No stranger to strong promotion, Barrett-Jackson calls its auctions "The World's Greatest Collector Car Events." In the company's press kit for the Scottsdale, Arizona-based show, that phrase has a TM after it; we guess they've trademarked the tagline. Is that legal? If you asked 100 different automotive enthusiasts what the best collector car event is, you'd get a bunch of different answers. This is America, after all. We're all entitled to our opinions. We're not shy about stating them, either. It's also the land of capitalism. Perhaps anything's available for a price.
KIT CAR's editor has watched coverage of various B-J auctions on the Speed Channel many times. Being in person for the proceedings was a hoot. It's a carnival-like atmosphere. Each with their own inimitable delivery and personality, Barrett-Jackson has a cadre of colorful auctioneers. One of the gentlemen struck the gavel while emoting: "Sold! Sold! Sold it!" He was KIT CAR's favorite emcee.
 A '63 Corvette Grand Sport...  A '63 Corvette Grand Sport replica made $48,400 on the auction block for its former owner. The sports car has a D&D chassis with a 330-horse '94 Corvette LT1 engine, a BorgWarner T6 six-speed trans, fully independent ZR-1 suspension, C6 front disc brakes, and ZR-1 rear discs. Go, baby, go! |  Some cunning seller made use...  Some cunning seller made use of a cardboard James Dean to promote the sale of a '93 Beck re-creation of a Porsche 550 Spyder. Built in '93 by a Navy jet fighter pilot, the infamous sports car had numerous high-performance upgrades, including a 180hp, 2.2L, flat-four engine; vented front disc brakes; coilover front shocks; limited-slip differential; external oil cooler; electronic ignition; and high-performance exhaust. It sold for $29,700. |  This '30 Ford roadster pickup,...  This '30 Ford roadster pickup, re-created in a Brookville steel body, had an awesome paint job. The drop-top truck sold for $49,500. |
The auction was quite a spectacle. We witnessed numerous cars going across the block-some restored, many customized, and a fair number of replicas and re-creations. All of these awesome machines were sold without reserve, which could be scary to the sellers. We were surprised that some of the vehicles didn't bring more money and astonished that other cars captured huge dollars. When it comes to automotive finery, we all have our likes and dislikes.
 Engine maestro Jack Roush...  Engine maestro Jack Roush created a Superformance GT40 Mk II continuation car that is a 1 of 1 tribute to the legendary 1966 Le Mans-winning No. 2 GT40 driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon. The GT40 will be included in the Shelby Registry. Power is supplied by a specially designed, injected, Jack Roush 427ci V-8 built specifically for this tribute car and mated to a ZF five-speed transaxle. The car sold for a cool $181,500. |  Another Porsche replica, a...  Another Porsche replica, a 356 Speedster reproduced by Beck, went for $22,550. It had a silver exterior, a blue interior, and a matching top. A rebuilt air-cooled VW engine (1915 cc, 90 hp) made by CB Performance of California was backed by a four-speed manual trans. |  Throughout much of the multi-day...  Throughout much of the multi-day automotive extravaganza, artist David Chapple (www.autoart.com) worked on one of his paintings. That looks like a Playboy Pink '57 Ford T-Bird in the foreground. |
The Scottsdale auction is a weeklong event. More than 1,100 automobiles, in addition to automobilia and rock 'n' roll memorabilia, went across the auction block. Obviously, we don't have space for all the results, but we did get an opportunity to snap some photos of replicars. Check out some of the vehicles we came across, and visit www.barrett-jackson.com for the entire 2007 Scottsdale auction goings-on. You may want to be part of this colossal event in '08. But beware, you may not be able to resist all the cool stuff there is to bid on and buy. If you show up next year, listen for the silver-tongued guy who says, "Sold! Sold! Sold it!"
 An all-steel roadster pickup...  An all-steel roadster pickup with a Brookville steel body and a custom-made bed was auctioned off on Thursday. Powered by a 327ci Chevy engine and a Powerglide two-speed automatic trans, it also featured a five-inch dropped front solid axle located with hairpins, a Vega steering box, drilled Buick drums, a Walker radiator, a Speedway column with a Lime Works wheel, 16-inch Steelie wheels with Firestone Period rubber, a '32 grille and shell, a three-piece custom-crafted hood, a removable top, a quick-change rearend cover, a leather interior, and many one-off handcrafted parts. |  From fine automotive artwork,...  From fine automotive artwork, to die-cast collectibles, to celebrity-signed photographs, the indoor vendor area offered all kinds of ways for auctiongoers to spend money without bidding on expensive collector cars. The author, a huge fan of Lance Armstrong, almost purchased framed, autographed photographs of the seven-time Tour de France winner and celebrity advocate for finding a cancer cure. |  At one of the outside vendor...  At one of the outside vendor booths, Speedster Motorcars showed off its new Mercedes Gullwing replica, as well as its Auburn Boattail Speedster re-creations. |
 Did you know a company called...  Did you know a company called Hercules is reproducing '33/'34 Ford woodie station wagons made out of steel and wood? A '33 Ford/Hercules woodie cruised over the auction block in California surfing style. The Hercules body was painted a custom mix of PPG Barney Purple Metallic with a tan top and maple wood. Under the bonnet is a nicely dressed 350ci Chevy and TH400 trans. The 18- and 20-inch Billet Specialties wheels ride on a Pete & Jakes chrome dropped front axle and an eight-inch Ford rearend suspended with Posies leaf springs. The interior features Teas Design seats, a Billet Specialties steering wheel with a custom wood ring, an overhead console, and a Vintage Air HVAC unit. The stylin' two-door woodie phantom went for a reasonable $72,600. | | |