September 24, 2019
Posted By : Barrett-Jackson

BEHIND THE SHADES: Steve Davis looks at the phenomenon of the Ford GT

BEHIND THE SHADES: Steve Davis looks at the phenomenon of the Ford GT

September 24, 2019
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Barrett-Jackson President Steve Davis

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.

After the completion of the incredibly successful Northeast event, once again reinforcing why Barrett-Jackson is the gold standard in the auction business, we are excited about the next stop on our schedule, which is one of my favorite events – Las Vegas. To me, in many ways, Las Vegas mirrors the excitement and energy with which Barrett-Jackson is synonymous. It’s only fitting that on the heels of the incredible honor of being recognized as the Best Attraction for Car Lovers in America by USA Today, the World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions is now headed to the Entertainment Capital of the World.

2017 Ford GT '66 Heritage Edition

Lot #747 – a 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition – will be selling at the 2019 Las Vegas Auction with No Reserve.

We proudly showcased vehicles headed to our 2019 Las Vegas event in the Future Events display at our Northeast Auction in Connecticut. Among the most talked-about and popular cars in that display were two Ford GTs. One is an incredible limited-edition ’66 Heritage Edition 2017 Ford GT, built to honor the GT40 Mark II driven to victory by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon at Le Mans in 1966 – part of the 1-2-3 Ford sweep. The other, one of the charity cars set to cross the block in Las Vegas, hails from the previous GT generation. Unique in its own way, the 2005 GT, VIN 044, was utilized extensively by Ford both on and off the track, with an incredible resumé of promotional and track adventures reflected on its odometer.

Putting together two of the most desirable and exciting collector cars on the market today – especially with the anticipation of the new movie, “Ford v Ferrari,” which pays tribute to that incredible feat – makes me realize what a significant role the Ford GT has played at Barrett-Jackson over the years. Every time one of these Ford GTs cross the auction block, it is an amazing moment of excitement, not only because the cars are worth incredible amounts of money and they’re appealing in every way, but also because we use the magic of Barrett-Jackson to breathe life into that car’s story – similar to what the movie will be doing, but in a way only we can do.

Carroll Shelby with Steve Davis.

Carroll Shelby with Steve Davis.

As a kid, I was obsessed with fast cars and loved Carroll Shelby. From my perspective, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was so important for fans of my caliber, because we were the underdogs. To see that band of renegade Southern California hot-rodders, led by a former chicken farmer named Carroll Shelby, going to the hallowed ground of international endurance racing at Le Mans, France, taking on Ferrari and the European elites, was nothing short of incredible. And then in fact for them to not just succeed, but to go 1-2-3 – was such an amazing story. It was a dream to watch those cars and those driving legends.

I collected whatever I could collect relating to those races, and I was very lucky to score what I consider to be the Holy Grail: An actual program from the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans from one of the original Shelby team members who was actually there, signed by Carroll Shelby, Henry Ford II (The Deuce), Dan Gurney, AJ Foyt and Mark Donohue. It’s one of my most prized pieces of automobilia.

Steve Davis with his new Ford GT and matching Brittany Blue '67 GT350.

Steve Davis with his new Ford GT and matching Brittany Blue ’67 GT350.

I was fortunate enough to have been selected, along with Craig Jackson, to purchase the new Ford GT. Having my GT and my matching Brittany Blue supercharged ’67 GT350 showcased alongside Craig’s black and red GT and his matching Barrett-Jackson Shelby in the Ford display at the 2018 Scottsdale Auction was one of the highlights of my “car life.” It reinforces why these cars are so much more than just expensive cars. They truly touch peoples’ lives. They embody history in a way that makes them unique.

Barrett-Jackson clearly has become the place to sell some of the most desirable Ford GT40s and GTs of all times, and the model’s storied history will continue not only in Las Vegas, but in Scottsdale, because we’ve got even more incredible examples coming up.

We are charged with continuing that legacy and reinforcing why the DNA of the old cars still lives and breathes in the new cars. We are storytellers, and we are caretakers. Every person who observes one of those Ford GTs selling shares in that car’s history and can live vicariously through it, thinking back to those historic 24 Hours of Le Mans races won by Ford.


FOR THE LE MANS FAN

Le Mans program and montageOne of Steve Davis’ most prized pieces of automobilia – and one that would make any Le Mans fan green with envy – is a framed montage of items from the 1967 Le Mans race, which saw Dan Gurney and co-driver AJ Foyt pilot the No. 1 red GT40 across the finish line for one of Ford’s most memorable racing victories. Davis obtained the items from one of the Shelby team members who was actually there for the event. The montage includes the ’67 Le Mans program – signed by Carroll Shelby, Henry Ford II (The Deuce), Gurney, Foyt and Mark Donohue – the red cloth arm band/pit pass for the race, one of the bezels from the Ford GT40 steering wheel, and a number of actual Ford photographs taken at the race. Those photos include the car taking the checkered flag and Gurney spraying champagne on the winner’s podium – the first race car driver to ever do so, establishing a tradition that remains to this day.

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