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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Return Of The Fire-Red Fairlane
Coming up for bid for the second time, auction president Steve Davis' custom 1964 Ford will be sold to benefit the Armed Forces Foundation.
Steve Davis' custom 1964 Fairlane is back at auction after the charity buyer in Las Vegas donated the car back to be sold again for the Armed Forces Foundation. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
There are many magical moments at Barrett-Jackson collector car auctions, especially when charity sales are involved. But few if any of them match the excitement and the supreme satisfaction of the charity sale of Barrett-Jackson President Steve Davis’ own 1964 custom Ford Fairlane hardtop at the Las Vegas auction in September.
And at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event, Davis and the Fairlane will get to do it all over again.
Davis’ car, which was sold to benefit the Armed Forces Foundation, came up late on the final day of the Las Vegas event, and Davis said he was unsure beforehand about the resto-rod’s value and the amount that the customarily generous auction bidders would pony up to benefit the foundation. “Charity cars are a wild card,” he said.
But it all turned out to be so much more than anyone ever expected, in terms of the sheer elation of the sale, the soaring final bid of $700,000 and the unexpected surprise of having the Fairlane available to sell once again.
“It was really one of the most special moments ever at Barrett-Jackson,” Davis said. “It’s important that people understand – this is not scripted, this is not made up. This is really happening.
“It epitomizes the culture of car collecting and the big-hearted people who are a part of it.”
During the Vegas bidding, the entire auction crowd was on its feet and cheering wildly, tiny American flags were waving everywhere and a color guard from nearby Camp Pendleton stood at attention as Davis stalked the stage psyching up the bidding with fist-pumping animation as the numbers climbed. When the dust finally cleared after the $700,000 result, the winning bidder turned out to be Barrett-Jackson regular Ron Pratte of Chandler, Ariz., who has donated millions of dollars over the years through charity auction sales.
Then just to top things off, the announcement came that Pratte had re-donated the Fairlane to the auction to be resold in Scottsdale to again benefit the Armed Forces Foundation. Davis was astounded and delighted.
“It was like capturing lightning in a bottle,” he said. “It was just spectacular.”
So the bright red Fairlane hardtop with the 427 V8 installed by ROUSH Performance will again be available at the Scottsdale auction.
Davis said that Pratte being the high bidder in Vegas only added to his pleasure of seeing his Fairlane earn so much money for a favorite cause.
“The fact that Ron bought the car for me was it,” Davis said. “It made so much sense when I thought about it; he’s such a great guy. You think about what he has done over the years for charity, and not just at Barrett-Jackson. He doesn’t fall into any category. He’s kind of this one-off guy with this incredible (car) collection, and when it comes to giving and sharing and this amazing thing that he does, it’s incredible to watch.
“He’s become a very high-profile guy over the years whether he likes it or not. He’s a private guy, yet he is so well known for being a part of the Barrett-Jackson family, if you will. He sits out there in the front row and nods his head, and you might get a smile out of him if you’re lucky, and he has attracted a huge following. We see it at every auction; people really look up to Ron.”
Pratte has purchased 21 charity cars at Barrett-Jackson, including the four times that he bought and re-donated Darrell Gwynn’s replica dragster to benefit the former drag racer’s charity that provides wheelchairs for needy young people. The total that Pratte has given to charity through the auction sales comes to more than $5 million.
“Then to have my car added to that list is just an honor to me,” Davis said. “And just when you think it can’t get any better, you get the news that he’s decided to donate the car for January, so we get to do it one more time.”
And at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event, Davis and the Fairlane will get to do it all over again.
Davis’ car, which was sold to benefit the Armed Forces Foundation, came up late on the final day of the Las Vegas event, and Davis said he was unsure beforehand about the resto-rod’s value and the amount that the customarily generous auction bidders would pony up to benefit the foundation. “Charity cars are a wild card,” he said.
But it all turned out to be so much more than anyone ever expected, in terms of the sheer elation of the sale, the soaring final bid of $700,000 and the unexpected surprise of having the Fairlane available to sell once again.
“It was really one of the most special moments ever at Barrett-Jackson,” Davis said. “It’s important that people understand – this is not scripted, this is not made up. This is really happening.
“It epitomizes the culture of car collecting and the big-hearted people who are a part of it.”
During the Vegas bidding, the entire auction crowd was on its feet and cheering wildly, tiny American flags were waving everywhere and a color guard from nearby Camp Pendleton stood at attention as Davis stalked the stage psyching up the bidding with fist-pumping animation as the numbers climbed. When the dust finally cleared after the $700,000 result, the winning bidder turned out to be Barrett-Jackson regular Ron Pratte of Chandler, Ariz., who has donated millions of dollars over the years through charity auction sales.
Then just to top things off, the announcement came that Pratte had re-donated the Fairlane to the auction to be resold in Scottsdale to again benefit the Armed Forces Foundation. Davis was astounded and delighted.
“It was like capturing lightning in a bottle,” he said. “It was just spectacular.”
So the bright red Fairlane hardtop with the 427 V8 installed by ROUSH Performance will again be available at the Scottsdale auction.
Davis said that Pratte being the high bidder in Vegas only added to his pleasure of seeing his Fairlane earn so much money for a favorite cause.
“The fact that Ron bought the car for me was it,” Davis said. “It made so much sense when I thought about it; he’s such a great guy. You think about what he has done over the years for charity, and not just at Barrett-Jackson. He doesn’t fall into any category. He’s kind of this one-off guy with this incredible (car) collection, and when it comes to giving and sharing and this amazing thing that he does, it’s incredible to watch.
“He’s become a very high-profile guy over the years whether he likes it or not. He’s a private guy, yet he is so well known for being a part of the Barrett-Jackson family, if you will. He sits out there in the front row and nods his head, and you might get a smile out of him if you’re lucky, and he has attracted a huge following. We see it at every auction; people really look up to Ron.”
Pratte has purchased 21 charity cars at Barrett-Jackson, including the four times that he bought and re-donated Darrell Gwynn’s replica dragster to benefit the former drag racer’s charity that provides wheelchairs for needy young people. The total that Pratte has given to charity through the auction sales comes to more than $5 million.
“Then to have my car added to that list is just an honor to me,” Davis said. “And just when you think it can’t get any better, you get the news that he’s decided to donate the car for January, so we get to do it one more time.”
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