FUTURE CLASSICS: Reflections on the 2019 Palm Beach Auction from a new generation
April 30, 2019
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by Charley Hoehaver
Cars from the ’80s – like this 1986 Porsche 930 – are among those catching the eyes of a new generation of collectors.
For a number of years, Barrett-Jackson has supported the Kansas-based McPherson College of Automotive Restoration, the only college in the United States to offer a four-year bachelor’s degree in Restoration Technology. One McPherson student, Charley Hoehaver, spent some time as an intern with Barrett-Jackson at the 2019 Palm Beach Auction, and we asked him to write about his impressions of the event. Turns out his interests align with the trend we’ve seen growing over the past year: an expanding younger generation of collectors interested in the cars of their youth. Here’s what stood out to him after he experienced his very first Barrett-Jackson auction.
McPherson College student Charley Hoehaver (left) grabs a shot of a collector car crossing the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach block.
When I was growing up in the 1990s, the cars I yearned for were a bit different from those of past generations. Images of European and Japanese sports cars lined the walls of my room, flashed across the screens of the games I played and were what I bought when I could finally afford a car. When I started college at the McPherson College of Automotive Restoration, I expanded my tastes greatly, growing a greater appreciation for American classics and expanding my knowledge of all aspects of the automobile. I’m still a product of my times, however, and as such I’ve chosen to write about a selection of my favorite ʼ80s, ʼ90s and early 2000s cars from the Palm Beach Auction.
As time continues its slow march forward, things are inevitably changing. Markets are expanding and evolving; in particular, the interest in vehicles from the ʼ80s, ʼ90s and early 2000s is clearly on the rise. Almost in tandem is a growing interest in Japanese vehicles. Here are just a few that caught my eye at the Palm Beach Auction – and why.
Lot #367.1 – 1967 Toyota Land Cruiser Pickup (FJ45)
Like many automakers of the postwar era, Toyota sought to develop their own Jeep. These early models were massively successful, but it’s what came after the initial production of Toyota made Jeeps that led to the creation of one of Toyota’s most iconic models. Upon its release, the Toyota Land Cruiser became a hit around the world, seeing use in nearly every region and creating lifelong fans in the process. This FJ45 is a long-bed pickup featuring the Toyota F engine, a 3.9-liter Straight-6 that’s as close to bulletproof as they get. Immaculately restored examples like this one continue to rise in price, and it’s easy to see why. An unstoppable engine and chiseled looks are packaged in a bare-bones, no-frills 4×4 off-roader, ensuring that the Land Cruiser will only continue to rise in popularity.
Lot #362 – 1983 Toyota Pickup (SR5)
Continuing with the Toyota theme, the Toyota SR5 Pickup, alternatively known as the Hilux, is another Toyota model enjoying a surge in popularity. If Toyota is known for anything, it’s for creating some dead-reliable motors. The 22R 4-cylinder engine that’s the heart of this little machine is more than enough for the lightweight and nimble 4×4. The original striping, bed-mounted off-road lights and proud stance look as if it jumped out of an advertisement from the 1980s. As popular as these pickups are, most are in sorry states from hard lives of off-roading – which makes the relatively stock and well-kept models like this one highly desirable.
Lot #132 – 1972 Datsun 240Z
Wind the clock back to 1970 and you’d see the release of one of the most iconic sports cars of the era, the Datsun 240Z. Its predecessor, the Datsun Sports – or, as it’s more commonly known, the Datsun Fairlady – was a 4-cylinder sporty roadster weaponized by racers like Paul Newman and Bob Sharp. Shortly before the 240Z’s release, Datsun produced the 510, which, much like the Fairlady, saw massive use and success in motorsport. The 510 oftentimes beat out its formidable competition – BMW 2002s and the like – on the track. It only made sense that the car succeeding both those models was a performer. Its inexpensive price point, stellar driving characteristics and stunning design captured the adoration of people across the world. To those who drove them, the spartan, driver-focused interior made it easy to love. The 240Z had captured what a proper sports car should feel like; in its simplicity it found its strength. Unbeknownst to Datsun, the 240Z would become the defining Japanese sports car of the time and would set the stage for many more to come. This particular 1972 240Z is from the esteemed Chip Watkins Collection and has been restored top to bottom, inside to out. Its sale price proves that the 240Z has a lasting legacy that’s worth paying attention to.
Lot #82 – 1984 Datsun/Nissan 300ZX Turbo Anniversary Edition
Going back to the ʼ80s, the Nissan 300ZX is a continuation of the iconic Datsun 240Z nameplate, albeit in more of a grand-tourer form. The 300ZX 50th Anniversary edition features a whole slew of ʼ80s technologic advancements. Digital dashes, telemetry gauges, in-car-adjustable shocks, T-Tops, and gold paint accents and graphics finish out the 300ZX as a perfect time capsule of the ʼ80s. Nissan threw everything they could at this car, balancing its handling with a more plush interior and early ʼ80s tech-wizardry. Much like its grandfather, the 240Z, it struck a chord with its owners and admirers. With only 5,000 made, an avid fan base and with clean examples being hard to find, it’s understandable why this well-preserved example sold for a record price of $23,100.
