We’re Live at the Arizona Auctions

This story is being updated throughout the week.

Posts and analysis: From Thursday, our first full day of coverage, click here. For Friday, click here. For Saturday, click here. For Sunday, click here.

As the rest of the nation begins to thaw out from a bitter cold spell, Arizona’s big January auctions are heating up. About 2200 cars await their turn across stages belonging to five different auction houses, and the Hagerty Insider team is on the ground to track the results. Stay tuned—we’ll be providing regular updates below throughout the week.

2024 got off to an exciting start with a record $224M in sales Mecum’s Kissimmee event, headlined by several top-shelf sales. Kissimmee also offered some levity, with buyer and seller behavior suggesting a return to a more normal, rational market after a few years of frenzied activity.

We’ll be watching closely to see if the Arizona auctions build upon that trend. Manager of Valuation Analytics John Wiley’s forecast suggests that with fewer star cars and the anticipation of a reduced sell-through rate, Arizona’s sales are likely to be down from last year’s $262.8M.

With a bevy of restomods, blue chip cars, and even a few oddballs, the Arizona auctions have plenty to offer—check in regularly to see the latest sales and analysis.

Preview: Putting the January auctions into context

Welcome All! James Hewitt here, one of Hagerty’s market analysts. Let’s start this show off by putting context to what January means for the collector car market and how it has changed.

“The January auctions” historically refers to the market-gauging spectacle that is the Arizona collector car auctions. For good reason: Barrett-Jackson first held an auction there in 1971 and have hosted an annual event at the WestWorld arena since 1989. That auction has grown to a massive 2023 sales total of $183M (81% more than 2021) and an entertainment event like no other that includes four other auction companies in 2024. That’s a lot of money changing hands at one event and sure makes it’s easy to forget the “January auctions” are now far more than Arizona… In the last three weeks alone:

• The single-auction world record total sales number was already broken. Mecum broke their own 2023 world record total by selling $224M of vehicles at their Kissimmee auction
• Over $100M of cars have already sold at online auctions (2700+ cars)
• Mecum offered more than 4000 cars at their Kissimmee auction for the first time ever: 65% more than the whole of the 2023 Arizona auctions combined

One market pulse to check in January has now become three: Arizona, Kissimmee, and online.

What does the pulse say going into Arizona?

Our short term memory makes it easy to forget what normal is. Look long term: last two to three years of COVID boom were anything but normal. This is normal.

• • Long term: Mecum’s average sell-through rate (STR) since 2010 for its Kissimmee auction is 68%. Excluding the 2021-2023 COVID boom, 70% is the best STR since tying 2016’s
  • Short term: Kissimmee’s STR of 70% was a drop of 9 percentage points from 2023 (largest year-over-year drop in Kissimmee STR ever) and 16 percentage points from the 2022 Kissimmee high of 86%

Has the market hit a plateau and we can’t squeeze anymore out of it? Online auction total sales are plateauing despite more lots offered. Total sales at Mecum Kissimmee were a January single auction record, but just barely and it took more lots offered to do it. The most valuable cars are doing very well and demand is strong. The $2.5M+ segment at Kissimmee bounced back from 2023. 66% sold this year vs 29% last year:

• • Ferrari Enzo bought for $4.1M in 2022 sold for $4.5M this go around
  • Ferrari F40 hit a high bid of $2.55M at Amelia Island 2023 but sold with a high bid of $3.1M/final price of $3.41M at Kissimmee

Mecum’s Kissimmee auction celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. It’s hard to argue with the massive growth seen below but how much can the collector car market grow to keep up? Kissimmee added more lots but the number that met their reserve price fell. This led to almost flat total sales. At the same time, the Arizona auctions have been near a $250M ceiling since the 2016 high.

What are we watching as the week progresses? 

We’ll be paying close attention to the sell-through rate (percentage of cars which meet their reserve price) and performance vs Hagerty Price Guide values of $1M+ cars—these performed very well at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction, and I predict 2024 will see $1M+ cars outperform other segments.

Changes in Hagerty Price Guide values of these cars are showing strong performance:

Modified vehicles—tastes are evolving, and modified vehicles are becoming more numerous—and more valuable—and Arizona is a strong destination for them.

Modifications used to be a way to turn less desirable vintage rides into something more marketable, but now it is common even for desirable vehicles like the ’63 Corvettes and ’67 Fastback Mustangs to get the restomod treatment. The market is responding by paying more for modified vehicles as their share of total sales grows faster than their share of vehicles consigned.

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Saturday, January 27th

10:30 PM: Top 10 sales of Saturday

1. 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing sold for $ 3,410,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
2. 2018 Bugatti Chiron sold for $ 2,970,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
3. 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster sold for $ 2,420,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
4. 2005 Porsche Carrera GT sold for $ 1,870,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
5. 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder sold for $ 1,787,500 (Barrett-Jackson)
6. 2012 Lexus LFA sold for $ 1,650,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
7. 2019 Ford GT sold for $ 1,375,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
8. 2017 Ferrari F12tdf sold for $ 1,347,500 (Barrett-Jackson)
9. (tie) 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT sold for $ 1,100,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
   • 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Base sold for $ 1,100,000 (Barrett-Jackson)

