December 16, 2016
Posted By : Barrett-Jackson

A TASTE OF LUXURY: Barrett-Jackson VIP Experience guests keep coming back for more

A TASTE OF LUXURY: Barrett-Jackson VIP Experience guests keep coming back for more

December 16, 2016
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

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Lisa Koehnen had never been to a Barrett-Jackson auction before, but in late 2014 she visited the website to see if she could find some automobilia items to decorate the “barn” she and her husband Kalin built on their California property to house their collectible cars. She was in luck. The Ron Pratte Collection – comprising over 1,000 pieces of world-class automobilia and more than 100 pristine vehicles – was to be featured at the 2015 Scottsdale Auction.

Just before she went to purchase tickets, however, she noticed an advertisement on the website for the Barrett-Jackson VIP Experience. “If I can do something, I want to do it right,” says Lisa, a self-proclaimed tomboy who has always had a love of cars. “I went with the VIP Experience because I wanted to know we would have a spot to go to.”

Lisa Koehnen (front, center) and her family with Craig Jackson at the 2016 Las Vegas Auction.

Lisa Koehnen (front, center) and her family with Craig Jackson at the 2016 Las Vegas Auction.

Because Lisa’s niece Shanna shares her interest in cars, she purchased two “Craig Jackson Skybox” packages, not really knowing what to expect. “We were blown away!” she exclaims. “We were able to go everywhere, the hospitality was amazing and the food was fabulous. There was even a lounge just for women, and it was great.”

Lisa and Shanna rented a golf cart for the event, so they would go and sit in the skybox to watch the auction until they were restless. The two would then get on the cart to experience all that was going on outside, with a favorite activity being the Thrill Rides – heart-stopping drives around a closed track in the latest vehicles from major automobile manufacturers. Another highlight of her VIP Experience was the behind-the-scenes tour. “It was incredible to see all that happens on the block,” she says. “And it was really cool to see the TV and satellite trucks – I had no idea the amount of activity going on behind the scenes to produce an auction for television.”

She also really enjoyed the outside VIP lounge at the Scottsdale auction, which is right next to the staging lanes. “The cars are right there,” she says. “You can get some lunch, watch the cars – nobody is blocking your view and there is plenty of elbow room. It was so much fun!”

Lisa – a breast cancer survivor –  sold her 1970 Plymouth Duster (Lot #100) at the 2016 Las Vegas Auction for $22,000 - the proceeds of which went to TGen for breast cancer research.

Lisa – a breast cancer survivor – sold her 1970 Plymouth Duster (Lot #100) at the 2016 Las Vegas Auction for $22,000 – the proceeds of which went to TGen for breast cancer research.

Lisa purchased a few pieces of automobilia at the 2015 Scottsdale Auction (a complimentary Bidder Credential is part of the VIP Experience package), and she was hooked. At the 2015 Las Vegas Auction, she bought a car. “My favorite color is pink,” she explains, “and out comes this pink Duster. I’ve never owned a Mopar, and my husband likes them, so I thought I would bid once. I ended up with it!” Lisa chuckles as she tells the story, sheepishly admitting that she didn’t preview the car first and didn’t realize the car was built for drag racing. “It was a rachet-shifter, not a regular stick shift,” she says, “and the engine was so powerful! I put it in reverse and my hair blew forward; put it in drive and my hair blew back – and I thought, ‘Okay, I can’t drive this car.’”

After discussing it with her husband, Lisa – a breast cancer survivor – decided to re-auction the pink car at the 2016 Las Vegas Auction, with the proceeds going to the Arizona-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) for breast cancer research. She purchased several VIP Experience packages for the event so her entire family could come and watch.

Lisa has attended four Barrett-Jackson auctions to date – and plans to attend the 2017 Scottsdale Auction as well – all with VIP Experience packages. She says she wouldn’t do it any other way. “Having your own private place in the middle of all the action is just fantastic,” she says. “And everybody who works there is unbelievably off-the-charts nice. It’s like a family experience.”

Barrett-Jackson and QuintEvents partnered in 2014 to create Barrett-Jackson VIP Experiences, bringing collector car fans closer than ever before to the World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions. A variety of unique ticket packages are offered that include a VIP Auction Tour and auction block tour, hospitality suite access, VIP floor seating, Opening Night Gala tickets and more.

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