So what did $1 Million dollars get you at the 2008 Barrett-Jackson Car auction in Scottsdale?

Over the last couple of years, enthusiants have seen a surge at the Barrett-Jackson in terms of prices and popularity, however while 2008 saw even bigger popularity, the hammer prices really didn’t come close to the records that one thought each would bring. It seems that the 2008 Barrett-Jackson prices were more along the lines of what most auction around the US would bring as well as some including the announcers called bargin prices.

So after all of that, what did $1 Million dollars get you at the 2008 Barrett-Jackson and more so, who were the showstoppers and the star?

For the 2008 Barrett-Jackson, $1 Million dollars would have bought you a lot more then in past years, going into the auction I had thought that there were two vehicles that would bring in the big dollar amounts, first, in the car industry, there is one name that is huge with power, Carroll Shelby, last year, his personal 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 “Super Snake” hammered down at a record-breaking $5 Million Dollars, so with that, what would his personal 1969 Shelby GT500 Convertible that he’s owned since day one bring, well, surprisingly it didn’t tip a million, try $675,000, that was shocking and they tried too.


John Schneider's 1969 Dodge Charger HEMI Coupe "Bo's General Lee" on stage at the Barrett-Jackson with John Schneider himself trying to get the crowd into this car. (Credit: Autoblog's cover of the Barrett-Jackson)

When you talk about the #1 most influential hot rod of all time (by Hot Rod magazine), one vehicle comes to mind, the General Lee, and this year, they had John Schneider's 1969 Dodge Charger HEMI Coupe that was used in the original television classic the Dukes of Hazzard as well as in the Reunion and Hollywood movies that was signed by most of the cast and shocking enough, this car is worth at least $1 Million dollars, it hammered down for $450,000, damn.

Keeping with the childhood theme for a second after The Dukes of Hazzard that was made around the time I was born (1979), what about Robosaurus stand on the outside of the grandstands, all standing up and talking, I remember seeing this years ago in Providence with my father and what show, this one didn’t do so bad, its an off-piece, it went for a good $575,000… what would I do with it, I would put it behind my house, standing up with the head over the house and every now and then it would say “Do you really want to mess this house? that’s cool.

In the last couple of years, auctioning off low serial number vehicles for charity has been a hit, back in 2006, they hammed down a 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Fastback that went for $600,000, that became the bench mark for future numbers and at this year, that bench mark was broken by one of Detriot’s big three, that each hammed down there own creations, Dodge put up Serial #01 of the new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 for $400,000, no big surprise, however Ford hammered down there own Ford Shelby GT500 KR for $550,000 with Carroll Shelby right there, but nothing would prepare everyone for Chevrolet’s new Corvette ZR1, the paint costs a fortune, and with Jay Leno on-hand, that one was hammered for $1 Million dollars, now that’s the way you do it.

And finally, we get to the stars, the showstoppers of the show, concept s and one-offs were huge this year and have been for many years and while no vehicle is really going to surpass the $3 Million Dollar 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 GM Concept Car that sold back in 2005 nor the even more top seller, the 1950 GENERAL MOTORS FUTURLINER PARADE OF PROGRESS TOUR BUS with only 12 built by GM went for a record-breaking $4 Million Dollars, this year, first a 1963 Ford Thunderbird Fastback that had been used as a daily driver in California for many years sold for $600,000, however nothing would top the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe named “Rondie” concept car that was the biggest seller of the 2008 Barrett-Jackson, it sold for $1.6 Million dollars, that’s good solid amount period.


The star of the show, an award winning 1928 Duesenburg J Dual Cawl Phaeton (Credit: All three photos - the Duesenburg, the “Rondie” concept and the Robosaurus were all from Barrett-Jackson.com)

But you know, no show would be complete without what the star of the show, an award winning 1928 Duesenburg J Dual Cawl Phaeton that even though it sold lite, what a vehicle to look at, Jay Leno should have been interested in this one, this one sold for $1 Million Dollars, believe me when I say it, it was easily a $1.6-2+ Million dollar vehicle period. Well that’s it here.

- Racedriven