AUCTION ACTION

This 1983 Chevy Camaro Berlinetta was an all-original, 11,895-mile car with T-tops and a 305 V-8/five-speed manual. It sold for $27,500.

BARRETT-JACKSON, SCOTTSDALE

ARIZONA SALE WELCOMED THE MASSES AND PRODUCED A $203.2 MILLION TAKE

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW LITWIN

IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO

Scottsdale in mid-January for auction week, you ought to put it on your bucket list. The number of simultaneous sales conducted has ebbed and owed over the years for various reasons, but the one constant is the company that has effectively anchored the annual action for decades: Barrett-Jackson. This year, the 10-day marathon—much of which was televised—began on January 22 and returned to a traditional format of packed-house, in-person bidders and spectators. The stage was scheduled to welcome 1,857 vehicular lots to its bright lights, all without reserve— another long-held tradition.

Anticipation ran high as soon as the gates opened: Would another record be set? The answer proved to be, “yes, several in fact,” once things got under way. Each of the lots that landed within the top-10 did so with seven- gure sale prices, led—perhaps unexpectedly—by a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT that realized $1,980,000. The German supercar was followed by a more-vintage legend in the guise of a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL gullwing that achieved $1,870,000. Rounding out the rst half of the group were a 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder that sold for $1,815,000, a 2014 McLaren P1 that commanded $1,705,000, and a 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition that attained a $1,650,000 result; it was also the topselling American performance car.

As to the rest of the million-dollar club, a 2019 McLaren Senna sold for $1,512,500; a 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Edition brought $1,430,000; a 2020 Ford GT Carbon Series sold for $1,375,000; a 2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6 x 6 achieved $1,210,000; and a 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 (CSX 3356) realized $1,210,000.

Ultimately, Barrett-Jackson hosted its best sale over its ve-decade history when, collectively, it produced a $203.2 million result. This included $195.9 million in vehicle sales, and a little over $7.3 million in automobilia. And, in case anyone was thinking all that cash went into private pockets, $8.8 million of the grand total went to charity, including $3.6 million for the sale of a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, VIN 001 (a sale record for the model). For a complete list of results from the Scottsdale sale, and an up-to-date event calendar, visit barrett-jackson.com.

THE NUMBERS

Total Sales: $203.2 million Top Muscle Car Sale: 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition; $1,650,000

UPCOMING AUCTIONS

June 30 – July 2: Las Vegas, Nevada 480-421-6694 barrett-jackson.com

LEGEND

Reserve: Minimum price owner will accept

High Bid: The highest o er made (but vehicle did not sell) *

Selling Price: What the vehicle sold for *

Average Market Range: Values based on current market trends for vehicles in #2- to #1 condition, respectively

*All prices shown include the buyer’s premium on sold lots. Unsold lots include only the highest bid, when available.

1970 MERCURY

MODEL: Cougar Eliminator CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $104,500

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$75,000 - $135,000

Mercury’s Cougar Eliminator was already a rare package for 1970, but one featuring a factory-fitted Boss 302 engine—such as this Competition Blue example—was rarer still. Just 469 of the 2,268 Eliminators built in ’70 received the sinister small-block. This car had ample documentation to confirm its identity, and the undated restoration confirmed the matching-numbers V-8 survived any torture back in the day. All the other trappings that were standard equipment with the Eliminator package were present, too, including a close-ratio fourspeed manual. All we noted was a slightly aged package tray, which did little to prevent this cat from landing within market range.

1968 SHELBY

MODEL: G.T. 500 CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $132,000

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$140,000 - $194,000

This 1968 Shelby G.T. 500 convertible was one for the number crunchers. Key tidbits were its serial number, 00188, and that it was one of 402 drop-top units produced. Going further, 249 of those were automatics, like this one, while just 51 were finished in this example’s Candy Apple Red. This was one of just 25 fitted with a white top, and it was one of 13 equipped with the extra cooling package—information verified by SAAC and other Ford documents. Nowhere did the window placard indicate when this muscular serpent was restored. It seemed to be a slightly older restoration that had seen minimal use; the top needed fresh detailing and the door handles were beginning to show age.

