Company History

The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions

Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to astute classic and collector car owners and automotive enthusiasts around the world. Barrett-Jackson produces The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Palm Beach, Florida, where thousands of the most sought-after, unique and valuable automobiles cross the block in front of a global audience.

Early years

1960s

Russ Jackson and Tom Barrett met when Jackson responded to an ad Barrett had placed for a 1933 Cadillac Town Car. With its Hollywood provenance, having been built for movie star Joan Crawford, the Caddy was guaranteed to catch the eye of Russ Jackson. Jackson did not end up purchasing the car, but did make a lifelong friend and, later, business partner in Tom Barrett.

1967

The two families, already key players in the Arizona classic car scene, raised their profile even further when they established the Fiesta de los Autos Elegantes car show and parade in 1967, with the Classic Car Club of Arizona also on board. Besides being a fun time and a celebration of thoroughbred automobiles, the event raised money for Scottsdale's art center and community library - and planted the seeds that would grow into the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company.

1971

After establishing its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company decided to test the demand for an auction devoted to collector cars. By the fall, the car show was phased out and work began on a collector car auction to be held that winter, seeded with 75 vehicles from Jackson's and Barrett's personal collections. Held next to the Safari Resort on Scottsdale Road, the auction - with star vehicles that included Barrett's pair of Mercedes-Benz 770 Phaetons - was reported live on the national weekend evening news.

1988

Andy Granatelli, CEO of STP and owner of Mario Andretti's 1969 Indy 500-winning race car, became the first person to pay more than $1 million for a collector car at Barrett-Jackson when he purchased a 1932 Duesenberg Model J for $1.075 million.

1989

The auction grew exponentially, moving to WestWorld of Scottsdale, where the massive automotive lifestyle event has remained ever since. At the 1989 Scottsdale Auction, a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Roadster sold for $1.7 million.

1990

The eye-popping headlines arrived right out of the gate with the new decade. At the 1990 Scottsdale Auction, a 1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Binder and a 1938 Bugatti Type 57S Atlante each went for more than $2 million. A pair of 1973 Ferrari Daytonas, one a Spyder Roadster and one a Berlinetta Coupe, sold for an astounding $2.2 million. A 1914 Isotta Fraschini Tipo KM4 brought $950,000, and a 1914 Mercedes also rang the $900K bell. Some 60,000 spectators were on hand to witness the 1990 auction, and the $37.3 million in total sales was a company record that would stand until 2004.

1994

Brothers Brian and Craig Jackson sowed the seeds for future television coverage, securing a deal with the Financial News Network to televise part of a Barrett-Jackson auction. Among those watching was Roger Werner, founder of Speedvision, who later struck a deal with Barrett-Jackson to tape the auction for broadcast on the new channel. Later Speedvision televised six hours of live auction coverage - the first collector car auction to be broadcast live.

1995

Brian Jackson engineered a deal with Chrysler Corporation to become a presenting sponsor. The fruits of that collaboration were immediately apparent at the auction. Chrysler set up a huge product display of current and historic vehicles from the company's collection, including the Ghia-built Chrysler d'Elegance, DeSoto Adventurer concept car, Dodge Firearrow, one of the 1963 Chrysler turbine cars, a company-owned 1971 HEMI 'Cuda and prototypes used to develop the Dodge Viper.

1998

With Craig Jackson now at the helm for over two years after the passing of his brother Brian, the auction saw continued growth, thanks to increasing corporate support, television coverage, and the introduction of a website and live internet bidding in the late 1990s. Attendance at the 1998 auction topped 115,000, rising to 125,000 the following year, with sales exceeding $22 million.

2000

The first decade of the 21st century was a period when the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company truly expanded its reach. Everything was in motion: New auction locations were launched, dockets became increasingly diverse to reflect the types of cars buyers were collecting, new methods of reaching the audience were put into play and constantly evolving technology was embraced. The company held an auction in Monaco as part of the Historic Grand Prix gathering, and followed that up with an auction at the prestigious Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

2003

Barrett-Jackson took its famous auction and lifestyle event across the country to Palm Beach, Florida. Noteworthy cars sold included the 1958 Plymouth Fury featured in the John Carpenter movie “Christine” and a 1956 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing that brought the top price on the auction block. With a unique ambiance and collector car lineup that reflects the South Florida setting, the Palm Beach Auction continues to record impressive attendance and sales.

