Celebrity status means something...
Celebrity status means something at a big auction...
Jeff's guess that the '66 would bring over $200,000 proved prophetic when the GT350 crossed the bidding block. The sale price was exactly $200,000, listed in the sale results as $220,000 after adding the buyer's commission.
The car Jim promoted, a '67 GT500 Brittany Blue fastback, was a no-sale at $197,000. The owners entered it in the Kruse sale the following week. The white '68 GT500 convertible was also a no-sale, topping out at $168,000.
Cars were still selling when we left the auction tent at 9:30 p.m. Back at the hotel, the Speed Channel was carrying Barrett-Jackson. It was after ten o'clock and cars continued to sell. The next day, we would be there.
...Sammy Hagar's red '67 Shelby...
...Sammy Hagar's red '67 Shelby GT500, complete with an autographed guitar, sold for $270,000.
Barrett-Jackson is bigger than Russo, not just in the number of cars, but also in vendors and ground area. Amazingly, this auction had begun the previous Tuesday. It was Saturday, day five, with one more day to go.
Barrett-Jackson has a significant media advantage with its TV coverage. This auction is a three-ring circus and a zoo all in one. Our walk from the parking lot was around half a mile. Once inside, there were hundreds of cars parked under giant white tents. The auction tent was separate, and the audience stretched for what appeared to be hundreds of rows. People became little dots in the far corners of the room.
Just like at Russo and Steele, we began bumping into Mustang people such as Brent Hajek, the Mustang and Ford drag-car collector from Oklahoma. Hajek was following a new Ford Racing FR-500 show car into the sale, but he didn't want the show car. He wanted the factory race-car version which would come along later.
Saturday is the biggest day for spectator attendance and the highest-profile cars. Everybody wants their car to run Saturday afternoon. As the afternoon passed, the crowds got bigger.
A red '67 GT500 looked hot in the line of auction cars leading into the big, white tent. Under the hood was a 427. This one wasn't stock, but looked good.
Ed Meyer at Russo and Steele....
Ed Meyer at Russo and Steele. We didn't know he was a Pepsi man.
"That's Sammy Hagar," somebody whispered. Sure enough, a man with a mop of blond hair was signing autographs as he conversed with the crowd of people circling him and his Shelby. He was friendly and fit right in with the car people.
"Why are you selling it?" we asked.
Hagar laughed. He told us how after one or two trips, he scared everybody and they wouldn't ride with him anymore. "I've outgrown it," he said. "I've had it a long time. We've got a couple of girls and my wife won't let them ride in it. She won't ride in it." And, the Shelby had to be driven hard all the time because, "You can't just take it out for a Sunday cruise."
When the car crossed the block, Craig Jackson invited Hagar on stage. One of the Barrett-Jackson girls brought out a Hagar-autographed electric guitar to be included with the car. After bidding seemed to peak over $200,000, Hagar offered the audience backstage passes to any of his concerts. No question, this red '67 GT500 was not even close to concours condition compared to the under-$200,000-but-unsold blue '67 GT500 Jim showed us at Russo and Steele. However, the red Hagar GT500 sold for $270,000. Celebrity heritage carries weight.