First 2014 Corvette Stingray Sold for $1.1 Million at Barrett-Jackson

The 2014 Corvette, a brand new generation of the legendary sportscar that has taken the world by storm, was finally unveiled last Sunday (January 13th), after a long teasing process.

It’s only due to enter production in autumn, but the C7 Corvette Stingray is bound to achieve cult status.

The very first production model that will be wearing a vehicle Identification Number (VIN) ending in 0001 was pre-sold at the at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale sale in Arizona.

The new Corvette is only supposed to cost a few hundred dollars more than the old one. So, do you guys want to know how much the very first one cost? $1,100,000. That’s $1.1 million George Washingtons.

The guy who wanted the first Stingray that badly is Corvette collector Richard Hendrick, who also owns a NASCAR team. The proceeds from the sale will go towards the Detroit College for Creative Studies.

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Auctions: Original 1966 TV Series Batmobile Sells for $4.62 Million

The very first real life Batmobile was up for grabs this weekend at the annual Berrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Known as the 1966 Batmobile, it was built by legendary car customizer George Barris for a production that aired between 1966 and 1968.

Although this has never been fully proven, mister Barris famously told people that the car was put together in record time.He says that he was given 15 days and $15,000 to build the car after another company failed to deliver the goods in time for the show. He had owned the Lincoln Futura Concept for a number of years and was only too glad to give give it a new lick of paint, as well as some interesting crime-fighting features.

Now aged 88, Barris decided the hype around the latest Batman movies was the perfect opportunity to sell the car. And it seems he was right. The Batmobile was sought after by fans of the caped hero and a veritable bidding war started, which only stopped when the price reached an astounding $4.62 million (). It's not that bad when you consider the history!

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Auctions: George W. Bush's 2009 Ford F-150 fizzles with $300,000 bid at Barrett-Jackson

Despite some truly impassioned pleading from Jay Leno himself – including calling on Arizona's notoriously Republican-rich voters to beat the $600,000 level set the last time Leno sold a vehicle for this particular charity... in California – bidding for George Bush's 2009 Ford F-150 pickup truck stalled at $300,000.

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 3017 - 2009 FORD F-150 KING RANCH SUPER CREW PICKUP

President Bush has used this stunning white F-150 at his Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, TX since shortly after he left the White House in 2009. With a 5.4 Liter V8 engine commanding 310 horsepower, this impressive truck has a luxurious adobe King Ranch premium leather interior. President Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush have since used the truck to work around their ranch; entertain friends, family, and dignitaries and to give tours of their Crawford property. This is a unique opportunity to own a piece of presidential automotive history. Owned continuously by President bush since he ordered it new. The title is in the former President's name and will be transferred directly to the buyer. Additionally, the right airbag panel features President Bush's signature and a copy of a video showing him autographing the truck and driving it around his ranch in Crawford, TX will be included with the purchase. "I haven't driven on a street in many, many years, but I have been able to drive this truck on my ranch," said President Bush. "I want to thank all those who are supporting the Fisher House. In supporting the Fisher house, you're supporting our veterans. And in supporting our veterans, you're helping America." **ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT THE FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION** **WILL BE SOLD DIRECTLY FOLLOWING LOT 5052 ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013**

News Source: autoblog

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Auctions: 1947 Talbot-Lago T-26 Grand Sport passes $2 million mark at Barrett-Jackson

If you're not familiar with the Talbot-Lago brand, well... you're not alone. Born out of the collapsed Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq by an engineer named Antonio Lago, who turned the automaker into a strong competitor in racing. The machine you see above, hailing from 1947, is based on the short-wheelbase chassis used for racing with bodywork designed by Franay.

Suffice it to say, this is a very rare machine, powered by a high-performance 4.5-liter six-cylinder engine with three carburetors mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. Apparently the car was found languishing in Tennessee in 1988, and a thorough restoration was completed in 2004. After all was said and done at Barrett-Jackson, the car's new owner found himself $2,035,000 lighter in the wallet.