Lot #726 – 1986 Porsche 930 Turbo
The ʼ80s made “turbo” a household word, and one that was slapped on everything from cars to media. While many cars in the era were turbo-charged, few wore such badging as proudly as the Porsche 930 Turbo. In its day it was called many things: Tail-happy, Blackbird, The Widowmaker_._ A rear-engined car with a 4-speed transmission and excessively laggy ʼ80s turbo technology spelled disaster for many enthused but otherwise unskilled drivers. In fact, it was said the grim reaper drove a 930 Turbo; those who lived after stepping into “death’s steed” found solace in its less-extreme interior and demanding driving style. To say it simply, the 930 was just too rewarding to drive. Overall the 930 retains that classic Porsche bodyline, but with one addition. The so-called “Whale Tail” spoiler made the already classic design more impactful. It announced your presence even more: Yes, you had a Porsche, but not just any Porsche – you had a 930 Turbo. It is an icon of the ʼ80s, of excess and of danger.
Lot #373 – 1988 BMW M6
If it wasn’t turbo-laden or slathered with graphics, in the ʼ80s, it was angular. During that decade, BMW was no stranger to dramatic, angular cars. While the M6 would never fill the shoes of the even more hard-edged, futuristic M1 that preceded its creation, the M6 created a legacy of its own. With only just over 5,000 produced for the global market, and only 1,632 for the U.S., the M6 is one of the least-produced M series cars ever. Like its M5 and M3 brethren, the M6 was developed by the mad doctors at BMW’s Motorsport division, which at the time was cranking out some of the best-performing German race cars. Pick up any magazine from the era and you’ll see rave reviews of just how much of a performance machine the M6 was. With the limited production numbers and owners who refuse to let go of one of BMW’s Ultimate Driving Machines, prices only continue to climb.
Lot #176 – 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500E
Mercedes has never been a stranger to limited-production-number performance models. Perhaps one of their greatest strengths is making their performance cars so unassuming. The 500E looks the part of a luxurious sedan that Mercedes is known for, but underneath it hosts a suspension tuned by Porsche’s renown Rossle Bau plant, a 315hp 5.0-liter V8, and a four-piston Brembo braking system. The hand-built nature of the 500E shows all throughout. Its interior boasts its luxurious nature; full of wood trim and intricate stitchwork. While it doesn’t sport an iconic AMG badge, it’s smooth but sporty suspension is complemented perfectly with aggressive yet refined two-piece AMG Monoblock wheels. It isn’t often you get something this luxurious with such esteemed performance underpinnings. While they aren’t pulling in huge numbers currently, the lucky winning bidder on this car went home with a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Lot #27.1 – 1993 Chevrolet Silverado C/K 1500 Custom Pickup
While the OBS Chevy isn’t a high-end luxury car or dramatic performer, it remains immensely popular. Much like its C10 predecessor, the OBS Chevy has enjoyed its tenure within the custom truck community. With C10s and other far older Chevy trucks maintaining their high entry fees, the ever-popular OBS Chevy has become the new canvas for custom truck enthusiasts all over. Since its release, it has been a popular truck to modify, but it is entering its renaissance era as interest continues to rise in automobiles from the ʼ80s and ʼ90s. This lightly modified OBS is sporting a custom-mixed DuPont teal color with a beautiful and perfectly period-correct purple, pink, and blue pinstripe. The inside is as good as the outside, featuring a matching tweed interior with a very ʼ90s mini-truck-esque steering wheel. The OBS Chevy is the perfect truck to start with for anyone considering getting into the custom truck community.
Lot #430 – 2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R
The Ford Mustang Cobra R was in some ways a return to form and in others a departure from what people considered a Mustang. The Mustang has always been a performer. It’s at home on the strip and on the track, but most people wouldn’t focus nearly as much on the latter. Speed was what sold. That meant turning fast quarter-mile times, power and an efficient way to put it down, usually via a solid-axle rear-suspension design. In the ʼ90s Ford was feeling the pressure; the early Cobras were lacking in power to their competitors. On the track they weren’t nearly as agile as the fresh-faced and capable foreign cars. The Cobra was selling well enough, but playing second fiddle isn’t something anyone enjoys. With the new-edge design came the introduction of independent rear suspension in 1999, but it still wasn’t enough. The turn of the new millennia meant a new Mustang; a forward-thinking Mustang that would set the bar for ones to come. Ford’s special vehicle team (SVT) produced one of the best Mustangs ever in 2000, the SVT Mustang Cobra R. The third and final run of the R-badged Cobra would create the ultimate version: fully race-ready with no creature comforts, no air conditioning, no sound-deadening – anything that added weight to a race car was gone. It came with a presence, a removable front splitter, Performance Red paint, and a pure functional spoiler in an aero package that meant nothing but business. If it wasn’t hard enough to get one, with only 300 made, it was made even more exclusive by being sold only to race team owners or licensed race drivers. It produced a whopping 385hp out of its modular 5.4-liter V8 engine, and with its finely tuned suspension, it gave anything on the track a run for its money. The 2000 Cobra R set the tone for the Mustangs that would follow and was the predecessor to Ford’s modern approach to performance driving. When it was released, it came at a premium, so it’s fitting that this extremely clean and low-mileage example would fetch almost that same premium, selling at $60,500. A price well worth paying to own such a piece of Ford’s most legendary and best work.
The cars I chose to write about from those sold at the 2019 Palm Beach Auction represent what I believe to be some of the best offerings from the time periods I grew up adoring. Some of them are already collector cars, while others are on their way to it, but I believe the cars that will sell for historic prices in the future are among the eras and manufacturers I’ve chosen to represent. While nothing is truly set in stone and only time will be able to prove me right or wrong, I have faith in my beliefs, but more importantly this experience has been an eye-opening one. Getting to see the inner workings of Barrett-Jackson has been an overwhelmingly exciting and fun experience that’s had a great impact on me, and I can’t thank Barrett-Jackson or McPherson College enough for this opportunity.