Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event Returns For 11th Season With 39 Hours Live On Speed
ITALIAN STYLE, CLASSIC DESIGN AND A BIT OF MUSCLE HIGHLIGHT THIS YEAR’S CONSIGNMENTS
VARSHA: ‘SEEK OUT THAT ONE CAR THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO YOU’
One of the most anticipated yearly programming features on SPEED, the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event and auction, returns this January with 39 hours of LIVE coverage through six days from Scottsdale, Ariz.
Five hours of early auction coverage begin on Jan. 15 through Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. On Jan. 18 and Jan. 19, 10 hours of live coverage begins each day at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, with another four hours slated for Jan. 20 starting at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
“We’ve massaged the 2008 Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event air schedule,” said Rick Miner, SPEED SVP of Production & Operations. “We feel the schedule will capture what we believe will be the most compelling bidding wars for the most exciting vehicles.”
Play-by-play announcer Bob Varsha, the voice of Formula One on SPEED, will once again head the broadcast and be joined by Motor Trend magazine editor Matt Stone for analysis. Mike Joy, the voice of NASCAR on FOX and an avid car collector, will once again team with former Hot Rod magazine technical editor Steve Magnante on the auction block. Long-time motorsports reporter and Barrett-Jackson regular Rick DeBruhl will be scoping the auction grounds for event context and storylines.
The 2008 edition of Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale will be an interesting confluence of Italian style, classic design and brute American horsepower all sold at ‘no reserve.’ Headliners include a Pininfarina-designed 1963 Chevrolet Corvette concept car known as ‘Rondine’ and Ford’s 1963 Thunderbird ‘Italien.’ Pininfarina is a world famous Italian design house based in Turin, who is most notably associated with the legendary styling of Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. Also for sale will be Carroll Shelby’s personal 1969 Shelby Mustang GT-500 and the one and only ‘Robosauras,’ a 42-foot tall, fire-breathing mechanical ‘monster’ that has devoured cars throughout the United States over that last 20 years.
“The diversity and uniqueness of our auction-block mix this year translates into one of the most anticipated offerings ever assembled in Barrett-Jackson’s history,” stated Steve Davis, President of Barrett-Jackson Auction Co. “From Robosaurus to Carroll Shelby’s personal 1969 GT500, only at Barrett-Jackson, and only on SPEED can one witness these incredible vehicles selling to the highest bidder in the most action-packed, and competitive auction arena on the planet.”
For more than a decade, the lights, glamour and glitz of a Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event has drawn large television audiences on SPEED. But for Varsha the appeal isn’t in the numbers, it’s more personal. He talked about a particularly dramatic moment that really defined what the event means to him.
“Everybody probably sites the very high-end cars like (Carroll Shelby’s personal 1966 Cobra) ‘Super Snake’ that went for (five) million or the GM ‘Futurliner’ bus (as their personal highlights), but the thing that really stands out to me (are of a more personal nature),” Varsha recalled. “I can’t be terribly clear on this, but some years ago, a beautiful ’55 Chevy went across the auction block – it was a pristine, yellow and white two tone and such a beautiful car. But this wasn’t a car from a big collector; or someone who flips cars to tweak his or her collection and keeps them in an air conditioned vault. This car belonged to a gentleman farmer and his wife from the Midwest, and you could tell just by watching them on the stage; and looking at the car up close, that this one car had been a labor of love for their family. They probably rode in it as sweethearts back in the day, and now they were selling it. The lady was in tears, and the lip quivered a little on the old boy himself, as a member of their family was now being entrusted to someone else.
“I remember looking and realizing at that moment, that this is what the Barrett-Jackson is all about,” Varsha continued. “It’s the expansion of the car hobby, not just to those who might own several cars, but to someone to whom one car matters so much. I always tell people that’s what you can do at Barrett-Jackson – go and seek out that one car that means so much to you.”
2008 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event Program Schedule
Jan. 15 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
Jan. 16 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
Jan. 17 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
Jan. 18 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
Jan. 19 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
Jan. 20 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
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