Detailed engine compartment. Decent interior. An older restoration with neglected brightwork, a detailed engine compartment, aging but still presentable interior, and good but imperfect paint. – A delightful Impala, moderately powerful and with a 4-speed that sets it apart from most of its counterparts, but this price should have bought the best one in the world, or a 427/425hp in this condition, and is by any standard an expensive car of limited appeal.
Lot # 81 1967 Chevrolet Impala Convertible; S/N 164677J105515; White/Blue; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000 – 327/275hp, automatic, Rally wheels, power top. – Good older paint with some chips and scratches from use. The stainless trim appears to be original with scratching. Good chrome. Good lightly worn interior. A fun cruiser restored a while ago to appropriate standards for what it is. – Generously bid by any standard for an ordinary ’67 Impala convertible with a tired restoration, this is a surprising result.
Lot # 75 1992 Chevrolet Lumina Z/34 Coupe; S/N 2G1WP14X8N9159454; Black/Maroon; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $10,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $11,550 – 5-speed, power steering, power door locks, power windows, alloy wheels. – Good original paint with light scratching in the clear coat from cleaning over the years, but there are also some blemishes on the rear spoiler. The interior is in perfect condition with no signs of wear. Car number 25 of 25 built. Represented with 1,000 miles and treated as collectible from new. A shoo-in for Radwood. – Just about everything about this car is dated, but with ’80s and ’90s nostalgia kicking in, among certain crowds this car will get more attention than a run-of-the-mill 911 or Ferrari. It’s a laugh and a bit of a gimmick, and the seller probably couldn’t have hoped for a higher price than this one.
Lot # 657 1958 Chrysler 300D 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N LC41436; Raven Black/Tan, White; Recent restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $35,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $38,500 – 392/380hp dual quad Hemi, automatic, power brakes, power steering, AM pushbutton radio, power bench seat, tachometer, power windows. – Good repaint with some masking errors and some surface scratches, but free of any chips. Most of the chrome brightwork has a high polish, but there are some light scratches. Fair interior with some warping and small tears on the door panels. The engine is mostly very clean other than the exhaust manifolds. The weather stripping is dull and dry. The wheel wells are dirty and aged. Represented as restored from 2016-18 but was not redone top to bottom. – This is one of those unfortunate cars that started restoration a while ago and languished while parts of it (the weatherstrip, for example) aged waiting for the rest to be done and assembled. It still managed to bring a decent price, however, and the seller should be highly satisfied with this result.
Lot # 382 1962 Chrysler 300H 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 8423123815; Festival Red/Red leather; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $29,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $31,900 – 418/380hp, automatic, bucket seats, power windows. – Fair old paint with blemishes throughout. Old chrome with discoloration around the tail lights and pitting on the door handles. Worn carpets, ripped center console, original and tired dash. The tops of the door panels are faded. An older restoration that looks to have been driven quite a bit and sat outside. It needs another round of work. – Taking this 300H’s condition into account this result isn’t unreasonable but it is generous, a result that could have bought a 405hp example in this aged and neglected condition.
Lot # 465 1970 Dodge Charger R/T 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N XS29U0G233875; Ivory, Black vinyl roof, Blue tail stripe/Blue vinyl; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $43,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $47,300 – 440/375hp Magnum with added Six Pack, automatic, power steering, power front disc brakes, Rally gauges, tinted windshield, HD suspension. – Good paint with chips in the front edge of the driver’s door and fisheyes in trunk. Good brightwork. Excellent fresh-looking interior. Clean wheels. Tidy engine bay. A solid car in good condition. – A fair result at about what a factory 1970 R/T in this condition would bring with the added punch from the Six Pack carbs thrown in as a bonus.
Lot # 689 1999 Ferrari 360 Modena Coupe; S/N ZFFYR51A5X0118876; Rosso Corsa/Tan leather, Black bars; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $75,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $82,500 – Paddle shift, Scuderia shields, Daytona-style seats, sports exhaust, Stock wheels, black calipers. – Represented with 6,600 miles and other than a few minor marks on the center console and driver’s armrest it looks like a new Ferrari in the classic livery. – A very early production 360 with low miles, this car sold for a remarkably high price given its paddle shifters. People are starting to come around to the 360 as it is quicker and far more usable than the much-loved 355 that it replaced, but this result is ahead of the curve.
Lot # 175 1970 Fiat 500 2-Dr. Sedan; S/N 110F2498823; Ash Gray/Red vinyl; Recent restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $13,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $14,850 – Hub caps, luggage rack. – Excellent, fresh paint and interior other than a tired-looking original dash. Excellent chrome. Recently restored in Italy to microcar standards and very charming. – Not to be confused with the new Fiat 500L that rides on the same platform as the Jeep Renegade, the original 500L (L for Lusso) was a better-trimmed version of the standard car but is still as charmingly basic as most of the classic ones. While this perfectly good one could have sold for a little more without being expensive, it’s still a result both parties can be happy with.
