VIEW FROM THE BLOCK: Craig Jackson looks back at 2018
December 14, 2018
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Barrett-Jackson Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson with his Triple-Crown-winning 1965 Shelby GT350.
“Mr. Las Vegas,” Wayne Newton, joined Craig Jackson and Steve Davis on the Las Vegas auction block to support the Driven Hearts campaign for the American Heart Association.
It’s always interesting to look back over the past year and reflect on what strides have been made and what changes have taken place. In 2018, the collector car community once again not only showed its passion for automobiles, but also its giving heart and generosity by stepping up to support Driven Hearts, our first-ever yearlong charity initiative to benefit the American Heart Association. We couldn’t be more grateful to those who donated vehicles and others who reached deep into their pockets throughout the year to support not only this important initiative, but also many other vital causes supported by the auction of the charity cars that cross our block.
Our Las Vegas Auction was a fitting end to a great year, with a 100-percent sell-through rate on more than 700 vehicles and more than $1 million raised for worthy causes by the sale of six charity vehicles. I’m very humbled that through the platform of Barrett-Jackson, nearly $105 million has been raised to date through the sale of vehicles for charitable organizations both large and small.
Both fans and members of the automotive media often ask what trends are taking place in the car collecting world. This past year has pointed to a distinct change in demographics on our auction block. When Tom Barrett and my father Russ Jackson began this incredible Barrett-Jackson journey nearly 50 years ago, prewar classics like Duesenbergs ruled the auction block. By the time my brother Brian and I became increasingly involved in the business during the 1990s, the generation connected to those classic vehicles was no longer driving the market, and we saw a need to start adding postwar vehicles ‒ particularly ’60s- and ʼ70s-era muscle cars – to our auction lineup, to appeal more to the baby-boom generation. People thought we were crazy, but the trend caught on.
Shocking the collector car world, a 1997 Acura Integra Type R sold for a world-record $63,800 at the 2018 Las Vegas Auction.
Now, when you consider the first baby boomers are hitting retirement age, we’re seeing another generational shift. The Gen Xers and millennials are gravitating to the cars from the ’80s and ’90s, with Japanese imports drawing increasing attention. This was very much in evidence at our 2018 Las Vegas Auction, where we saw two Toyota pickups from the 1980s and a 1997 Acura Integra Type R set new world records at auction. The Acura in particular caused a stir in the automotive world, with the story of its $63,800 sale spreading like wildfire on the internet and social media; our Facebook post about the sale reached nearly 2 million people.
Will Barrett-Jackson still sell prewar classics and muscle cars? Of course – but perhaps just not as many as in years past. I’ve always said that Barrett-Jackson needs to embrace change as the collector car demographic evolves. As a result, you’ll likely see an even wider, more eclectic selection of vehicles cross our auction block in the coming years.
The long-lost 1967 Shelby GT EXP known as “Little Red” was found in a North Texas field in 2018, launching a unique crowdsourcing project (ShelbyPrototypeCoupes.com) to discover more about its past.
On a personal note, 2018 could be summed up as the “Year of the Shelbys.” The highlight had to be finding the long-lost 1967 Shelby GT EXP known as “Little Red” in a field in North Texas, and launching a unique crowdsourcing project (ShelbyPrototypeCoupes.com) to discover more about the history of this fascinating car. Because of this, numerous people with ties to Little Red have come forward with vital information, and we now know more about that car than we ever dreamed we would. The concept of crowdsourcing information about collector cars is now being picked up by others, as well: Writer, photographer and self-professed “car shaman” Winston Goodfellow intends to start a similar project to discover the history of a competition Cobra from 1965-66 that’s owned by a friend of his.
Craig Jackson and Jason Billups with Green Hornet after its unveiling at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals.
Little Red’s “sister” prototype car, the Green Hornet, also had its moment in November. I’m extremely grateful to our company president, Steve Davis, for his role in my acquisition of this historic vehicle, which is fresh off a meticulously restoration to its Shelby Automotive prototype form by Jason Billups of Billups Classic Cars with the help of an amazing team that included Chris Long, the son of the late E. David Long, the original designer of the car’s Conelec fuel-injection system. We unveiled the restored Hornet at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, where it was displayed next to Little Red for the first time ever in public. I’m very excited that we are in the process of producing documentaries to tell the extraordinary story of these two special vehicles. Although Little Red has now gone to Billups Classic Cars for restoration, you’ll be able to see Green Hornet on display at our Scottsdale Auction.
Another big Shelby moment of 2018 was seeing my 1965 Shelby GT350, #5S553 (pictured at top), take the coveted “Triple Crown” in the Shelby world: A Division 1 Gold Award at the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC) National Convention, a Heritage Award at the Mid America Ford Shelby Nationals, and, at the Mustang Club of America Grand Nationals, a Gold in the Thoroughbred Class. The car also received the coveted Authenticity Award from the MCA, the first time the honor was ever bestowed on a 1965 Shelby GT350.
A heartfelt thank you to all of our bidders, consignors, partners and enthusiasts who made 2018 such an unforgettable year for Barrett-Jackson ‒ I’m excited to see what lies ahead for our 2019 auction season, and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale!
For a look at the vehicles on our 2019 Scottsdale docket (with more being added daily), click HERE.