Muscle car row at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction | Andy Reid photos
If you have never attended the Barrett-Jackson season opener in Scottsdale and love cars as much as we do, this is definitely something that has to be seen to be believed. The auction is most definitely one of the seven wonders of the automotive world.
This year’s lineup of cars at Barrett has, as always, a bit of something for everyone. So although this is a list of cars I want to park in my garage, I still ended up with a bit of something for everyone.
Barrett-Jackson’s auction at WestWorld continues through Sunday.
| 1960 Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle (CERV) 1 I have loved the CERV 1 concept since I first saw it. It has lots of Corvette DNA mixed with serious grand prix technology, all in the same package. This is a car that will never cease to be both desirable and collectible, and I would buy it in a minute if I had the money to do so. |  |
| 1955 Bentley S-1 4-Door saloon Not only is this a Bentley, a marque that I love, it also has a body by Freestone & Webb. If that’s not enough, it was owned by Warner Brothers founder Jack Warner. This ties in the celebrity with the elegance and quality of one of the finest-built cars in the world. And I think I would look great behind the wheel. It is the perfect car to shuttle my friends and me around in during Monterey car week. |  |
| 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 If Darth Vader was reincarnated as a car, this would be it. Sure, Shelby Mustangs are awesome but it never gets any better in the world of pony cars than the mighty Boss 9. These cars were forever behind in value to comparable Shelby cars, but it seems that the world finally has awakened to how awesome these cars are. This one has an amazing restoration and is ready for me to take on the Hot Rod Power Tour. |  |
| 2005 Ford GT The GT has to be the world’s easiest supercar to live with, offering staggering performance mixed with easy service needs. And these cars look and drive awesome. This specific car is on my list for two reasons: First it has 42,839 miles, which means it is ready to go, and second, this Ford GT, VIN 117, was the second full-production Ford GT off the assembly line. It was used as the test car by the factory to make certain the cars were ready for production. But it is not a prototype so I can actually register it and add to the miles. |  |
| 1969 Chevrolet Camaro COPO This COPO Camaro is not a pristine, just-completed restoration, which means I could actually drive it without hurting its value. This is a genuine COPO car that comes with complete documentation and is powered by a 427/425 horsepower L72 engine. These cars are said to be capable of quarter-mile times in the 11-second range when on slicks. In Hugger orange, sign me up for COPO driving duties. Anyone want to race for pinks? |  |
| 1968 Aston Martin DB6 I have always loved classic Aston Martins, and I fit best in the DB6. I also have a great love for the Volkswagen Beetle. What does this have to do with a DB6? Well this specific car was owned by none other than Heinrich Nordhoff, the founding chairman of Volkswagen. This is the man who grew the company after the war into one of the most successful car companies in the world. It is rare that you can scratch two vastly different automotive itches with a single car, and this car does just that. Nordhoff has always been one of my automotive heroes and seeing his taste in cars, I think we would have gotten on quite well. |  |
The GT made a name for itself in the 1960s, and the nameplate returned to Ford for the 2005 and 2006 models. Since then, the vehicle has truly evolved into a supercar, evident by it’s $100,000+ price tag.
The company has made some changes to the third-generation GT, prioritizing handling and track capabilities in their 2017 model. The result? Not only one of Ford’s most impressive cars ever, but perhaps one of the most innovative cars to ever be released. For more information about the 2017 Ford GT Wishlist checkout.