Lot # 639 1969 Ford Bronco Wagon 4×4; S/N U15GLF12700; Orange/Black vinyl; White vinyl top; Truck restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000 – 302, Edelbrock 4-barrel and intake manifold, 3-speed manual, power brakes, power steering, 33-inch Toyo Open Country tires, vinyl bucket seats with cloth inserts, seal coated floor boards, aftermarket shocks, custom soft top with removable windows, custom roll bar. – Very good paint and upholstery. Lightly scratched and pitted brightwork. Clean engine bay and underneath. Given light and tasteful mods during a basic but adequate restoration. – It’s no secret that early Broncos have gotten way more expensive than they were only a few short years ago, and while the growth has slowed clean ones are still worth two to three times what they were selling for at the beginning of the decade. This one, though, is not a good case study. It sold here nine years ago for $40,700, which is more or less in line with this result, but that was an outrageous price for a Bronco in 2011 and not indicative of the truck market then. The then-buyer had to wait nearly a decade to come close to breaking even.
Lot # 419 1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner Retractable Hardtop; S/N H9RW196734; Blue, White/Blue, White; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $42,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $46,200 – 352/300hp, automatic, power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, dual spotlight mirrors, Town and Country radio, dual exhaust, power windows, wheel covers with whitewall tires. – Good paint, but there is underspray around the passenger’s side molding and microblisters on the hood. Good brightwork with just a few light scratches and some faint pitting. Good interior and a showable engine compartment. A fully restored Skyliner with some mileage and good but imperfect brightwork. – B-J often has surprisingly variable results: some cars do better than makes sense, others do worse. This Skyliner did just right, a rational recognition of its quality, drivetrain, equipment and restoration.
Lot # 764 2005 Ford GT Coupe; S/N 1FAFP90S35Y401486; Red, White stripes/Black; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $295,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $324,500 – BBS wheels, painted calipers, window sticker documented. – Very well kept and represented with 7,085 miles, but that could actually be considered high-mileage for one of these cars. – Since all 2005-06 GTs seem to be in exactly the same condition, the cars largely trade on how much mileage they have. This is therefore a very strong result for a car with a four-figure odometer reading that is getting close to five. That said, it is also a car that the new owner can get in and actually enjoy the 550 supercharged horsepower and 6-speed manual without feeling guilty with every ticking mile.
Lot # 747 2017 Ford GT Heritage Edition Coupe; S/N 2FAGP9CW6HH200084; Shadow Black, Silver stripes/Ebony leather; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $1,400,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $1,540,000 – Forged aluminum wheels, front lift system, ’66 Le Mans winner Heritage edition, carbon fiber trim, Frozen White graphics, 20-inch wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes, carbon fiber seats. – Represented with less than 30 miles and looks showroom fresh. – One of the lowest mileage 2017 Ford GTs to cross auction blocks since B-J’s sale of the first (a FoMoCo car offered for charity) at Scottsdale in 2018 and one of only two Heritage Editions seen so far with both coincidentally being “2” Shadow Black Le Mans ’66 liveried. The other (s/n 200047) had 4x the miles (even though it was only 120 miles) and brought $1,050,000 at Bonhams Quail Lodge in August. The appeal of owning something no one else in your gated community has is apparent, and the new owner here paid generously for the distinction. The effect of a 200-mile road trip on its value would be precipitous.
Lot # 129 1929 Ford Model A Open Cab Pickup; S/N A2498754; Green, Black fenders/Black; Black top; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $23,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $25,300 – Black wire wheels. – Fair paint with fisheyes on the tank, sanding marks on the fenders as well as chips and scratches. The rest of the car presents well, and the top is in good condition. The engine compartment is detailed to driver quality. In a museum for some time and currently presents as a solid driver. – One of the most desirable Model A variants, most were long ago decapitated for service in orchards and left to rot when their productive lives were worked out, or hot rodded. Finding an honest, sound example like this is an achievement that was only modestly rewarded here with this result, a good value for the new owner.
Lot # 66 1966 Ford Mustang Convertible; S/N 6T08T246868; Red/Black; White top; Enthusiast restoration, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $32,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $35,200 – 200/120hp six, automatic, power steering, wheel covers with narrow whitewall tires. – The paint is free of any chips or significant scratches but it is covered in swirls and has microblisters in places. The front bumper has a high polish, but the rear is very dull. Dull, scratched and lightly pitted brightwork. The engine compartment is detailed. The interior has very good upholstery and lightly pitted brightwork. The top is aged and discolored. Restored on a budget with plenty of missed details – Most ’66 Mustang buyers chose a V8 engine, and even many of the original six-cylinder cars have had an easy-to-find 289 thrown in by now. Sixes are rare, yes, but V8s will always be more desirable and more expensive, which makes this result difficult to understand. Nothing about the car’s condition or options makes it remarkable, yet it sold for what a restored 289/200hp or a driver-quality 289/271hp would expect to bring. The leading character in this result should be a “1”.
