VIEW FROM THE BLOCK: Craig Jackson reflects on a spectacular start to 2016

March 24, 2016
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

It was an unforgettable moment at the 45th Anniversary Barrett-Jackson Auction as Burt Reynolds rolled onto the stage in the 1977 Trans Am used to promote his classic “Smokey and the Bandit” film.

An unprecedented moment: Zac Brown Band gave a surprise acoustic performance at the Opening Night Gala.

The kickoff to our 45th year with the 2016 Scottsdale auction was one of the most exciting and successful events in our history. A year ago we put the spotlight on Scottsdale by rolling two auctions into one with the enormous Pratte Collection woven into the docket. When you factor out those Pratte vehicles, our latest 2016 results proved to be even stronger, with a phenomenal sell-through rate of 99 percent on nearly 1,500 vehicles.

The excitement meter was redlined throughout the Scottsdale event. It all started with an unprecedented surprise acoustic performance by the Zac Brown Band at our renowned Opening Night Gala. Vehicle sales began breaking records early in the week, with eight set during the entire event, including a new auction record for a low-mileage 2015 Porsche 918 that sold for $1.76 million. The much-anticipated 2017 Acura NSX VIN #001 brought the house down on Friday by hammering for an incredible $1.2 million, all of which went to charity.

The auction of the much-anticipated 2017 Acura NSX VIN #001 brought the house down as it sold for an incredible $1.2 million, all of which went to charity.

By the final Saturday, the party atmosphere was unmistakable, with fans streaming into the arena to watch director Michael Bay bring Optimus Prime and Bumblebee from the Transformers movie franchise to the block. But the real showstopper was undoubtedly the moment Burt Reynolds rolled onto the stage in the 1977 Trans Am used to promote his classic “Smokey and the Bandit” film. Excitement rose to a fever pitch as the bidding escalated, resulting in a sale price of $550,000 – setting a new world record at auction for any Trans Am. I heard people say it was a moment similar to what they had witnessed when the late George Barris was on hand as the No. 1 Batmobile crossed our block at our 2013 Scottsdale Auction or even when Carroll Shelby helped hammer the sale of his 1966 Shelby Cobra Super Snake in 2007.

Craig Jackson and Jeff Gordon

I’m very pleased to see our partnership with Discovery and Velocity continue to grow. Together we’ve taken our automotive lifestyle events to another level. The 37 hours of live coverage of the Scottsdale Auction included an expanded five hours on Discovery. Many familiar faces from some of Velocity’s popular shows were there, and it was great to see them enjoying themselves throughout the week. The auctions are a common ground for car people, whether you’re a celebrity or not. Included in the mix of over 350,000 attendees were people like Masters champ Bubba Watson and his family, sports legend Reggie Jackson, comedian Jay Leno, racing legends Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Don Prudhomme, John Force, Rusty Wallace and more. Barrett-Jackson is definitely a place where “car guys” from all walks of life hang out.

Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski

I also continue to notice the many generations who come to our auctions, often as a family. We’ve been around for 45 years, so there are guys who experienced Barrett-Jackson with their dads, and now they’re bringing their kids. In our efforts to keep this amazing hobby growing, we strive to bring new generations to the auctions and with that, our number of first-time bidders continues to expand.

The selection of cars is also changing to reflect this, as evidenced by the increasing popularity of Resto-Mods and late-model collectibles. New enthusiasts are tuning into us through programming on Velocity, our website and our lively social media presence. These are tech-savvy people who are active on social media themselves and don’t hesitate to watch the live stream on their mobile devices or smart TVs.

These new generations are discovering something I’ve been proud of all along: that Barrett-Jackson is really something unique. We are not only the barometer of the collector car industry, we are a live television event with entertainment, celebrities, charitable giving and so much more. There is no experience on the planet like Barrett-Jackson.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year start so great.