Auction Preview: Barrett-Jackson Northeast 2016
Barrett-Jackson is expecting an enthusiastic crowd for its inaugural Northeast auction June 23-25 at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Conn. Barrett selected the Tri-State and New England area, which has few collector car auctions beyond Bonhams’ annual Greenwich auction and occasional sales in New York City.
While the event and location are new, the auction will feature the familiar Barrett-Jackson formula of mostly no reserve lots, tons of sponsors and vendors, and a solid mix of mostly American muscle with European sports cars, modern exotics and a few prewar cars. Hundreds of vehicles will cross the block over three days, but these five are among the notable standouts:
2004 Ford GT Prototype
Hagerty Price Guide: $218,000 – $378,000
Ford GT prices have famously gone berserk over the past couple of years, with low mileage examples commanding more than they cost new and only 10 years after they were built. More and more have crossed the block, but the cars continue to command huge prices, and seeing one with less than 100 miles on the odometer and showroom-fresh smell is no longer as special as it once was. But even though the market seems to be saturated with these cars, the black Ford GT on offer at Mohegun Sun really is exceptional because it’s the first fully functional prototype GT produced by Ford in 2004. It was purchased from Ford by a collector in 2008 and has several non-standard features that didn’t make it to production, like the seats and carbon fiber rear clamshell. It also apparently has a steering column from a Windstar Minivan.
It may be a fully functional car, but like many such prototypes it will be relegated to static display and really belongs in a museum. It can’t be registered for road use and will never be street legal. Most GT owners don’t seem to drive their cars anyway, but it will be interesting to see how the bidders value this balance between historical significance and complete lack of usability.
1998 Lamborghini Diablo SV
Hagerty Price Guide: N/A
With many Countaches crossing the block and achieving big results, it’s only natural that the later Diablo would begin popping up more and more at auction as well. The Diablo holds a special place as the last Lamborghini of the pre-Audi era, as well as the first Lamborghini to exceed 200 mph and the first to be offered with all-wheel drive. The one offered by Barrett-Jackson has the further distinction of being the 11th of only 20 “Monterey Edition” Diablos built for the American market. Only two others were reportedly finished in this Rosso Vik paint, and it is represented with 6,900 miles from new.
1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88
Hagerty Price Guide: $410,000 – $740,000
The L88, king of the hill when it comes to classic production Corvettes thanks to its heavy duty racing equipment and mythical power figures that were purposely underrated by the factory, was only built for three years from 1967-69. More were produced in 1969 than in the previous two years combined, but even then there are only 116 1969 L88s said to have been built. The example on offer from Barrett-Jackson is a body-off restored car done by a Bloomington Gold judge and has all the documentation and certification you’d expect from a Corvette of this caliber. It’s one of the few cars at the auction that has a reserve on it.
1972 Porsche 911S
Hagerty Price Guide: $102,000 – $269,000
The 911 boom has slowed down considerably compared to a year ago, but it’s worth keeping an eye on especially with top-notch cars like the ’72 911S on offer at Mohegan Sun. In 1972, the S was the range-topping 911 model, above the T and the E. It had a fuel-injected engine of 2.4 liters and 190 hp and a 5-speed gearbox. Not many of these made it to the United States, and Barrett-Jackson’s example is finished in the attention-grabbing and very 1970s color of Viper Green. It’s also represented as a one-owner car that has been restored to original specs.
1967 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2
Hagerty Price Guide: $275,000 – $345,000
The 330 GT 2+2 remains one of the cheapest ways to get into front-engine V-12 Enzo-era Ferrari ownership. Cheap is a relative term here, though, because these cars have appreciated to values of a quarter million dollars and beyond. The 330 GT 2+2 was offered in two series. The first had quad headlights with chrome surrounds, which were a polarizing and unusual styling cue. The Series II cars, which are worth a little more, had a normal single circular headlight on each side and looked more similar to the rest of the cars in the Ferrari range. The car offered by Barrett-Jackson appears to be a prime example that has been fully and correctly restored, and it just won a class award at the Cavallino Classic earlier this year.