Lot # 700 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 SportsRoof; S/N 0T02G168956; Grabber Blue, Black/Black vinyl; Recent restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $92,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $101,200 – 302/290hp, wide ratio 4-speed, added shaker hood, 3.5 Traction-Lok, Magnum 500 wheels, power brakes, power steering, AM pushbutton radio, rear window slats, spoilers, dealer invoice, owner’s card and Marti Report documented. – Very good paint other than some masking errors near the rear window and trunk. The rear window trim also has chipped paint. The driver’s side quarter window trim has a small area of light pitting. Otherwise, it’s a gorgeous Boss 302 that ticks the right boxes and is a 2017 AACA National First Prize winner but it has a replacement engine. – Bought well for its condition and nearly impeccable restoration and presentation, but a little generous for the replacement engine and added Shaker hood (but a Boss 302 just wouldn’t look right without the protruding air cleaner cover and the restorer can be forgiven for the aesthetic choice.)
Lot # 789 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 SportsRoof; S/N 9R02Q150340; Candy Apple Red, Yellow side stripe/Black vinyl; Recent restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $60,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $66,000 – 428/335hp Cobra Jet, automatic, power brakes, power steering, Magnum 500 wheels, sport deck seat, clock, AM radio, Marti Report. – Good paint, but there are many blisters and imperfect edges. Scratched, dented, and dull brightwork. The engine compartment is very clean. Not represented as matching numbers. Fully restored and good enough to be proud of even if it isn’t perfect. – While not a bad car and not an excessive price, this is full retail for a slightly better than driver quality Mach I and it leaves the new owner with little choice but to enjoy it as-is. That’s not a bad thing.
Lot # 161.1 2007 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 S/C Convertible; S/N 1ZVFT85H675259858; Alloy/Dark Charcoal leather; Black top; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $22,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $24,200 – 4.6-liter, 425-hp supercharged V8, 5-speed, 3.73 gears, chrome wheels. – A few small chips in the hood, but otherwise very good paint that matches the age and 15,607 miles. Good interior with some wear on the driver’s seat. A neat top-drown cruiser with modern conveniences and lots of performance. – With only 122 built in 2007 more rare than Shelby-branded Mustangs, impressively powerful and barely driven, this Saleen suffers only in recognition compared with its Shelby Mustang stable-mate and offers solid value at this price.
Lot # 694 2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Coupe; S/N 1ZVBP8CF8E5294161; Gotta Have It Green, Black stripes/Dark Gray leather; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500 – 624-hp supercharged 5.0 V8, 6-speed, 3.73 axle, black calipers, 1-piece driveshaft, Shelby Watts suspension upgrades, Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, leather interior, lighted sill plates, blanked quarter windows, Shelby rear spoiler. – Represented with 189 miles and showing zero wear inside or out. Only four were painted in Gotta Have It Green in 2014, and this is the only one of those four with black brake calipers, apparently. – This car sold for $61,600 in Indy this year, but it’s still a ton of performance for the money at this price, and even though Mustangs are an extremely common sight on the road, this one will always stand out in this color. Details like the black calipers, blanked quarter windows and single-piece driveshaft are interesting, but hardly epic distinctions but the bidders paid dearly for the nearly invisible distinction, particularly since the same car sold for $61,600 at Mecum’s Spring Classic at Indianapolis in May.
Lot # 019 1984 Ford Mustang SVO Hatchback; S/N 1FABP28T5EF137802; Silver/Gray; Unrestored original, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $11,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $12,100 – 140/175hp turbo four, 5-speed, sunroof. – Seemingly original paint with a blemish on the passenger’s side, chips near the rear hatch on the passenger’s side, and lifting paint on the driver’s side near the top of the hatch. The stock wheels are also showing signs of corrosion. On the inside, there are cracks in the leather on steering wheel and minor staining on the front seats. A solid but used SVO showing 34,335 believable miles that are represented as actual. – 1984 was the first of a brief three-year run for the unusual turbo four Mustang SVO, but later ones came with quite a bit more power and are worth a few grand more. They’ve all gotten quite a bit more collectible as Fox-body prices in general have risen, though, and this is a strong but not unrealistic result for a low-mileage driver. It flew under the radar and sold at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach this year for $6,270 but had much better luck in Vegas.
