Best Palm Beach Sale Yet for Barrett-Jackson
Barrett-Jackson held their most successful Palm Beach auction last weekend with more than $60 Million in total sales. That includes $3.8 Million raised for charity and just over $1 Million purely on automobilia.
Ford and Chevrolet were the most represented brands in the top ten non-charity lots sold with Ford taking four spots and Chevrolet taking five. A surprise appearance in the top ten was made by Mercedes-Benz as well.
All told Barrett-Jackson sold 676 vehicles ranging from minibikes to muscle cars, sports cars, modern collectibles, and lots of customs, all of them with no reserve. Let’s check out the top ten most expensive non-charity lots.
The most expensive non-charity lot to change hands was this 2020 Ford GT Carbon Series. This is as close to a race car that you can drive on the streets – legally, at any point – as you’ll find. Sporting a 3.5 L EcoBoost V6 that produces 660 HP – an increase over previous model years – the Ford GT can go from 0 to 60 in less than 3 seconds.
A one-owner car with only 242 miles showing and still retaining the original window sticker and ordering kit, complete with a carbon fiber case, along with numerous other pieces of original documentation it’s no surprise that this sold for such a strong price.
In second place we find this 2018 Ford GT ’67 Heritage Edition from John Staluppi’s Cars of Dreams collection. A limited edition model, the ’67 Heritage Edition pays tribute to the GT40 Mark IV driven by A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney to victory at Le Mans in 1967.
Although not quite as powerful as the 2020 example above, this GT’s EcoBoost V6 produces 645 HP that is driven through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Continuing the tribute to the ’67 Le Mans winner this features white stripes over Race Red paint and Frozen White No. 1 hood and door graphics.
Inside the car there are six-point harnesses for the seats, in case you forgot just how quick this car can be. The seats and steering wheel have red accent stitching to match the red seat belt webbing. The odometer shows 295 miles – enough to get a taste of the car, but not so many that the winning bidder should worry about how hard it’s been driven.
Only 250 examples of the ’67 Heritage Edition were built for 2018 and each includes a unique ID plate. This one also includes the original window sticker, ordering kit, Ford GT Welcome Book, photos of the car as it was built, and a Ford GT watch. Although at this price we doubt the watch is the main draw here.
Ford GTs of all generations put on a clinic when it came to getting high bids in Palm Beach. This 2006 Ford GT Gulf Oil Heritage Edition shows only 2,147 miles on its odometer and is one of just 343 built. It is a “four of four” option car so it includes the McIntosh sound system, silver painted calipers, racing stripe, and 19 x 11.5 inch wheels.
It never ceases to amaze how well this generation Ford GT has performed in the market. While this isn’t the most expensive one we’ve seen cross an auction block – that honor goes to one that sold for $797,500 in January 2022 – just last year these were trading hands in the $400,000 – $500,000 range. Five years ago this was likely a $350,000 car – doubling your money in five years isn’t too shabby at all!
Selling for $550,000, this 1960 Chevrolet Corvette is near a record price, if not a new world record for a custom Corvette Convertible from that year. Incredibly, this 1960 Corvette is packing an engine that produces 670 HP – more than the 2020 Ford GT Carbon Series that cost nearly three times as much as this car. All that power runs through a four-speed automatic, making this one hell of a sleeper while still being something you wouldn’t necessarily mind driving in stop-and-go traffic.
The two-year restoration and customization of this Corvette was performed by Denny’s Bowtie Restorations, where it was given the name “Silver Bullet.” The body was completely stripped down and finished with four coats of PPG Titanium Silver paint and five coats of Hours of Kolor Show Clear gloss. It retained its original bumpers and chrome trim, although they were replaced.
Inside the “Silver Bullet” are fully-adjustable Wise Guys seat frames under the Wine-Red Italian leather and German square-weave wool carpeting. Dynamat Xtreme sound damping was applied to all interior surfaces, which should make it easier to appreciate the music that can be played on the Sony touchscreen stereo. It may not be the right car for everyone, but for anyone who wants a custom 1960 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible we can think of far worse ways to spend your money!
