A HALF-CENTURY OF HELPING OTHERS: A 50 Facts & Favorite Memories Feature
November 9, 2021
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 VIN 001 crossing the block at the 2019 Scottsdale Auction. 100% of the hammer price benefited JDRF
To mark Barrett-Jackson’s half-century in business, in this special series we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite moments from the past 50 years – as well as some little-known facts about The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions.
Ford first revealed the 2007 Shelby GT500 to the world on the Barrett-Jackson auction block. The VIN 001 car sold for charity for $600,000.
Barrett-Jackson’s commitment to helping those who need it most goes back to the very beginning of the company and remains an important element of the company ethos to this day. The sale of “charity cars” on the auction block grew exponentially over the years from very early days, with Barrett-Jackson reaching the $100 million mark raised for charity in 2018. As of October 2021 through the platform of the company’s renowned auction block, more than $135 million has been raised for over 175 worthy organizations large and small across the country. Every single dollar of each charity car sale goes directly to the organizations, as Barrett-Jackson waives all fees; the winning bidder writes a check directly to the charity.
Among the big stars of the show at each auction are the VIN 001 vehicles donated by the major automotive manufacturers to benefit worthy causes. The tradition began back at the 2006 Scottsdale Auction, when Ford first revealed the 2007 Shelby GT500 to the world on the Barrett-Jackson auction block as Edsel Ford, Carroll Shelby and many of the top Ford brass looked on. The VIN 001 car sold for charity for $600,000, unprecedented at the time. It was the beginning of what would become a Barrett-Jackson hallmark.
The mid-engine 2020 Corvette VIN 001 brought in $3 million benefiting the Detroit Children’s Fund.
General Motors, Chrysler and many, many others saw the value of using the Barrett-Jackson stage to introduce their new models to the public and selling the very first model to benefit a charity of their choosing. GM’s prolific offerings over the years started with VIN 001 of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition, which sold for charity at the 2015 Las Vegas Auction for $500,000; more recently the first retail production VIN 001 of the first-ever mid-engine 2020 Corvette brought in $3 million for the Detroit Children’s Fund. Chrysler kicked things off with VIN 001 of a head-turning Stryker Red 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat that sold at the 2014 Las Vegas Auction for $825,000 – made even sweeter by a matching donation from the Engelstad Family Foundation.
Other major auto manufacturers also saw the benefits of selling VIN 001 vehicles for charity on the Barrett-Jackson block, with Acura bringing the long-awaited 2017 Acura NSX VIN 001 to the 2016 Scottsdale Auction, where it sold for $1.2 million. The 2019 Scottsdale Auction saw VIN 001 of the 2020 Toyota Supra cross the block and raise $2.1 million for charity, as well as the very first 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Inspiration Series, which brought in a cool $2 million for a worthy cause.
The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV sold for $2.5 million to benefit the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation
“Manufacturers look at our auctions as the perfect place to sell their first-production cars and prototype vehicles,” said Jackson. “The energy in the room is electrifying for every charity auction, but there is something special anytime we get to do it with a VIN 001 car.”
More recently, a record-breaking number of VIN 001 and first-production vehicles from America’s top automakers were sold at the March 2021 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction for some very worthy causes. These included VIN 001s of the 2021 Ford Bronco, 2022 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings, 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible, 2021 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition, 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and 2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition, all of which contributed to a total of $5,830,000 raised for charity at that event alone.
The HUMMER EV sold for $2.5 million to benefit the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which helps our military and first responders in a number of ways. Barrett-Jackson is well-known for its commitment to veterans and active-duty military through the sale of charity vehicles. Military-related nonprofit organizations like the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and many more have been the beneficiaries from the auction of some incredible cars.
The 1956 Chevrolet 150 once used as a U.S. Army staff car raised a total of $1 million for the Honor Flight Network.
At the company’s inaugural 2021 Houston Auction, bidders showed love for veterans through sale of a very special 1956 Chevrolet 150 once used as a U.S. Army staff car in Nebraska. The restored piece of history brought the gavel down on a winning bid of $425,000 – with the generous bidder donating it immediately back to be auctioned again, which brought in an additional $400,000. And, in an incredible charitable gesture, longtime Barrett-Jackson customer Michelle Mauzy donated another $175,000, bringing the total raised for the Honor Flight Network – which recognizes our nation’s veterans with all-expense-paid trips to the memorials in Washington, D.C. – to $1 million.
The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions is committed to the nation’s veterans and military in more ways than on the auction block. Another, perhaps lesser-known, way Barrett-Jackson gives back to those who have served or are still serving is by teaming up with the Veterans Tickets Foundation, also known as Vet Tix. Since 2014, Barrett-Jackson has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of free tickets to its auctions around the country for use by active-duty military, veterans and their families.
As Barrett-Jackson enters its next half-century, the commitment to provide a platform for so many great charitable causes remains as strong as ever.
2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition VIN 001 Sold for $2,500,000 at Scottsdale 2019 • 100% of the hammer price benefited United Way for Southeastern Michigan
2017 Acura NSX VIN 001 Sold for $1,200,000 at Scottsdale 2016 • 100% of the hammer price benefited the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground
The excitement during the sale of the 2017 Acura NSX VIN 001 at the 2016 Scottsdale Auction
2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Inspiration Series VIN 100001 Sold for $2,000,000 at Scottsdale 2020 • 100% of the hammer price benefited The Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Bob Woodruff Foundation
Shelby GT350R VIN 001 Sold for $1,000,000 at Scottsdale 2015 • 100% of the hammer price benefited JDRF
2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat VIN 001 Sold at Las Vegas 2014 • 100% of the hammer price benefited The Opportunity Village Foundation
2021 Ford Bronco 2-Door VIN 001 Sold for $1,075,000 at Scottsdale 2021 • 100% of the hammer price benefited The National Forest Foundation and Outward Bound
2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray VIN 001 Sold for $1,100,000 at Scottsdale 2013 • 100% of the hammer price benefited the College for Creative Studies
2020 Toyota Supra VIN 001 Sold for $2.1 million at Scottsdale 2019 • 100% of the hammer price benefited different charities American Heart Association and The Bob Woodruff Foundation