Lot # 406 1956 Ford Thunderbird Convertible; S/N P6FH261136; Fiesta Red/White; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $54,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $59,400 – 312/225hp, automatic, power steering, chrome wire wheels with whitewall tires, Town and Country Radio, Continental kit, Fiesta Red porthole hardtop. – Very good paint with the usual marks from the removable top. Detailed engine compartment. Dirty upholstery, good brightwork with just a few light scratches. – This T-Bird was here last year and brought $295,000 for charity, but this time around it was a conventional transaction and it sold for a conventional price comparable with the $62,700 it sold for at B-J’s Reno auction in 2013.
Lot # 79 2002 Ford Thunderbird Neiman Marcus Convertible; S/N 1FAHP64AX2Y100136; Evening Black, Satin Silver hardtop/Black, Gray leather; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $28,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $30,800 – #136 of 200 built. – Excellent original paint with some minor surface scratches from cleaning. Small amount of corrosion on the chrome windshield frame, but otherwise looks like a new car. Always treated as a collectible and represented with just 500 miles. – Neiman Marcus’s Christmas catalog has featured quite a few cars since the retailer first offered a BMW Z3 on its pages in 1995. Everything from Camaros and Suburbans to Astons and Maseratis have gone in the catalog, and they often sell out in less than an hour. When the ’02 T-Bird had its turn, it reportedly took 47 minutes. With so few built, we don’t often see these limited editions come to market, but this result is easy to understand since the same car sold here in 2011 for exactly the same $30,800 price.
Lot # 345.1 1992 GMC Typhoon Sport Utility Vehicle; S/N 1GDCT18Z9N0812364; Black/Black; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $55,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $60,500 – 262/280hp turbo V6, automatic, power windows, power locks, cruise control. – Good paint. Tidy underneath. The upholstery shows light wear with wrinkles. Bought new by actor Bill Bixby and showing 16,664 believable miles which are represented as all it has covered since new. – GMC Typhoons and their Syclone pickup cousins got quite collectible a few years ago, right before the wider and more recent surge of vintage truck prices in general. Prices have settled a bit, but they were never as high as this, so there must have been some Incredible Hulk fans in Vegas this year. There is no other explanation for this outrageous price.
Lot # 388 2008 Honda S2000 Convertible; S/N JHMAP21448S000529; Rio Yellow Pearl/Black leather; Black top; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $43,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $47,300 – CD stereo, air conditioning, power windows. – Small chips on the driver’s side rocker and a small scratch on the trunk. Very good interior with only minor wear on the driver’s seat bolster. Minor rub marks on the convertible top glass. Not quite a like-new time-capsule as it should be given the 2,045 miles represented, but close. Kept in Honda’s museum in Ohio from new and sold to a Honda employee via a raffle in 2018. – Had it gone to a dealership back in 2008, this car would have carried an MSRP of $34,300, which is a little over 40 grand in today’s money. Whether the original 2.0-liter AP1 version of the S2000 or the later 2.2-liter AP2 like this one is better is up for debate, but what isn’t debatable is that the S2K was among the best driver’s cars of the decade and people are willing to pay increasingly high prices for good, low-mile unmodified examples like this.
Lot # 400 1946 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet; S/N H148793; Yellow/Oxblood leather; Black top; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $33,000 – Wide whitewalls, fender skirts, power windows, AM radio. – Very good paint other than a few small cracks at the windshield posts. Cracked seals around the vent windows. Old chrome with haziness and the start of pitting throughout, especially on the grille. Good older restored interior. Pitted interior brightwork and faded steering wheel. A driver. – Sold for $31,350 at Fall Auburn 2012. Sold for $42,900 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2013, then $44,000 at Scottsdale 2014. No one seems to have enjoyed this Continental very much, or for very long. At earlier prices it was too expensive to be restored but maybe after this it will get the attention it deserves.
Lot # 134 2002 Lotus Esprit Coupe; S/N SCCDC08232HA10431; Solar Yellow Metallic/Black leather piped in Yellow; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $44,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $48,400 – 3,506cc/355hp twin turbo V8, 5-speed, Nitto tires, Alpine CD stereo, climate control, Wilwood brakes, high-flow cats. – Excellent paint with the exception of a blemish in the clear coat on the rear bumper and a small crack in the paint above the fuel filler door. Great interior other than some lifting of the material on the dash, and the tint is bubbling in the rear windows on both sides. A lightly used, 26,040-mile twin-turbo car from late in the model’s run. Not perfect, but no Esprit is. – Esprits, even the later and faster twin-turbo V8 models, are seriously underappreciated exotics with the performance and looks to match the bigger names from Germany and Italy available for a much lower price both when new and now on the collector market. This unsurprising result doesn’t show things changing any time soon. Good news for the budget-minded supercar buyer.