This 1968 Chevrolet Yenko Super Camaro is numbered YS8013 and is one of just 70 Yenko Camaros built for 1968. Finished in Grotto Blue with a blue vinyl interior, YS8013 underwent a rotisserie restoration and won at the Concours d’Elegance of America.
Powered by a 427 cubic inch V8 that produces 450 HP, it’s equipped with the M21 four-speed manual transmission. The odometer showed 49,108 miles, although that is not believed to be the actual mileage. This Yenko Camaro has been seen in magazines such as Muscle Car Review and Hemmings, as well as the book “COPO: Camaro, Chevelle, and Nova – Chevrolet’s Ultimate Muscle Cars.”
The original Yenko invoice documents, bill of sale, shipping records, registration, dealer worksheet, titles and more are included with the car. A Certificate of Authenticity from Camaro expert Jerry MacNeish is also included and it is documented in the Yenko registry.
It was no surprise to see this sell for $533,500 since the last couple ’68 Yenko Camaros we saw cross the block went for that same price range. Of course, that was back in 2017 and since then we’ve only seen three other 1968 Chevrolet Yenko Camaros at auction and all three of them failed to sell with bids that were, frankly embarrassing. But YS8013 was at the right auction on the right day and sold for the right price for a Yenko from that year.
1961 saw the beginnings of the transition away from the original Corvette design towards that of the Sting Ray with a new duck-tail rear end introduced for the year. It also featured four cylindrical taillights that really set it apart, visually, from the early model year Corvettes. It was also the last year to include the side cove chrome trim.
This particular ’61 Corvette is a recently completed resto-mod powered by a 6.2L supercharged V8 that connects to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the 8L90E, that includes a tap shifter.
The Corvette’s body sits on a new Art Morrison GT Sport chassis with independent front suspension and features power steering, among other impressive equipment. The chassis itself was powder coated Gunmetal Gray to match the color of the engine.
The interior shows off Dakota Digital gauges, a Bluetooth-capable Alpine stereo system, and a Vintage Air climate-control system. Custom leatherwork was done by Paul Atkins Interiors and switches for the electric windows are located in the center console.
We’re actually a little surprised to see this set a new record price for a 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Custom Convertible. The quality of the resto-mod is clearly exceptional, no one is going to debate that, and those custom Schott Wheels look excellent, but there’s one thing that gave us pause – it’s sold on a bonded title that brands it as reconstructed. But that might just be us. We imagine the new owner will be quite content driving this around, likely showing up everyone at every cruise night they can find!
1962 was the final year of the C1 Corvette and featured a blacked-out grille and ribbed chrome rocker panel molding. Along with the removal of the chrome trim around the side coves, this was the first model year since 1955 that was only available in solid colors from the factory – no more accent paint on the side coves.
Although a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette equipped with the 327 CI fuel-injected V8 was capable of a sub 6-second 0 to 60 time, this particular custom Corvette ups the ante with an LS7 engine that produces 505 HP that sends all that power through a polished 4L65E automatic six-speed transmission.
The suspension is taken from a C4 Corvette and supports the custom-molded chassis. Unlike a stock ’62 Corvette, the coves on this example are fitted with custom billet inserts. Finished in a one-off custom color called “Champagne Mist,” this resto-mod lacks nothing in terms of detail. Every bolt is polished stainless steel and the hood and trunk latches have been replaced with custom actuators that are completed molded into place.
This custom Corvette, known as “Elegance,” lives up to its name and has plenty of awards on its record that include the Detroit Great 8, Top Ten Builder Choice from Del Mar, CA, Top Ten Builder Choice from Loveland, CO, and it is a Gold winner at the Corvette Nationals in Chicago. It was even on display at SEMA in Las Vegas!