2005

In the years leading up to 2005, Barrett-Jackson had become known as one of the first auction houses to offer most of its vehicles with No Reserve, which means the vehicle sells to the highest bidder. In 2005, every car that crossed the block, all 871 of them, was sold with No Reserve - a first for the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company and a milestone for the hobby.

2006

Palm Beach Auction sales swelled to $35 million; bidding was so compelling on the final evening of the event that SPEED cameras rolled live for 49 exciting minutes, without a commercial break, as a succession of diverse vehicles crossed the block.

2008

Barrett-Jackson's Opening Night Gala in Scottsdale was actually a surprise 85th birthday party for Carroll Shelby, where the automotive icon was presented with a cake in the shape of the new Barrett-Jackson Ford Shelby GT. Barrett-Jackson also added a Las Vegas event at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, which - along with its already firmly established Scottsdale and Palm Beach auctions - presented auto enthusiasts around the globe with a trifecta of car collecting.

2013

The Barrett-Jackson Cup was introduced to raise the bar in the custom automotive specialty universe even higher. The first “Ultimate Best In Show” winner was a custom 1969 Ford Torino with a Boss 429 engine under the hood and built by Troy Trepanier. The competition has evolved into a show featuring some of the finest Resto-Mods in the world.

2015

The Scottsdale Auction was highlighted by the extraordinary Ron Pratte Collection of more than 140 incredible vehicles and 1,500 outstanding pieces of automobilia. The record-breaking results sent shock waves throughout the collector car industry. With automobilia sales nearly tripling the world record - and attendance, car sales, charity funds raised and number of cars consigned witnessing a sizable increase - the now nine-day event was historic on many levels. The 44th Annual Scottsdale event also marked the debut of Barrett-Jackson's new television coverage on Discovery and Velocity, with 36 hours of live broadcasts throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Spanish to Latin America - another first for the company.

2016

Barrett-Jackson's inaugural Northeast Auction was held at Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Connecticut. It marked the first time the company held an event in the Northeastern United States and - coupled with the 14th Annual Palm Beach Auction in April - was also the first time Barrett-Jackson held two collector car auctions on the East Coast in the same calendar year. That first Northeast Auction was an unprecedented success, with tickets selling out shortly after gates opened on Thursday and vehicle consignments closing days ahead of the auction - sparking the first double sellout in the company's long history.

2017

The Las Vegas Auction took on unexpected meaning and became a catalyst for healing when, following the tragic shooting in the city, the auction of Barrett-Jackson President Steve Davis' very special 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake was sold for $1 million, with 100% of the sale price benefiting Las Vegas first responders.

2018

Barrett-Jackson achieved two more milestones at the flagship Scottsdale Auction: the achievement of raising more than $100 million for charity since the company's inception (largely through the auction of vehicles for worthy causes) and the first visit by a former president. George W. Bush surprised the packed auction arena when he appeared on the auction block to help sell a 2018 Carbon 65 Edition Corvette donated by General Motors, which brought in $1.4 million to benefit his Military Service Initiative.

2021

Barrett-Jackson celebrated its 50th year in business - and the perfect sale to mark the occasion was that of CSX3015, Carroll Shelby's 1966 Shelby Cobra Super Snake, which crossed the auction block for its third time. “The Cobra to End All Cobras” sold in 2007 and again in 2015, passing the $5-million mark each time. In 2021 it raced off with a final sale price of $5.5 million. The Super Snake remains the company's single highest-selling vehicle to date.

2023

The tradition of auctioning “charity cars” on the renowned auction block reached a significant pinnacle at the 2023 Scottsdale Auction when Barrett-Jackson achieved an impressive milestone: surpassing the $150-million mark raised for various charitable causes. Barrett-Jackson waives all fees and commissions, ensuring that 100% of the hammer price goes directly to support the charity. Barrett-Jackson's unwavering commitment to assisting those in need has been a fundamental principle since the company's establishment in 1971 and remains a cornerstone of its values today.

2024

Barrett-Jackson's flagship Scottsdale Auction at WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona, featured its largest auction docket in company history with 2,016 collectible vehicles, all selling with No Reserve, for $200.9 million in auction sales. Additionally, Barrett-Jackson sold 1,180 pieces of authentic automobilia for $6.7 million, bringing total auction sales to $207.6 million, the most for a single auction in Barrett-Jackson history, with a 100 percent sell-through rate and over 190 world-record auction sales.