Barrett-Jackson – Palm Beach 2009 Auction
By: Bryan W. Shook, Esquire
Email: bshook@dcdlaw.net
It’s that time again in sunny south Florida.The trucks are arriving as I type this delivering one gorgeous car after another. All told, over 700 cars will be sold this week at the “lifestyle” event that is Barrett-Jackson’s 7th annual Palm Beach collector car auction. As has been the norm for Barrett-Jackson auctions over the past five years or so, this will be a “No-Reserve” auction which means all cars will sell to the highest bidder regardless of price
Speed TV will be broadcasting 22hrs of live high-definition coverage of the event.
Although we are technically in a recession, I look for several of the auction lots to sell for strong money. Plenty has been written about the feature cars of the auction so I have chosen to focus this article on what I believe will be the best buys of the auction.
On Tuesday, April 07, 2009, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time “kicking the tires” and here is my list of vehicles to watch.
· 1920 Chevrolet Model T – 1 Ton (open cab) chassis truck (Lot # 678)
o This truck is coming out of the GM Heritage Collection and is in very nice shape. The truck shows some slight deterioration from sitting and appears to have been restored a number of years ago. Although it’s only sold on a Bill-of-Sale, I believe this will be a great buy. Where else are you going to find one?
· 1964 ½ Ford Mustang convertible (Lot #347)
o This car is extremely well presented and appears to be over restored. If you are looking for a rare color (Skylight Blue) and color keyed blue convertible top car this is the car for you. Although this is an original D-Code (289cu 4bbl) car with 4spd manual transmission, the engine has supposedly been replaced with a circa 1965 Ford 289cu engine. Bottom line is that this is a striking color combination on an extremely significant model year Mustang.
· 1972 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne Short Bed pickup (Lot #32)
o This truck is as clean as ANY you’ll find. It supposedly features its original number’s matching 402cu big block engine and air conditioning. To say this truck is restored to a high level is an understatement. It is evident that true love went into this restoration and either this was an excellent original when the restoration was started or someone spend A LOT of money, not to mention time, during the restoration seeking out good quality original pieces.
· 1976 Chevrolet C10 Silverado Long Bed pickup (Lot #330.1)
o This is allegedly a 17,000 mile truck. The truck features a 454cu engine, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes and the optional gauge package. The cons on this particular truck are that it is a long bed model and it is painted, assumedly original, light saddle over neutral.
· 1994 Pontiac Trans Am 25th Anniversary Edition Convertible (Lot #58)
o This is an extremely rare 1 of 250 convertible 25th Anniversary Edition Trans Ams that is in very good, original condition. This car is officially 15 years old and looks great. The TA is powered by the corporate 5.7 liter (350cu) 275hp small block Chevrolet engine which is backed by a very fun 6spd manual transmission. The car is extremely clean with only minor road spray on the undercarriage and rear axle assembly. Overall, this vehicle represents an amazing opportunity to purchase a historical vehicle directly from GM. For more support please refer to my article below “‘Can’t Miss Investments, Even in this Economy’ 1982-1992 GM F-Bodys”
· 1999 Pontiac Trans Am 30th Anniversary Coupe – Daytona 500 Pace Car (Lot #616.1)
o This vehicle has it all, the LS1 engine, the signature blue anodized wheels, the white leather seats, removable roof panels (i.e. T-tops) … not to mention provenance directly from GM as an officially 1999 Daytona 500 Pace Car. Again, as stated above, this vehicle represents an amazing opportunity to purchase a historical vehicle directly from GM. For more support please refer to my article below “‘Can’t Miss Investments, Even in this Economy’ 1982-1992 GM F-Bodys” Did I mention this car is a WS6 optioned vehicle with the aggressively styled Ram Air hood and induction system?
The above list represents just a sampling of the vehicles offered at this year’s Barrett-Jackson, West Palm Beach, Florida Auction. For more information, be sure to visit their website at http://www.barrett-jackson.com.
Bid with knowledge. Buy with confidence.
Attorney Bryan W. Shook is a devoted automotive enthusiast, but is also an experience litigator who devotes a large portion of his law practice to helping other collectors and hobbyists understand today’s market. Attorney Bryan W. Shook is a seasoned automotive collector and restorer and as such brings real world experience and firsthand knowledge to the table for his clients. Attorney Bryan Shook is available throughout the United States for consultation, advice, and information. If you’d like more information about this topic or would like to speak with Attorney Bryan W. Shook please email him at BShook@dcdlaw.net.