October 17, 2017
Posted By : Barrett-Jackson
Written By : independent automotive journalist Steve Magnante

IN THE GARAGE: Bringing Muscle Car Dreams to Reality with Mike McCullough

IN THE GARAGE: Bringing Muscle Car Dreams to Reality with Mike McCullough

October 17, 2017
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Mike-McCullough-8401_pp_thumb

Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Magnante

Mike McCullough, Barrett-Jackson's recently appointed Director of Consignment Relations

Mike McCullough, Barrett-Jackson’s recently appointed Director of Consignment Relations

Meet Mike McCullough, recently appointed Director of Consignment Relations for Barrett-Jackson. In charge of serving the needs of vehicle sellers (otherwise known as consignors), Mike’s lifelong passion for Ford Mustangs has prepared him well for the position. Growing up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, he says, “I clearly remember when Ford launched the 1984-1/2 SVO Mustang. I thought it was the coolest thing, with its high-tech turbocharger, aerodynamic headlamps and wing, four-wheel disc brakes, intercooler, unique high-back bucket seats and 5-lug, 16-inch wheels. None of this stuff was included on the V8-powered Mustang GT and LX, and to my 10-year-old mind it was the coolest thing on wheels.”

By 1992 Mike was 18 and ready to buy his first car. Though his father Roy, a successful construction company owner, kept a swirl of special-interest cars in the family driveway – including a 1969 Cadillac Fleetwood long-wheelbase limousine, a 1966 Mustang GT coupe and a 1973 Mustang fastback (which is still family owned) – Mike’s first purchase was a clean 1989 Mustang LX hatchback with the high-output 5.0 and 5-speed stick. “That car taught me how to work on engines, modify them for extra performance and then prove it all at the drag strip,” he remembers.

By 1994 Mike landed a job at a Tulsa dealership selling new BMW, Jeep and Buick products. He worked there for a while before moving across town to a Chrysler store, but found he wasn’t as passionate about the product line. That led him to explore the maintenance side of the auto retail business in the role of service advisor.

Then one summer he brought his stepfather to a big Mustang show in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. That’s where the two began an enterprise with Mike in the key role of finding and purchasing interesting vintage cars with funds provided by his stepfather. “My stepdad surveyed the rows of shiny, restored Mustangs and asked, ‘Do you think we could make money buying and selling old cars?’” Mike recalls. “I said, ‘Absolutely.’” The two successfully flipped a series of vintage cars over the next few years.

In 2001 Mike met a like-minded entrepreneur named Steve Hudiburg, whose father founded a Chevy dealership in Midwest City, Oklahoma, back in 1956. Soon Mike and Steve were in business for themselves, launching Worldwide Muscle Cars in Edmond, Oklahoma. “In the years since we started, I’ve owned over 400 Shelby Mustangs and nearly 40 Boss 429s,” he says.

While Ford’s breakthrough pony car is Mike’s primary passion, don’t be fooled into assuming he ignores other makes and models. “I’ve grown to appreciate all vehicles,” he says. “I’ve bought and sold ZL1 Camaros, LS6 Chevelle convertibles, every type of Camaro Z/28 there is, and of course most of the key Buick, Olds and Pontiac machines. Mopars are another interest, and I’m honored to have owned plenty of Road Runners, Six Packs, wing cars and HEMIs, including a one-of-nine-built 1967 Belvedere II Street HEMI. While 1967 brought the new philosophy of added image to Chrysler and debuted muscle car nameplates like the GTX and Coronet R/T, a small handful of non-GTX Street HEMIs got built for customers who wanted to be sneaky.”

Oh yes, Mike knows his stuff. He’s also happy to share what he’s learned. “When people ask me what cars are hot and going to be worth more later on, I tell them to buy what they love,” he says. “If you buy what you love, regardless of what happens to its monetary value in the market, you’ll always be happy owning the car. That’s first and foremost.

“Secondly, I always tell people to buy the best-quality example they can afford. It’s easy to get starry-eyed over a low price tag on a rough project car, only to realize it has major structural rust hiding under a hastily applied shiny paint job. It’s better to pass on a poorly refurbished car or badly damaged/rusted example and save the dollars until later. Chances are, another one will turn up in better condition if you keep looking.”