Lot # 316 1984 Mercedes-Benz 300D 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N WDB1231301A055596; Moss Green/Green cloth; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $6,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $7,150 – 3.0-liter diesel, automatic, factory air conditioning, owner’s manual, tools and jack, spare. – Good original paint with some minor fading, a scratch on the left rear fender and a chip in the trunk. The hubcaps are slightly pitted. The plastic grille is beginning to disintegrate. Good interior with new upholstery and carpet. Represented with 115,000 actual miles, which is barely broken in for an old Mercedes diesel, but it’s still a used car. – Old Mercedes diesels will run forever and high mileage shouldn’t be much of a concern, and they represent a really affordable way to get into Benz ownership. The wagons have a certain cachet and tend to command significantly more money, but decent sedans can be had for this kind of money all day.
Lot # 340 1990 Nissan 300ZX T-Roof; S/N JN1RZ24A0LX014149; Cherry Red Pearl/Black leather; Unrestored original, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $14,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $15,400 – 2,960cc/300hp twin turbo V6, 5-speed, air conditioning, T-Tops. – Represented with 6,255 actual miles, but the front bumper is slightly fading from sun exposure, and paint is lifting on both the hood and front fenders. Faded exterior trim. Very good interior with only minor wear on the driver’s seat. No visible mods. A desirable first-year twin-turbo Z32, but it wasn’t carefully sealed away in a climate controlled garage like the low miles suggest. Instead, it sat outside in the sun. – Pulled up by their peers like the Supra and by appreciation for ’90s Japanese performance, 300ZX Turbos have gotten a lot more pricey over the past year or so. As is usually the case, though, it’s the time-warp low-mile cars that are bringing the most money. This one’s low odometer reading couldn’t overcome its neglected condition, and it brought a fair result.
Lot # 314 1991 Nissan Cima Sedan; S/N FGY32207466; Black/Gray leather; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $7,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $7,700 – RHD JDM executive car with full power options plus upgraded wheels and tires. – Fair paint with scratches in the clear coat. Good interior with only light wear on the driver’s seat. The aftermarket wheels are a little dirty. The exterior trim is faded from age. An unusual JDM luxury car. – A full-size executive sedan similar to the Toyota Century or Nissan’s own President model, the Cima is still in production today, and available in this country as the Infiniti Q70L. This ’91 model isn’t much to look at, especially with those wheels, but it is undeniably interesting, well-equipped, V8-powered and a lot of car for the money at this price as well as being an attention-getter even among Japanese car gatherings. Cut off the end of a little finger and go to Radwood dressed as Yakuza.
Lot # 699 1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Holiday Coupe; S/N 344879M242726; Silver/Red; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Included in another lot $0 plus commission of; Final Price – 0.1 miles, 400/350hp, automatic, power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, Rally gauges, AM/FM WonderBar pushbutton radio, power windows, Super Stock II wheels with red line tires, power antenna. – Very good paint with a few small blemishes in the clear coat. Good brightwork with just a few scratches. Detailed engine compartment. Clean wheel wells. Very good interior. Body-off restored, represented as matching numbers engine, transmission and rear end, and attractive. – Sold as a pair with Lot 699.1. See comments there.
Lot # 699.1 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Convertible; S/N 336679M372037; Silver/Red vinyl; Burgundy top; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Included in another lot $100,000 plus commission of; Final Price $110,000 – 0.6 miles, 350/325hp, 4-bbl, automatic, power brakes, power steering, power windows, AM/FM WonderBar radio, 8-track player, Strato bucket seats with center console, rally wheels with red line tires, Rally gauges, power antenna. – Very good paint. Good brightwork, with few scratches and small indentations. The rear cove trim is pitted, the interior is very good. An older restoration with a finicky hood latch, very good paint, inconsistent brightwork and a very good interior. – Sold as a pair with Lot 699. Apparently someone had a ’69 Oldsmobile dream to own a pair of them matching the ’69 dealership catalog and this pair of cars is the result. They brought more as a pair than they would have if sold separately.
Lot # 670.1 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30 Convertible; S/N 344670M415111; White, Gold stripes/Brown vinyl; Tan vinyl top; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500 – 455/370hp W-30, automatic with His and Hers shifter, power steering, power brakes, factory air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power convertible top, 8-track. – Good paint with just a small chip on the rear wing and two small cracks on the nose. Good exterior brightwork other than the boot trim, which is heavily scratched. Very good interior other than cracked A-pillar trim. Dirty top. Clean engine compartment. A very good but older restoration. – This is a modest result for a fundamentally good W-30 in attractive colors, but it is consistent with most of its prior results. It sold for $67,100 at Russo and Steele Scottsdale 2008, for $85,150 at Mecum Monterey 2012 and for $81,400 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2016. However at B-J Scottsdale in 2014 it was reported sold for a legendary $110,000 and the three most recent results have shown a steady decline along with the patina its restoration is acquiring along with the 269 miles that have been added to the odometer since 2016.
