BEHIND THE SHADES: Barrett-Jackson’s Steve Davis on the muscle cars of yesterday and their influence today

March 30, 2016
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Barrett-Jackson President Steve Davis

Steve Davis’ dark glasses protect his eyes from light sensitivity – but that doesn’t hinder his vision of the collector car market.

Barrett-Jackson at 45 has truly evolved to be one of the most significant platforms in the world to showcase, promote and ultimately sell all types of cars. We have an eclectic docket that represents something for everybody, but at the heart of it is the muscle car segment. What is interesting to keep in mind is that the Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers, ’Cudas, Shelbys that we’ve been selling all along – those cars that now are the sweet spot in the muscle car universe, were once the cars in the parking lot of Barrett-Jackson 45 years ago!

Americana has really been an integral part of our success – whether you think of muscle cars or sports cars like the Corvette. Millions of people watch these cars cross the auction block and are astounded to see that the cars they could have purchased at any local car lot back in the day are now bringing six figures and beyond.

SOLD! 2016 Chevrolet Camaro COPO Gen 6 VIN #001 for $300,000 at the 2016 Scottsdale Auction.

One could argue that the success of that segment on the Barrett-Jackson block has played a pivotal role in what we’re seeing on the roads today. We are in many ways reliving that golden era of muscle cars, as the DNA and spirit from those early cars is now living and breathing in our modern-day cars.

In 2007, Shelby came out with a modern interpretation of the old-school muscle car equipped with all the modern technology of the day: the GT500. It was no coincidence that VIN #001 of this car was launched to the world on our auction block – with Edsel Ford, Carroll Shelby and all the Ford brass on hand, on live television. It really made a statement, selling for charity at an off-the-chart price of $660,000. Unprecedented at the time, and the beginning of what would become a Barrett-Jackson hallmark.

Ford and Shelby – including Carroll Shelby himself – were out in force when the first and only GT-H offered for public sale crossed the auction block in Palm Beach, 2007.

What happened after the success of the GT500? GM got on board with the retro-styled Camaro. And, like Ford, sold VIN #001 for charity on the Barrett-Jackson auction block for big money. Soon after that, Dodge came to the party, and one more time history repeated itself: the very first retro-styled Challenger was sold at our Scottsdale auction.

Add to that a true American icon, the Corvette. Interestingly, our auction block has seen the sale of the oldest known Corvette – right up through the latest VIN #001 versions being offered by Chevrolet. An incredible thing, if you think about it.

On the Las Vegas auction block in 2014, the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, VIN #001, sold for $865,000, with a matching donation that brought the total for charity to $1.65 million.

There’s also something to be said about all the aftermarket components the factories offer now. Ford, GM, Chrysler – they all now manufacture crate engines, speed accessories and more that harken back to the muscle car era. The Barrett-Jackson auction block is where they get showcased to the buying public, where they get the attention of millions of people on television. That’s where they realize these great amounts of money for charity. In many ways, that’s part of the driving force of keeping these great cars alive and allowing that DNA of the ’60s and ’70s to live on and manifest itself in this current age in an amazing way with enhanced technology.

At the core of all this is the Barrett-Jackson auction block. It’s the catalyst for all of these great things. When I build the auction docket, I try to make sure all these great cars are showcased and flow in a way that brings people in – both in person and on live television. We are entertaining people, we’re educating people, and at the same we’re a real-time snapshot of a real market at that moment. Barrett-Jackson is honored and fortunate to be the platform that allows history to play itself out, while at the same time setting the stage for the next generation – to carry on the legacy.