1969 PONTIAC

MODEL: GTO Judge CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $176,000

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$75,000 - $155,000

Cars that were “rare” according to the numbers presented included this fully documented 1969 Judge. According to PHS records, this was a real-deal Ram Air IV “program car,” a car special-ordered in Carousel Red expressly for the purpose of getting these onto dragstrips prior to “The Judge” hitting dealerships. That aside, the same documents indicated this was one of 58 Ram Air IV/automatic/3.90-geared examples built. It also boasted a “no expense spared” restoration from an undisclosed date that looked amazingly fresh, save for minor detailing needs. The “program” aspect explains, in part, why it sold so well.

1968 CHEVROLET

MODEL: Camaro Z/28 RS CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $165,000

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$55,000 - $95,000

At first glance, we were certain this Camaro Z/28 was modified beyond its stock RS-trimmed appearance. Further inspection revealed the opposite: It had spent five years on a rotisserie being restored to stock condition as sold by Ray Bryant Chevy (of Dayton, Ohio) when new. That included the numbers-matching 302 V-8 and the unusual Corvette Bronze/black stripe color combo. There was a lot to like, including the auxiliary gauge package, combination clock/ tach, power steering and brakes, and a slew of documents confirming it was all legit. If there was a nit, it was that the AM radio had been modified to AM/FM stereo capability with a newer speaker on the package shelf. It mattered little to bidders.

1970 FORD

MODEL: Torino GT CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $275,000

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$40,000 - $66,500

Ford offered its most-powerful engines in numerous models for 1970, like this welldocumented Torino GT. Supporting papers stated it was built with a 429 Cobra Jet, a close-ratio four-speed, and the critical 4.30:1 gearset Drag Pack option that upgraded the V-8 to Super Cobra Jet status. Its owner wanted all to know the Torino meant business on the street, too, as it was adorned with Laser stripes and retina-searing Calypso Coral paint, which offset the black cabin. All this was retained during the Ford’s extensive and, again, undated restoration. Word was that this example was the only Calypso Coral/4.30 Drag Pack/429 SCJ Torino GT built in ’70.

1969 MERCURY

MODEL: Cyclone CJ CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $59,400

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$51,000 - $72,000

It would be fair to say this Mercury slid under the radar, even though the car sold within market range. Points of interest: A binder detailed nearly five decades of its history, including where it was sold new—Holiday Lincoln-Mercury in Fort Worth, Texas—and its three owners, all from north Texas. Records confirm the Cyclone CJ (listed simply as a “J” in the auction catalog) was built with a 428 CJ big-block that was accompanied by an automatic. Options included power windows and air conditioning. Apparently, the car was restored, too, during which time the engine was balanced, and it appeared twice at the famed MCACN show in Chicago. It had seen some use, but none of it appeared detrimental.

When we first started thinking about how our seemingly never-ending story on the hot rod project we just call the “Stoner T” could be turned into a video series, we didn’t really know where to begin.

After all, it’s just a car, right? Just a pile of stuff. How hard could it be: just start at the beginning and follow along as the project comes together. A to B. Beginning to end. Easy-peezy.

And just like the rest of this project, we couldn’t have been more wrong.

The story of this particular little hot rod turned out to be greater than the sum of its parts. Even though some of those parts turned out to be fairly valuable, in their own right.

We found out that vintage speed parts are soaked in history. We discovered that an old motor might have an incredible story to tell, if we could decipher it. And we came to understand that the DNA of an entire cultural move ment and the souls that created it were embedded in all the stuff we had collected for the build.

So, we got to work: called our friends at Aluma Trailers and told them that we had a wild little hot rod that we needed to move around the San Francisco Bay area easily while we built it. And, at the same time, we’d uncover some incredible tales just waiting to be shared.

Come along with us as we tell the stories of the gladiators who invented a sport, built an industry and lived amazing lives, before it all ended. Oh yeah, and we’ll bolt a hot rod together while we’re at it.

