Barrett Jackson 2023 - Thoughts/Opinions?
 

I watched the auction on TV and here are my observations, just wondering how they compare to others:

- BJ seems to be losing some of its Sizzle?
- Charity cars didn't bring as big $
- don't seem to have the crazy back and forth bidding battles of the past
- No sign of high rollers Rick Hendrick or John Staluppi
- the top car of the auction was less than the top car at Mecum Kissimmee
- trucks/SUV's bringing absolute stupid $
- Late 70's Trans Ams selling for insane $
- lost commentator Chris Jacobs to Mecum
- NO SIGN OF CHARLIE LILLARD EITHER?

I went to BJ Scottsdale about 10 years ago and want to go back but not sure it still has the same energy?

Look forward to the opinions of others.

Losing Chris Jacbos is a win for BJ, and a liability for Mecum IMHO. Seems to spout nothing but white noise. There again, I can't much stand April Rose either......

I actually find April Rose to do a good job of rhyming off car specs. Christy Lee was good as well. They brought in a couple other women that really seemed out of their element trying to talk cars.

look for any junker chev pickups from 1967-1987 to be worth a fortune now, absolutely crazy $$$ for pickups, blazers and bronco's, what would you rather have, a yenko nova, camaro, chevelle or a bronco or blazer with 22" rims?

April reads off of a cue card.

I was there Tuesday Thursday and Saturday. $200,000 broncos was the norm. In the Brand wars a Ferrari got the big bucks while Ford was strong with the GT versions. Muscle cars were all over the map.
The crazy sale was the 1938 Mercedes 540K that is a $1,000,000 car across town but only got $500,000 despite the urging and interrupting or Craig. Yes Craig we know ‘it’s way below the Money”. Craig claimed they were getting back to their roots from 1971. Too late.
Anybody else hear about the fender bender in the staging lanes around 8:00 pm Saturday.

How about a 1979 Trans Am for $200K, not even 400 pontiac, 4 speed bandit edition!

Question - can general admission get into staging lanes and main tent?

I went a couple years in a row about 10 years ago. It’s definitely worth attending once in your life, if nothing else for the weather. Of course that’s coming from a Midwest guy.
I personally wouldn’t buy a car from an auction for a variety of reasons. I enjoy, in most cases, meeting the owner of the car I’m buying.
That said, BJ is very entertaining, especially when folks get a few drinks in them.

Bj
 

General admission will allow you into the first stage staging lanes but not the final ones. You can get into the main tent but not the seats in the bidder area.

I figured she must, but I have never caught any sign of it when watching on television.

The TA had 37 actual miles.

General admission gets you into the pre-staging lanes, all tents, and around the bidders pit. Lots to see there on Friday and Saturday nights. :cool2:

X2!! Stevie Mags is the knowledge and info guy.

I thought Steve knew his stuff, until I see this glorious blunder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHiQtGzcA5g&t=2s

On Wednesday night I did see Hendrick's general manager of Hendrick Performance (Dale Ledbetter) on the phone & winning the bid of I believe $3.6 millon on the 1st 2023 yellow Corvette built.

Seems every vintage Bronco and short bed PU left in the world was there... Maybe the Musclecar world is "maturing" and BJ is re focusing primarily on what now brings the $$ these days, leaving the majority of the vintage muscle (ie; Stock Muscle) to Mecum.? Just my $.02

Yep, here are pics. A Shelby was rear ended...


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Yep, BJ has been focusing on restomods, vintage trucks and suv's for years. Mecum is certainly the largest musclecar auction.

Yes its seems totally different. Amazed how these so called smog perf cars are bringing in huge money.

WOW, looks like a few people aren't going to be happy!
What is the car that hit the Shelby, a custom 1st gen Camaro?

Yep...

That was embarrassing :D

Terrible, I wonder how something like that gets resolved.

Thanks for the information.
I hope to get back to BJ Arizona one of these years.
The only time I went I got lucky and bumped into a guy that gave me a guest pass in exchange for a ride to the auction!
Looks like it costs minimum $500 USF almost $700 cdn to get a bidders pass. Is it worth it just to get a little closer to the cars if you have no intentions on bidding?

Special 1973 RS Camaro, OMG!!!
Who sold him that line of BS?

Would have made a perfect April Fool's video. I couldn't believe it either.

That video is unbelievable. For the knowledge he seems to have, that is a disaster

Where would you even get that made up information? Sounds like someone was playing a joke on him or something.

What's sad is that with all the comments pointing it out and no comment from Steve to be found. It's like he doesn't even care or at least take the time to read them.

I enjoy watching Mecum way way better than BJ, but its fun to see the really rare cars show up at both. I hate the fact electric cars show up, its like salt in the wound. Let them have their own venue near a coal plant or a wind farm. I was hoping that ugly blue (64?) cadillac with white interior bombed. Put a clean burn diesel in it instead. I enjoyed watching Craig Jackson try to get the price up on a BMW EV that went well under market. That was a highlight.

I think Steve M is a MOPAR guy by trade, but he'll live with that one for a while...