PUTTING ON THE WORLD’S GREATEST COLLECTOR CAR AUCTION TAKES A VILLAGE: A 50 Facts & Favorite Memories Feature

October 28, 2021
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

Building the auction block at each event takes a talented team.

To mark Barrett-Jackson’s half-century in business, in this special series we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite moments from the past 50 years – as well as some little-known facts about The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions.

Barrett-Jackson is well-known in the collector car hobby for its expert staff and industry-leading customer service. Under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson, it’s this dedication to the hobby that has built Barrett-Jackson’s reputation as the World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions.

For the regular auction-goer, it may surprise you that this industry-leading company is only comprised of approximately 70 of the most knowledgeable and hardest-working fulltime staff in the collector car world. However, to execute the most exciting collector car auction of the year in Scottsdale, the Barrett-Jackson team grows to over 1,000 people for its nine-day event.

Car check-in at WestWorld of Scottsdale.

From setup to teardown, Barrett-Jackson’s team expands more than 10 times its normal size. It begins with setting up the tents, which in 2014 set two Guinness World Records. This includes the world’s largest marquee (435,656.95 square feet) and the world’s largest single-unit marquee (351,210.33 square feet). The assembled tents exceeded the previous record for largest marquee by approximately 247,307 square feet and the largest single-unit marquee by 124,415 square feet. Simultaneously, the world-famous auction block and the auction arena are built inside the Tony Nelssen Equestrian Center.

Once the venue is set up, the Barrett-Jackson team begins checking in consignors and their vehicles, bidders, sponsors and exhibitors with their displays, and media planning to cover the event. From maintenance, security, office staff, box office, concierge, drivers, production and many more, it truly takes a village to host over 350,000 attendees from all over the world at WestWorld of Scottsdale each year.

As the hobby continues to grow, so does the Barrett-Jackson family. Barrett-Jackson is honored to have so many exceptional people be a part of the team as the company continues to expand and elevate the auction experience for its guests every year.