Lot # 671 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30 Holiday Coupe; S/N 344870M180077; Saffron, Black/Tan; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $31,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $34,100 – 455/370hp, W-30, automatic, power steering, His and Hers shifter, AM pushbutton radio, bucket seats, center console, buttoned leather upholstery, Rally wheels with BF Goodrich raised letter radials. – Good relatively recent paint with a few microblisters on the trunk. The front bumper has a few scratches. The exterior brightwork is scratched throughout. The vinyl roof cover is good condition. The upholstery shows age with some waviness and a few light and small abrasions. There is peeled paint on some of the interior trim pieces and center console. The engine compartment shows surface rust on the steering column and belt pulleys. It is maintained but unrestored with an appearance that matches the nearly 50 years of age and 93,770 miles showing. A mostly original W-30 in reasonably well-preserved condition and repainted in an unusual but attractive color. – This seems like a better W-30 than this lowball result suggests it is, but it hammered not sold at a $42,000 high bid at Mecum Monterey this year as well, so the people doing the actual buying don’t seem to have a very high opinion of it.
Lot # 795 1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2 Holiday Coupe Custom; S/N 338375M436700; Green/Fawn; Modified restoration, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $50,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $55,000 – Rebuilt 400 V8 with aftermarket fuel injection system, 4-speed, modern disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors, air conditioning, bucket seats, center console, American Racing wheels. – Good paint, chrome and interior. Everything looks fresh. A modified early 442, but everything is tasteful and the car is in fresh, very attractive condition. – Mods can often hurt a car’s value, but in the case of this second-year 4-4-2 the deviations from factory are minimal and the improve both the car’s usability and performance. There is still an original-looking air cleaner perched atop the engine that hides the fuel injection, and you can barely see the modern brakes behind the wheels. The Vegas bidders were impressed with the changes, and with the quality of the car’s condition, and bid it to an above-market result. Resto-Mods like this are a B-J specialty and buyers come to B-J for them, as seen in this result..
Lot # 676 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2 Convertible; S/N 3J67U2M172849; Viking Blue, White/White; White top; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $59,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $64,900 – 455/275hp, W-29 (cosmetic package plus FE2 suspension), W-25 fiberglass hood, air conditioning, power brakes, power steering, power convertible top, power windows, AM/FM radio, 8-track player. – Very good paint with a few small blemishes. The front and rear chrome bumpers have a high polish, but there is a scratch on the front bumper. The brightwork is scratched throughout. The interior is good, but the rear passenger’s side door panel has two small tears. The engine compartment is detailed. A solid older restoration on a later 4-4-2 finished in sharp colors. – While it’s rated at only 275hp (or so, depending upon the resource queried) in this first year of insurance- and regulation-sensitive published specs, the engine’s 370 lb-ft of torque was sufficient to generate some exciting moments. This result, however, is W-30 money for an example in this condition.
Lot # 457 1957 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket 88 Convertible; S/N 577M45530; Festival Red/Red, White; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – 371/312hp, automatic, wheel covers, whitewalls, fender skirts, power steering, power brakes, winding windows, radio clock, chrome dash trim. – Fair paint with some chips and scratches throughout, especially around the hood. Dirty interior with tired dash. Old brightwork with pitting in places. Represented as restored and solid underneath, but it needs a lot of cosmetic attention. – Sold at Mecum Monterey in 2010 for $73,670. Sold for $46,200 at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas in 2017. The restoration is showing its age since then but the bidders didn’t seem to notice and paid a mysteriously exaggerated price for it. There is obviously no consistent view of the price for this car and bidders are left to their own devices to figure out how much to pay for it. Not that that comes even close to explaining why it brought this much.
Lot # 490 1989 Pontiac Firebird 20th Anniversary Trans Am GTA Indy Pace Car Coupe; S/N 1G5FW2177KL240283; White/Tan; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000 – 231/250hp turbo V6 out of the Buick Grand National, PHS Documentation and window sticker- #556 of 1555, power steering, power brakes, power windows, T-tops. – Represented with 700 miles. Excellent paint and interior. Presents like new, as it should. – 1989 was a big year for Firebird fans. Pontiac capitalized on the marketing opportunities of the Trans Am’s 20th anniversary with an Anniversary Edition, and the Turbo Trans Am. A Firebird also paced the 73rd Indy 500, and Pontiac naturally released yet another special edition to celebrate that as well. As third gen Firebirds go, these are fairly special cars. This low mileage and well-preserved example brought top dollar and deserved to do so.
Lot # 201 1981 Pontiac Firebird Formula Coupe; S/N 1G2AV87H3BL113513; White/White, Tan vinyl with cloth inserts; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $8,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $9,350 – 305/120hp, two-barrel, automatic, power brakes, front disc, power steering, Rally wheels, power windows, AM/FM radio, cruise control, power doors, T-Tops. – A few microblisters and light orange peel on an older repaint. There is also overspray on the windshield and a crack in the paint on the rear spoiler. Pulled seam and a tear on the driver’s seat. The center console and instrument panel are clean, but the dash pad is cracked. Clean and rust-free underneath but aged. The hood release latch is missing. An original Firebird with an OK repaint. – This Firebird doesn’t have much going for it beyond survival in sound and complete condition, an observation that was endorsed by the Mandalay Bay bidders with this parsimonious but appropriate result.
