Block Party: Barrett-Jackson Rolls Into Scottsdale

by Matthew Guy

Published: January 26th, 2024

block party barrett jackson rolls into scottsdale

If you’ve never attended a Barrett-Jackson event, think of it as a massive car show blended with the insanity of an auction and the food trucks from a county fair plus a SEMA’s worth of retail vendors. The whole thing is wonderful, glorious, organized gearhead chaos – and its marquee event is happening right now in Arizona.

Sure, the cynical will (correctly) say that, at its heart, a Barrett-Jackson auction remains a used car sale with loud auctioneers and every over-the-topiary stereotype one can jam under a big top tent. But one doesn’t have to constantly drink in the insanity; cars which roll across the block are generally parked back in their designated spot, creating an opportunity for showgoers to browse the wares and gawk at the prices being paid for these things – the latter courtesy of a ‘sold’ sticker bearing the selling amount written in black Sharpie placed there by a girl in tight pants who always gets screen time on the official livestream. No one can say Barrett-Jackson doesn’t know its target audience. I've attended Scottsdale twice and will again.

And the variety of vehicles is an absolute riot. RealTruck’s lifesize recreation of a Matchbox-inspired Jeep Gladiator is a great example, festooned with off-road gear outrageous paintwork. Its builders are promising all proceeds from the sale of this custom JT Gladiator will go to the national non-profit Building Homes for Heroes. There’s more of than philanthropy going on during the week than one might expect, by the way.

If you prefer ‘70s American muscle with a twinge of Hollywood, check out the Olds 442 that was allegedly used in Demolition Man, the 1993 flick with Sandra Bullock, Sly Stallone, Wesley Snipes, and a bunch of seashells. Bill Goldberg’s own 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 is on offer, showing just delivery miles and being sold as a pair with his 2018 Demon. Why auction them as a duo? Because these black coupes have matching VINs, of course.

While the big money cars are generally reserved for prime time on Friday and Saturday nights, not everything at the show hammers for an absolute fortune. Witness this IROC-Z in great shape which sold for five grand on Monday, or this stunningly clean SR5 with awesome blue plaid seats for ten large. Very nearly everything which crosses the block at Barrett-Jackson is presented at no reserve, which is equal parts entertaining for us and terrifying for sellers.

The live stream can be found here. Just throw your brain in the back seat and enjoy the madness.

[Images: Barrett-Jackson, RealTruck/TheBrandAmp]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

#BarrettJackson #Auction #CollectorCars #Scottsdale

Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

More by Matthew Guy

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 20 comments

Azmtns on Jan 28, 2024

We attended the Sotheby’s auction on Thursday at the AZ Biltmore. A much better experience.

Like Reply
Mike Beranek on Jan 29, 2024

Be careful at a B-J event lest someone's elevated pinky poke you in the eye. Mecum is more down-to-Earth.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Amy I owned this exact car from 16 until 19 (1990 to 1993) I miss this car immensely and am on the search to own it again, although it looks like my search may be in vane. It was affectionatly dubbed, " The Dragon Wagon," and hauled many a teenager around the city of Charlotte, NC. For me, it was dependable and trustworthy. I was able to do much of the maintenance myself until I was struck by lightning and a month later the battery exploded. My parents did have the entire electrical system redone and he was back to new. I hope to find one in the near future and make it my every day driver. I'm a dreamer.
Jeff Overall I prefer the 59 GM cars to the 58s because of less chrome but I have a new appreciation of the 58 Cadillac Eldorados after reading this series. I use to not like the 58 Eldorados but I now don't mind them. Overall I prefer the 55-57s GMs over most of the 58-60s GMs. For the most part I like the 61 GMs. Chryslers I like the 57 and 58s. Fords I liked the 55 thru 57s but the 58s and 59s not as much with the exception of Mercury which I for the most part like all those. As the 60s progressed the tail fins started to go away and the amount of chrome was reduced. More understated.
Theflyersfan Nissan could have the best auto lineup of any carmaker (they don't), but until they improve one major issue, the best cars out there won't matter. That is the dealership experience. Year after year in multiple customer service surveys from groups like JD Power and CR, Nissan frequency scrapes the bottom. Personally, I really like the never seen new Z, but after having several truly awful Nissan dealer experiences, my shadow will never darken a Nissan showroom. I'm painting with broad strokes here, but maybe it is so ingrained in their culture to try to take advantage of people who might not be savvy enough in the buying experience that they by default treat everyone like idiots and saps. All of this has to be frustrating to Nissan HQ as they are improving their lineup but their dealers drag them down.
SPPPP I am actually a pretty big Alfa fan ... and that is why I hate this car.
SCE to AUX They're spending billions on this venture, so I hope so.Investing during a lull in the EV market seems like a smart move - "buy low, sell high" and all that.Key for Honda will be achieving high efficiency in its EVs, something not everybody can do.