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Automotive Lifestyle
KINNEY: Auction Results Expected To Climb
Top-drawer muscle cars could rebound in Scottsdale as collector-car market shows strength and confidence.
David Kinney  |  Posted January 12, 2010   Scottsdale, AZ
Well-defined and well-documented muscle cars, such as this 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W30 convertible at Barrett-Jackson, are poised for a rebound. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson)
The Arizona auctions in 2010 are poised to have a number of record-breaking sales as well as higher overall dollar volume than in 2009.

On the face of it, this will come as a surprise to many, especially in the throes of the continued economic woes and especially as related to the slump in housing prices and tightening bank-lending practices. The overall collector-car market has remained remarkably steady throughout what the popular press refers to as the “great recession.”

Yes, prices are lower than they were in 2007 when taken in the overall, but there has been no major crash in collector-car pricing, except for the earlier huge adjustment in the prices of American muscle cars.

Muscle cars are at last perched for a rebound. The days of the million dollar Hemi ‘Cuda convertibles are probably gone for quite some time, as is the era of over-heated pricing for almost anything American with a huge honking V-8.

In its place, a muscle-car revolution in well-defined and well-documented cars is likely to occur. Uber-documented muscle cars have found some space for appreciation even in the past few months. Look for more of the same in Scottsdale.

Barrett-Jackson in January is not only one of the best places on earth for people watching, it’s also an excellent place to visit with, learn from and listen to those who know more about American muscle than you or I.

Barrett-Jackson’s long history in the auction business and its recent golden years have been fueled by American muscle. Every auction contains surprises; this one will see a minor resurgence in the viability, the visibility and the prices of “go-fast” cars from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

But Barrett-Jackson isn’t the only game in town in January. Russo and Steele’s tent is pitched just a mile way. Russo is in many ways the bizarro version of Barrett-Jackson, and for many, that’s not a bad thing. Both auctions specialize in muscle cars and sports cars, but where Barrett-Jackson is all no-reserve (all cars will sell regardless of bid price), Russo and Steele is all-reserve (the seller has the final say on what the car will go for).

Barrett-Jackson’s auction bidding plays to a massive crowd of onlookers, but Russo and Steele focuses on the buyers and sellers, allowing only them and their guests into the bidding area. There’s more to Russo and Steele, and you should plan on checking it out for yourself.

Just a few miles away, Gooding & Company and RM will hold auctions toward the end of the week. RM’s Biltmore event in Phoenix is a different type of spectacle and, like Gooding, is worth attending. You might find a bit more time to actually spend time up close and personal with the cars you want to see, and you’ll find more American and European classics on a percentage basis than at the other auctions.

Not far away at the Fountain Hills Casino, you’ll find the Silver Auction. If you prefer Budweiser to Michelob and a hamburger to shrimp cocktail, Silver is the place to hang. Like all the auction events, it’s fun to attend, plus the cars you are likely to see here are more pocketbook friendly than anywhere else in the Valley.

It’s collector-car Mecca week and it’s all here in a place where the weather promises to be better than just about anywhere else in the continental U.S. The excitement is here, the cars are here and the people are here. Scottsdale 2010 promises to be a hell of a ride.

David Kinney, ASA, is an American Society of Appraisers Accredited Senior Appraiser with an Automotive Specialties designation. Dave owns and operates USAppraisal (USAppraisal.com) in Great Falls, Virginia, and writes auction-report columns for both AutoWeek and Automobile magazines, a monthly column for the British publication Octane, and is an occasional contributor to the New York Times’ automobile section. Dave also is publisher of Hagerty's Cars That Matter Price Guide, (CarsThatMatter.com) a culmination of Dave’s automotive knowledge and passion. Partnering with Hagerty Insurance, the nation’s largest collector-car insurance company, Hagerty’s Cars That Matter has become an industry standard among post-war car collectors.


For a calendar of Arizona collector-car auctions and other January auto events, see January Calendar.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale: Jan 19th-24th
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David Kinney

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