Lot # 791 1971 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Hardtop Coupe; S/N 228871N102462; Lucerne Blue, White hood stripe/Dark Blue vinyl; Recent restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $50,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $55,000 – 455/335hp HO, 4-speed, power brakes, power steering, honeycomb wheels with BF Goodrich Raised letter radial tires. – Good paint with a few cracks on the Endura bumper and a few small blemishes elsewhere. Good brightwork other than the window trim, which has light pitting. Good interior and engine compartment. Body-off restored relatively recently and needs nothing. – This car sold for $73,700 at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale last year. Little can have happened to it since then and there are few issues from where we’re standing, so this is a modest result for a good well-optioned early Trans Am even if the Scottsdale result was expensive.
Lot # 407 1967 Pontiac GTO Hardtop Coupe; S/N 242177K116450; Black/Black; Enthusiast restoration, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $49,500 – 400 cid Tri-Power, power steering, automatic, His and Hers shifter, bucket seats, center console, Rally wheels with BF Goodrich radial tires, aftermarket radio, modified dual exhaust system, modified hood with induction system and tachometer. – The paint is free of any chips or scratches other than a light scratch on the cowl. The front and bumpers have light scratches. The exterior brightwork is scratched throughout and has dull areas and dings. The upholstery is in good condition. The center console has lightly pitted trim. The engine compartment looks presentable, although the tachometer wiring is exposed. Lightly modified and given a superficial restoration. – The Ram Air hood and Tri-Power induction are not from Pontiac, at least not in 1967. Professionally presented and reasonably attractive, but aggressively priced in this transaction for its modifications from stock. B-J provides an atmosphere accommodating to modified cars and attracts bidders to whom they appeal. It is unlikely that this modified GTO would have brought anywhere near this much anywhere else.
Lot # 499 2004 Pontiac GTO Coupe; S/N 6G2VX12G14L282596; Barbados Blue/Black leather; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $23,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $25,300 – 346/350hp, 6-speed. – Other than a slight crease in the driver’s seat, this 428-mile first-year new GTO looks and even smells like it just came off the lot. – While a 350-horse LS1 is plenty to get into trouble, the 2005-06 GTOs came with the 6.0-liter 400-horse LS2 out of the then new-C6 Corvette and are more desirable to the tun of 5 grand or so. The result for this like-new ’04 car is still far off from its original price 15 years ago, but it is about as much as the seller could have hoped for in today’s market.
Lot # 430 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 242370Z111262; Gold, Judge graphics/Buckskin; Cosmetic restoration, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $37,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $41,250 – 400ci/366hp Ram Air III, 4-speed M-21, power steering, power brakes, Safe-T-Track, Rally wheels with Wide Oval tires, AM pushbutton radio. – Decent paint with microblisters, inconsistent orange peel and some poor masking. There are cracks in the paint on the Endura bumper as well as heavy orange peel and a darker shade of gold on the rear wing. Good chrome, but the exterior brightwork is scratched throughout. The engine compartment is not detailed but mostly tidy. The interior is decent. A decent GTO represented to be matching numbers and 70,340 claimed original miles with a superficial cosmetic restoration. – Very good specifications and equipment, but a mediocre cosmetic restoration and uninspired engine compartment. This is a challenged GTO, but a modest result for The Judge although the lack of PHS documentation isn’t encouraging.
Lot # 650 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 242370R125162; Green, Judge graphics/Tan vinyl; Older restoration, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $46,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $50,600 – 400/366hp Ram Air III, automatic, power brakes, power steering, factory air conditioning, hood tach, graphics, rear wing, and Rally gauges, AM/FM pushbutton radio, Rally wheels with Wide Oval tires, tinted glass, PHS paperwork. – Good paint but there several blemishes on the panel edges. Scratched brightwork with some misalignments. Detailed engine compartment. Very good interior. Represented as matching numbers but with a replacement rear end. Body-off restored and attractive but missing on a few details. – Not a particularly strong price for a good, honest, attractive Judge, but it sold at Mecum Las Vegas last year for $52,250 and it is hard to argue with consistency.