He adds, “Be cautious about buying low-demand (unpopular) cars for top dollar. It costs the same money in labor and material to restore a 6-cylinder Mustang coupe as it does to redo a 1968 Shelby GT500KR. Be sure to pick a restoration candidate that justifies your investment. In other words, be careful not to spend more on a restoration than you could ever hope to recover if you decide to sell. Naturally there are exceptions, such as finding a long-lost first car or some similar scenario where an emotional attachment overrides the practical aspect. Just be sure you can justify it when you look in the mirror.”

So what does Mike do when he’s not working with cars? “The only thing that halted the fever was when I started coaching my son’s baseball team in 2006,” he admits. “That took me away from car stuff. But he just graduated from high school and is headed off to college – with a baseball scholarship – so I’m back to my full-time car fanatic mode.” Way back in 2002, Mike was the high bidder on Craig Jackson’s personal 1970 Chevelle LS6 convertible at auction. “It was Fathom Blue,” he remembers. “At the time I never dreamed I’d be working for Barrett-Jackson 15 years later. As I continued my work at Worldwide Muscle Cars, I sort of kept an eye focused on Barrett-Jackson. To use a baseball metaphor, it was my ‘Yankees job’ – you know, the dream job I never thought I’d have.”

But Mike McCullough has arrived and is now happy to be part of the Barrett-Jackson team as Director of Consignment Relations. “The thing that makes Barrett-Jackson unique is its ability to attract qualified buyers,” he says. “Craig and his team have done a fantastic job of marketing and getting the right people to attend their auctions on both ends of the equation: consignors and bidders. It’s a supply-and-demand formula, and thanks to Barrett-Jackson’s consistent 3-to-1 bidder-to-vehicle ratio, from a consignor’s point of view, that type of bidding action simply isn’t seen at most competing auction houses. A Barrett-Jackson show is much more than an auction. It’s an automotive lifestyle event that everybody wants to be a part of.”

Mike stands ready to assist with your auction selling experience and can be reached at 480-306-8282 and [email protected].


Barrett-Jackson's Consignment Fulfillment Manager Rachelle Mackey

Barrett-Jackson’s Consignment Fulfillment Manager Rachelle Mackey

FAMILIAR FACE IN A NEW ROLE: Rachelle Mackey

Those who have been buying and selling cars through Barrett-Jackson regularly probably already know Rachelle Mackey, who started working the auctions as a cashier in the consignment department back in 2002. As time went on, she started working with the company on a part-time basis year-round, assisting incoming consignments, entering them in the system, gathering paperwork, reviewing descriptions, sending out contracts and more – something she did for about 10 years, until the birth of her fourth child, when she decided to “scale back.”

But in the spring of 2016, Rachelle came back to Barrett-Jackson full-time as a consignment liaison, and then in 2017 was promoted to Consignment Fulfillment Manager, charged with assisting sellers with their cars and paperwork, overseeing the cashiering team, and generally ensuring the consignment process is as smooth as possible. “The biggest challenge can be the fast pace, especially at auction, with the volume of consignments we have to deal with,” she admits. “But we have a great team here that makes the job easier.”

Rachelle has really grown to love the cars and the people who come through the doors of Barrett-Jackson. “Cars are so important to people; they really connect with them,” she says. “When they come in with such great stories and backgrounds about their cars, it really draws me in.” She actually grew up with collector cars. “My dad’s had cars since I was little,” she says. “He’s always had a ’66 Fastback Mustang … that’s his baby. He also has two Firebirds, a ’78 he bought brand-new and an ’88.”

Rachelle and her husband Jason have five children – four girls and one boy. That boy, Skyler, is 17, is “really into cars,” and comes to every auction. As a result, there are three older VW Bugs in the Mackey garage: a ’66, ’69 and a ’70, in various stages of restoration. “It’s my husband’s hobby to work on those with our son,” she says. “I’ve enjoyed helping them, too.”

Whether it’s zipping to work in her black ’06 Mustang or heading up to visit the Mackey’s property in northern Arizona in her Ford F-250 or Excursion, Rachelle has fully embraced the car world and her role in it. Make sure you stop by and say hello when you visit the consignment office!

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