Hit the code to the right with your phone and come along for the ride. hemmings.com/stories/section/the-stoner-t

2015 DODGE

MODEL: Viper SRT/10 GT CONDITION: Original RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $133,100

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$50,000 - $62,500

Just a handful of years ago, a slew of one-owner, low-milage, all-original Dodge Vipers of all types poured out of the proverbial woodwork for public auction, most of which sold in the $30,000 $40,000 range. Then, in the snap of a finger, the well seemed to dry up. One of the very few we saw in Scottsdale was this 2015 SRT/10 GT edition that boasted a single owner and a low odometer reading: 7,410 miles. Though it looked black under the dim tent lighting, the color was actually “Gunmetal Pearl,” complemented by a “Nappa leather interior.” There was an array of road-hugging, comfort, and performance features beyond the V-10/six-speed drivetrain, too. The sale price was a bit of a surprise.

1971 OLDSMOBILE

MODEL: 4-4-2 W-30 CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $170,500

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$115,000 - $158,000

A line item on the window placard of this W-30-equipped Olds 4-4-2 indicated there was a story of its past to be told, and yet none was presented. Instead, the consignor delivered a list of the equipment the car was built with—according to a copy of the original build card—and a mention of the extensive restoration it received at an undisclosed time. Near as we could tell, the work looked thorough, rather than rushed, and all the right gear had been retained to boot. Then again, perhaps the most compelling aspect was the first line item: That the 4-4-2 was one of just 78 W-30, automatic-equipped convertibles built during the 1971 model year.

1974 CHEVROLET

MODEL: Camaro Z28 CONDITION: Original RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $39,600

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$30,000 - $45,500

We had to examine this 1974 Camaro Z28, in part due to the oft-conveyed cliche that nothing interesting was built after ’72. Tell that to the 13,802 folks who plunked down cash to own a ’74 Z28, massive aluminum 5-mph bumpers included. Unlike other cars in the fleet, Chevy did its best to blend the battering rams into the second-gen bodywork, keeping the ol’ homologation special looking sleek. Powering this bold-graphic, all-original F-body was the 245-horse L-82 small-block 350, backed by an automatic. When new, it could go from 0-60 in 8.1 seconds, just 0.1 second behind a 295-horse, 350-powered ’67 Camaro, according to Motor Trend’s respective road tests. This one sold within market range.

1970 BUICK

MODEL: GS 455 CONDITION: Refurbished RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $60,500

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$45,000 - $80,000

With over 1,800 vehicles consigned to the sale, you would have thought that there were quite a few Buick muscle machines from the golden era in attendance. Yet we walked about two miles to find this GS—a spectacular Matador Red/white two-tone hardtop from 1970—under one of the outdoor tents. The GS 455 had quite a history, too, beginning with its sale through Harvey Tyrell Buick in North Hollywood, California, when new. Since then, it had been driven just 24,990 miles, and while the numbers-matching big-block and TH400 trans and interior were both as factory installed, the body received new paint matched to the factory codes. Other goodies included power front disc brakes, air conditioning, and deluxe steering wheel. Shining brightly, it sold well.

1969 AMC

MODEL: AMX CONDITION: Refurbished RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $48,400

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$33,000 - $54,000

There were exactly four AMC muscle cars at the sale, two of which were highly modified midSixties Ramblers. The other two were AMXes, and by pure coincidence, we ran across this ’69 first. Presented with some minor usage wear, this Big Bad Orange brute had been built as a four-barrel 390/T-10 four-speed car, but admittedly, “years ago” it had been updated to recreate AMC’s AMX S/S. Key components here were an “early original AM4486228 Edelbrock intake” and dual-quad carburetors. Other features on this AMX were the Go-Pack and Group 19 components. Apparently, the paint was newer, matched to the factory hue, and some of the original engine bits were included with the sale. We’d call this one a good buy.

1969 DODGE

MODEL: Charger CONDITION: Restored RESERVE: None SELLING PRICE: $117,700

AVG. MARKET RANGE:

$48,000 - $75,500

Our first reaction was, “Hey, there’s a ’69 Charger,” which was followed by “come on, man,” when the first line item on the window placard proclaimed the Dodge’s “frame-off restoration.” Semantics, to some, but unless the writer professes the foundation to be the front subframe, a unit-body car such as this B-body Mopar does not have a frame by traditional definition. “No expense spared,” was also applied to the placard, and that may have been true several years ago, but the 383/TorqueFlite automatic had powered its way over miles of tarmac since. The work done during the Charger’s restoration included Wilwood disc brakes and suspension upgrades. What a great driver it must have been for someone, and here’s hoping that continues with its new owner.