Barrett-Jackson

Barrett-Jackson

Brief History of Barrett-Jackson

Barrett-Jackson is a company not only known for organizing classic car auctions but also for providing world-class automotive services to classic car collectors, specialty modern car owners, and automotive enthusiasts. The excellent car restoration services the company provides made them a leading brand in the industry.

It all started when Russ Jackson, father of current Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson, showed great interest in Tom Barrett’s 1933 Cadillac V-16 classic car, which was put on sale. The meeting of the two car enthusiasts led to the organizing of a car show Fiesta del Auto Elegance in 1967, which was meant to raise funds that will benefit Scottsdale Library and the community’s art center.

One of the most remarkable car sold at Barrett-Jackson auction was Adolf  Hitler’s bulletproof Mercedes Benz 770k in 1972 for $153, 200, a price three times higher than the previous auction prices.

Jackson died in 1993, and it was not until 1995 did Barrett-Jackson made it to the forefront of auto auction industry when his son, Craig Jackson, took over the company. It was Craig’s idea to put the auction on the internet and to have every auction televised on the Speed TV channel. These ideas greatly contributed to the company’s rapid, dramatic growth as it paved the way for the company to become mainstream.

Under Craig Jackson’s administration, Barrett-Jackson successfully held major car auction in different places. On the company’s third annual Palm Beach auction in 2005, they changed the name of the show from Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction to Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction.

In 2008, they held an auction in Las Vegas. In 2010 to 2012, they brought their classic car collection in Orange County, California and 2013 they moved to Reno, Nevada. In September 2015, they organized an inaugural auction in Connecticut.

Based mainly in Scottsdale Arizona, the company held an annual auction that lasts up to eight days with over 200,000 spectators from different places with TV coverage and in their 39^th annual auction, the bidding was covered and aired live on the Speed channel.

Barrett-Jackson is one of the world’s leading automotive auction companies. In fact, some of the most expensive cars were sold in their auctions. In 2007, they sold a Shelby Cobra, one of the two models in Super Snake mold. The car was driven off a cliff, but Barrett-Jackson was able to restore it and sold it for $5.5 million in Scottsdale. Other expensive cars sold at their auctions were 1966 Bat mobile 1 for $4.62 million in 2013 and the only red 1967 Chevy Corvette L88 for $3.85 million in 2014.

Barrett-Jackson car auctions are considered as world-class events delighting car lovers anywhere in the world. Some would even get on a private charter flight so they would not miss the exquisite car shows.

Though the company is known for auctions of classic and antique cars, they also sell other automotive such as airplanes, boats, trucks, motorcycles, and engines.