Porsche Club of America - Upper Canada Region: 35th Anniversary September 2011

This year I was fortunate enough to get a media pass to the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction. It was a pretty sweet deal - access to everything ( except the block, ie., the stage), free admission ($25/day), free food, preferred parking and an invitation for two to the Gala Ball. I decided to make it a road trip, but that will be a story for another day.

When I drove into Phoenix, it was cloudy and drizzling. The first thing I wanted to see was the cars. Were they as nice as what you see on TV? I have to say that under the tents, with the cloudy skies, they just looked nice, but not spectacular, like what you would see at any Toronto cruise night. I looked at the cars closely. The details on cars that I knew something of were not as perfect as I expected - paint flaws, overspray on underhood decals, wrong year parts, etc. This is becoming largely an American Muscle Car event. There were few Porsches, and even fewer Ferraris and other exotics. If you want a Camaro, Corvette, Chevelle or Cuda, this is the place for you. Rows of them. Luckily, I swing both ways (foreign and domestic). Some pretty nice rides.

I found it strange ... 

that there were few owners with their cars, and even fewer bidders doing a detailed examination. I would have thought the owners would be there promoting the cars, but the cars were mostly locked, some with the hoods up. Some of the cars were being sold by detailers, and the owners were not even on site. I was told that the higher dollar cars were already well known by the prospective purchasers, so they did not need to look at them. I asked a couple of buyers how carefully they look at the cars, and was told they often call the owner if the phone number is supplied, but my overall impression was, not very carefully. I did notice that when the cars were being staged, there were bidders crawling all over them. Strange time to start looking. Most of the buyers are white, 50+ guys. The younger ones are mostly dealers. I find it hard to believe that you could take these cars and sell them for a profit somewhere else - the prices for most - but not all - cars are high. One of my favourites, a Thelma and Louise T-bird, went for $5700. I thought this was cheap, but one of the dealers said he could find as many of these as he wanted for $4000.

Cars that look ordinary outside, look spectacular under the lights. Seconds before going on the stage, every car is sprayed and wiped down with Mother's "Showtime", a detailing spray, by B-J staff, making them glisten. On TV, it looks like 'sold' cars are wheeled into another room. The reality is that the cars are rolled outside, through a black curtain to keep out and control light. I suspect that even my Saturn beater would look good under those conditions. An owner may drive the car up on stage, but after the car is sold, only one of the Barrett-Jackson minimum-wage car-jockeys may drive them off.

Everyone has a story. A car jockey in his 70s I talked to said he had never done it before, and did not even ask how much he was being paid. He was doing it for the love of cars. A laid-off late 50's aerospace engineer with a 50s Isetta said it was a forced sale because he needed the money. Last year the most expensive Isetta went for $40k. He got 43.

At Barrett-Jackson, there is something for every car nut - high end video driving simulators, Camaro and Mustang Test Drives and Mustang drag races with cars on dynos. Chevrolet is offering hot autocross laps in Bondurant piloted Z06s. Some of the cars are being sold at set price. They have some kit cars there that look spectacular - a James Dean Spider with Subaru power. Sacrilege. Lingenfelter has his 2010 Trans Am there.

There are other car auctions going on at the same time in the Phoenix area. I did not go to any, but since the schedules are published, a committed buyer could bid on cars in more than one auction. On Wednesday night, severe winds caused tent collapses at another auction. Barrett-Jackson sent help.

I'm already at home. I had to leave early due to family commitments. I also wanted to beat the weather. When it storms there, it does not fool around.

All in all, it was one of those lifetime experiences.