Barrett-Jackson Lot: 5019 - 1947 TALBOT-LAGO T-26 GRAND SPORT

This Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport has a 2-seat coupe coachwork by Franay on a short chassis. It is believed that only three Grand Sports had Franay coachwork. There were approximately 30 Grand Sports built but only eight with the short chassis, the same as used on the Grand Prix cars. The engine in this car is a 4.5 Liter with three carburetors. The car was originally sold in Geneva, Switzerland, likely the only place that could afford such a car as World War II had just concluded. Chassis 110113 was found in Tennessee in 1988 and was in very original condition. A complete restoration was performed in 2004. Finished in its original black paint, red leather interior with black piping and is completely original with all its original body panels, engine and chassis.

News Source: Barrett-Jackson

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Auctions: Barrett-Jackson 2013 - Odds and Ends from Friday's Festivities

While the big-ticket items sold at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale usually hit the block on Saturday, Friday often brings with it a few interesting finds. This year was no different. With an assortment of vehicles ranging from an original 1969 Chevrolet Camaro COPO with a 427-cubic-inch V8 and four-speed manual transmission to a 1929 Ford AA Custom Popcorn truck, you never can tell what's going to show up at Barrett-Jackson.

It's impossible to miss a bright tangerine Willy's Roadster, and we could hardly pass up the opportunity to watch one of the infamous Unique Performance Eleanor replica cars cross the auction block. Really, we just pointed our lenses at whatever happened to catch our eye.

Check out the fruits of our labors in the high-res image gallery of live photos above. Each of the cars you'll see is captioned with the its appropriate make and model, plus the amount it finally sold for. Enjoy!

News Source: autoblog

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First C7 Corvette to be auctioned for charity

 

General Motors is set to auction off the very first C7 Corvette for charity at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, on January 19. GM has a long history of using historically significant models to raise funds for worthy causes, and the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray should fetch a heady price for the College for Creative Studies. Look for the car to go under the gavel with no reserve.

We first heard about GM using Barrett-Jackson to sell the debut C7 last month, when the auction house published its list of lots for the January event. At the time, Lot No. 3016 offered few details beyond the fact that the vehicle up for bid was a "piece of Chevy history." We'd say that's about accurate.

Whoever wins the car can look forward to a 6.2-liter V8 with 450 horsepower on hand as well as a seven-speed manual transmission with rev-matching downshifts. A spate of new tech, an all-new frame, extensive cooling and a vastly improved interior are all part of the package. Head over to Barrett-Jackson for more information.

News Source: Barrett-Jackson

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Original Porsche 959 prototype will be on the block at Barrett-Jackson auction

The Porsche 959 was arguably the finest supercar of its era (1986-1989). Beneath its fiberglass-reinforced Kevlar and aluminum body panels hid some of the world's most advanced automotive technology, including an innovative all-wheel-drive system, a twin-shock suspension offering adjustable ride height and damping, four-channel ABS and run-flat tires. With the power of its rear-mounted twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter flat-six, developing 450 horsepower, the Porsche was capable of hitting 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds and a top speed of nearly 200 mph – performance numbers that are still highly respectable today.

If you've always wanted to get your hands on one (legal issues kept Porsche from importing the $225,000 coupe to the States in the 1980s), now is the time. Barrett-Jackson will be auctioning a 1986 Porsche 959 factory prototype at its Scottsdale event next week. This particular vehicle, a V-series prototype based on a 930 Turbo platform, was used for chassis development, brake engineering and high-speed testing. Porsche built 29 prototypes like it, but most were scrapped after the program ended. According to Barrett-Jackson, it is one of just two running prototypes and one of only four survivors.

Before you whip out your checkbook and plan your 959 summer road trip, you should know that this prototype isn't certified for public roads (and its odd stance suggests that it needs a bit of work to get back into running shape). Regardless, with a history this interesting, its value is only going up. 

News Source: Barrett-Jackson, Speed

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