We like to say that a custom car may be perfect for the original owner, but to find its next home it may require a little luck to find someone who wants exactly the same modifications to a car, but this Corvette – with the immense amount of work done to it, looking almost as if it’s a recreation of a C1 – had no problem selling for $385,000 and we doubt it could be recreated for less than that.
Yes, this 2006 Ford GT sold for the same price as the ’62 Corvette above, but the Corvette sold first so we’re going to let it take 7th place. But that price is rather interesting to us, considering how much more the Gulf Oil Heritage GT brought. This is at the lower end of what we would expect an ’06 Ford GT to cost.
There are a few reasons for the lower price, so let’s just mention them. To start, while still low mileage for any car from 2006, the 11,385 miles on this GT’s odometer is comparatively high when looking at other examples from the same year that have hit the auction block in recent years. Sure, it’s only a matter of time before more of them pass the 10,000 mile mark, but having that fifth digit doesn’t seem to attract buyers the way a similar example with 3,000 miles would.
While the Tungsten Gray Metallic paint looks great, especially with the racing stripes, it’ll never pop the way some of the brighter finishes do. That’s not to say it’s a bad color by any means, just a bit more subtle.
Including the racing stripes, the red brake calipers, forged wheels, and the McIntosh stereo, this does have all four options available, so at the end of the day the only thing this doesn’t have going for it – other than the much more subtle Tungsten Gray Metallic paint, which is also on 540 other ’06 Ford GTs – is the mileage. If this had only covered a few thousand miles we think the price would be more in line with the other ’06 Ford GT, but at some point there is a price to be paid for actually enjoying the car on the road.
Surprising us as the 9th most expensive non-charity lot at Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach sale is this 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Convertible. Introduced to ride on the success of the 300 SL, the 190 SL didn’t have the performance of its older sibling, but they’ve always been lookers.
This example recently completed a full restoration that lasted more than 3 years. Since that was completed in 2019 the car has covered only 200 miles. It’s finished in a very fitting Silver Gray with a matching hardtop and is powered by the W121 engine, paired with a four-speed manual transmission.
Period accurate engine decals were installed throughout the restoration and the exterior features refinished original chrome and factory-original pieces. A blue interior with Navy Blue leather seats, doors, and rear soft-top boot complement the silver exterior quite well. It includes a Becker Europa radio, analog clock, correct chrome wheels with whitewall tires, and a factory-restored jack.
Although this isn’t a new record for a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, it’s not far from it. In January 2022 we saw another of these sell for $340,500, a massive jump from the prices we’d seen in the past few years. In fact, we have to look all the way back to 2018 to find another ’62 190 SL that sold for more than $200,000. Does this mean we’re seeing the start of a bull market for the Gullwing’s little brother? We wouldn’t say that just yet – this was a particularly well-restored example. But if we start seeing more 190 SLs selling near this price then we’ll probably wish we’d bought one when they were below six-figures.
At $297,000 this appears to be a record price for a custom 1967 Chevrolet Nova SS Coupe. And this car doesn’t even try to hide how tricked out it is. This is yet another custom car with an Art Morrison chassis and it’s equipped with a Chevrolet Performance LSX V8 that produces 620 HP. We might have expected it to be paired with an automatic transmission, but no! This is sporting a TREMEC six-speed manual!
One piece factory-tinted windows are installed, having removed the vent windows, which makes for a very striking, but not over-the-top look. The custom Nova SS rides on Billet Specialties wheels – 20×8 up front, 20×12 in the rear – and features a fully custom interior covered in leather with chromed bills trim inlays.
This car required more than five years to complete and there is no way someone could reproduce this for less than the $297,000 it cost the new owner, so we’re going to say this was well-bought for the resto-mod enthusiast.
The next Barrett-Jackson auction will be in Las Vegas, June 30 – July 2. Consignments are still being accepted and you can go here if you want to sell your car at the 2022 Las Vegas Auction. And if you’re looking to buy, find out about registering as a bidder here.