Lot # 393 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser GX Sport Utility Vehicle 4×4; S/N JT1W0HJ6100952887; White/Beige cloth, Brown vinyl; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $34,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $37,400 – 4 litre diesel, 5-speed, OEM PTO winch, center console refrigerator/cooler box, dual air conditioning, power steering, power windows, cassette stereo, Ironman suspension, chrome wheels. – Very good repaint done earlier this year. Old weather stripping. Good interior with a mix of old, new and restored, but the seats and carpets are new and excellent. The door panels are in fair condition and the stereo face is corroded. Stains on headliner and saggy visors. The engine compartment is in good condition, especially considering the age and 112,621 km showing. A driver, but has plenty of life left in it. – The diesel driveline and metric instrumentation strongly suggest an early history in Central or South America, source of many Land Cruisers for today’s restorers. This body style is unusual and lacks the rugged appeal of the FJs which along with the diesel driveline inhibits its appeal to collectors as evidenced by this moderate result
Lot # 773 1994 Toyota Supra Mk IV Turbo Sport Roof; S/N JT2JA82J7R0018717; Black/Black leather; Unrestored original, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500 – 2,997/320hp, 6-speed, partial window sticker documented. – Factory paint with some minor scratches in the clear coat. Good interior with some creases in the front seats. Some surface rust on the brake calipers but mostly tidy underneath. Showing a relatively low 28,894, represented to have had just two owners and carefully owned with no visible mods. – Low-mile twin-turbo Supras are in high demand and this car just sold for $99,000 at Fall Auburn with 116 miles added to the odometer since then. This is a puzzlingly modest result, and an expensive few months of ownership for the seller.
Lot # 379 1979 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible; S/N 1592036957; White/White vinyl; Beige vinyl top; Unrestored original, 2 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000 – Dealer-installed Blaupunkt stereo and Bosch fog lights. – Very good original paint with no signs of use or wear. Good chrome with minor corrosion on the driver’s vent window and passenger’s door handle. Excellent top that looks like it has never been down. Good interior that is dusty from sitting. The 218 miles showing are represented as actual, and this car is almost too good to be true. – VW discontinued the Beetle convertible in 1979 and offered an all-black Epilogue Edition to mark the occasion. More ’79 soft tops have been stowed away as collectibles than one might think, so this car isn’t super special, but its low odometer reading and impressive preservation were enough to get one Vegas bidder to pay this high but not excessive price.
Lot # 687.1 1965 Volkswagen Type 2 Double Cab Pickup; S/N 265040436; Velvet Green/Gray cloth; Beige cloth top; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $41,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $45,100 – 1776cc engine with dual carbs, Freeway Flyer 4-speed, painted roof rack, front bumper guard, cloth bed canopy, Safari windshield, hubcaps, narrow whitewalls, painted bumpers. – Good paint but it is sprayed a bit thick in some areas. Good brightwork other than some pitting on the door handles. The interior is excellent, as is the glass. Nicely detailed engine bay. The wood in the bed is slightly dry and discolored. Relatively rare and restored to high enough standards. – While this isn’t the best restored Type 2 VW in the world it is easily one of the most appealing, a rare body style with exceptional accessories that is far more rare than even the frequently 6-figure 23-window busses. There is room for the whole family and enough equipment for a weekend expedition. It is sweet and is unusually inexpensive among Type 2s.
Lot # 801 1968 Volkswagen Type 34 Karmann-Ghia Coupe; S/N 348050177; Lotus White, Black roof/Red vinyl; Older restoration, 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $36,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $39,600 – Blaupunkt Emden radio, narrow whitewall tires, padded dash, heated rear window, fog lights. – Represented as 63,875 miles. Decent older respray. Fair original brightwork, and slight pitting on all of the chrome. Largely original and faded interior. The front seats have been recovered recently. Some creases but no cracks in the dash. Recently serviced. A rare car and quite desirable in VW circles but in driver condition. – The Sergio Sartorelli-penned Type 34 Karmann Ghia, based on the Type 3 platform rather than the Beetle, was VW’s most expensive and well-equipped car when it was new. Good examples are naturally a lot rarer and a lot more valuable than a standard Ghia. This one was a no-sale on Bring a Trailer back in January but brought a similar price in Vegas that is about three times what a standard Karmann Ghia in this condition would bring. It’s rare and distinctive. It’s also expensive.
Lot # 159 1959 Willys-Jeep DJ-3A Pickup; S/N 5526850724; Green, Ivory/Light Green cloth; Older restoration, 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $40,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $44,000 – 226/115hp Super Hurricane six, 3-speed manual, 4×4, sidemount spare. – Good paint with just a few chips and two cracks. Good brightwork other than the driver’s side headlight trim, which is pitted. The engine bay and interior are very clean. A very attractive old Willys pickup restored to slightly higher than truck standards. – While Jeeps in their many configurations are relatively common, Jeep pickups are decidedly rare, rarity that is reflected in this result that is more than a Ford, Chevy or Dodge in comparably restored condition could expect to bring. For that price, though, the new owner got a DJ that can be proudly shown and enjoyed.
Well written – accurate – well done!!