BEHIND THE SHADES: Steve Davis looks at the Barrett-Jackson “fun factor”
January 2, 2020
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Barrett-Jackson President Steve Davis
Steve Davis’ dark glasses protect his eyes from a light sensitivity condition – but that doesn’t hinder his vision of the collector car market.
As we begin to gear up for our 50th anniversary, it’s natural to reflect back on all the incredible milestones, on what we’ve created over the years – taking what was a collector car auction and building it into the world-class, internationally known brand and entertaining event that Barrett-Jackson has become.
Over the years, Barrett-Jackson has sold thousands of vehicles and appealed to millions of people across the world, with much of the excitement being played out on live television for more than two decades. In the course of that, we have grown certain segments of the market that really didn’t exist before, and we’ve helped that market find a place to live and breathe by creating the opportunity for people with many different types of vehicles to bring them to Barrett-Jackson and find willing buyers.
From my perspective, Barrett-Jackson not only presents the most incredible collector cars – from world-class classics to matching-numbers muscle cars and the latest and greatest Resto-Mods – but we also offer something that really creates an entertainment value. Diversity is key. And of all the incredibly diverse categories, one of the most entertaining has some of the most unique and off-the-wall vehicles you’ll find anywhere.
At the top of this automotive food chain, of course, are vehicles like the Batmobile (pictured at right), which sold at our 2013 Scottsdale Auction for $4.62 million. This George Barris-designed icon really epitomizes the role automobiles play in pop culture – and Barrett-Jackson has become a showcase for pop culture in many ways. Whether original or re-creation, famous cars from the big and small screen have enormous appeal to our fanbase: the Family Truckster from “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” the “Wayne’s World” Pacer, the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine. At the 2020 Scottsdale Auction you’ll see some great re-creations of cars from the “Dukes of Hazzard,” the crazy Mutt Cutts van from “Dumb and Dumber,” an unbelievable “Helicopter Car” and Lightning McQueen from the movie “Cars.” Who wouldn’t want to pause and take a photo in front of one of those to post on Instagram, in this social-media-driven world we live in?
There are also some incredible one-of-a-kind creations. My favorite of all time was Robosaurus (pictured at right) the 40-foot-tall, fire-breathing, car-eating robotic dinosaur on wheels, which paraded down the Strip at our 2007 Las Vegas event before it literally roared onto the stage in Scottsdale, selling for $632,500. But they don’t have to be that large-scale to be memorable. I can’t remember how many red Bel Airs we’ve sold, but you bet I can remember (as will many of our fans) the “Carpool De Ville” – a custom Cadillac that was a fully functional hot tub on wheels.
Barrett-Jackson has evolved into something unique in our industry; we’re in a class of our own. We knew to embrace muscle cars back in the day, and customs after that. Then Resto-Mods. Why not expand our appeal to the entertainment sector and create some fun moments for all generations? We have the market and the platform and the stage to do just that. We have something for everybody – literally planes, trains and automobiles.
We’ve sold a scale-model train handcrafted by Daniel Boone VI – yes, a descendant of that Daniel Boone. We’ve sold full-scale working carousels. One of the most spectacular sales was the famous 1929 Ford Tri-Motor airplane (pictured at right), which was at Pearl Harbor the day it was bombed. At the upcoming Scottsdale Auction, you’ll see an Aerocar from 1954 that is both air and roadworthy, with full FAA certification. There’ll be a highly unusual Tupolev Aerosledge, an amphibious vehicle hailing from Russia. There’s a “helicopter car” and even a 4×4 Fiero, of all things.
Barrett-Jackson has truly evolved into a festival of motorsports and entertainment and all the myriad of things that make up this incredible event we’ve evolved into – which I think has a lot to do with why were recently named the No. 1 Best Attraction for Car Lovers in the U.S. There’s more to Barrett-Jackson than just a one-dimensional car auction – there’s a fun factor that appeals to all ages, from all walks of life.
You never know what you’re going to see at Barrett-Jackson, so just come along, enjoy the ride … and have a chuckle now and then.