8:50 PM: Sometimes one vehicle can tell the story of the market, especially one with a very different view when looking short-term vs long-term. This 1967 Ford Mustang Eleanor Tribute Edition has sold four times (2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024) at auction. The sale price today came in at $143k; a 56% drop from its 2022 $330k sale price. Opening up that view shows the sale price was nearly exactly on its late 2019 sale price. What might appear like a plummeting market on some cars is really a return to normal levels seen before the COVID frenzy. — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

 

8:24 PM: Another world record; this one maybe even more unexpected than the 300SL: A 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster formerly owner by Donald Trump has sold for $1.1M. This sets a new world record at auction for the model. — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

8:18 PM: Barrett’s 300SL sets a new world record price for a non-alloy Gullwing (coupe) at $3.41M. This chart puts into perspective how staggeringly high the sale is versus comparable Gullwing auction sales. The right car at the right time… — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

 

7:03 PM: Time in the market trumps timing the market. Here are some stats on cars held for more and less than four years and the median percent change in the bid across appearances:

• 4+ years: bid to 8% higher than the previous appearance
• Less than four years: 0% difference

At least you still got to drive it in those four years, right? — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

6:43 PM: When “wrapper car” and “barn find” collide. This one-of-547 1987 Buick GNX shows just 282 miles, still has the plastic on the seats, and was reportedly in a garage from 1988 until coming to Scottsdale. But one look at the car reveals dust, dirt, cracked bumper fillers and other signs of not-so-careful storage. Barrett-Jackson had ropes around it, possibly to keep people from wiping away that precious barn find dust, but a few people swiped it with their fingers anyway. In the end, the low odometer reading won out because it sold for $231,000, between its #1 (best-in-the-world) and #2 (excellent) value in the Hagerty Price Guide. —Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

6:00 PM: This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL was immaculate and desirably equipped and the bidders agreed, selling for a whopping $3.41 million including fees. This Gullwing brought a stunning 30% above our #1 condition value (accounting for options), showing that exceptional cars will always bring exceptional prices.—Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide editor

5:57 PM: Back at the beginning of the week I suggested to research any lot to see if it had come to auction before (513 cars at the Arizona auctions have been to auction before—223 of those have been at auction within the last year), and I called out a 2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6 Brabus as an example. After being auctioned six times from four different auction companies, it sold today for an all-in price of $880k. Previously it sold for $1.175M and $1.21M, and missed at a $1M high bid.—James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

5:30 PM: A $39K 1967 Lincoln Continental from Mecum’s Indy 2023 auction got the clean-up treatment to become a $143k Continental this week.—James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

 4:53 PM: Barrett-Jackson sees strong results again with this 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster out of the Don Williams collection, netting $2,420,000 all in.—Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide editor

4:37 PM: There were two 2019 Porsche 911 Speedsters on offer in Scottsdale: one at Barrett-Jackson, the other at RM Sotheby’s. The RM car brought a respectable $456,000, came with 299 miles on the clock, wore a paint-to sample-color, and had an MSRP of $345,160. The Barrett car, however had triple the miles at 1,079 and a much lower MSRP of $295,030. The final price on that one? $550,000! That same car was bid to $333k in November 2022.—Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide editor

3:29 PM: 24 years after the movie Gone in 60 Seconds was released, the Eleanor Mustang craze is still strong. While a departure from the original movie car, this replica still commanded a staggering $440,000. If that feels like a lot of money, it is, but at least it comes with a nifty couch made from a ’67 Mustang front end done up to look like the movie car!—Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide editor

1:32 PM: Celebrity status often dictates a hefty premium above average market values, but not always. In this case, the $49,500 that Kris Jenner’s 1956 Thunderbird brought was marginally above a condition-appropriate value, proving that name recognition alone doesn’t equate to bundles of cash on the auction block.—Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide editor

1:00 PM: Barrett-Jackson has been a key component in popularizing custom cars. Evidence of that popularity: 11 of this year’s 14 1963 Corvettes for sale at WestWorld, are customized.—Adam Wilcox, Senior Analyst

12:40 PM: We’re used to 1990s GM pickups being cheap. There are a ton of them out there still being used as work trucks and they’re not quite old enough to be “classics,” either. But they are old enough for people to feel nostalgic, and this 1994 Chevy Silverado 1500 is a 2166-mile cream puff in very ’90s Teal Metallic sold earlier this week for a shocking $57,200, well over twice its original 30-year-old sticker price.—Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

12:12 PM: The Lexus LFA Nurburgring that will sell today previously went unsold on BaT only a month ago with a $1.720m high bid. This was a year after it sold on BaT for $1.630m.—Adam Wilcox, Senior Analyst

11:35 AM: Yet another example that cars usually make lousy investments. This 1990 Corvette ZR-1 was supposedly bought by its one and only owner “for collector purposes,” then was immediately trucked to a storage facility, only to emerge in late 2023 for service to get it road-worthy. It shows just 19 miles, and it sold here in Scottsdale for $35,200. But its window sticker reads $60,650 ($146K in today’s dollars). If you had put 60 grand in Apple stock 34 years ago, you’d have an 8-figure return today instead of barely $35,000.—Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

11:10 AM: Our old friend the, um, uniquely modified restomod E-Type from Mecum Monterey last year surfaced again in Scottsdale. Someone has since removed some of the appendages and cleaned it up a bit. It sold for $66K in Arizona vs. $50K in California, so it looks like the cleanup paid off.—Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

Friday, January 26th

Top 10 sales of Friday:

1. 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL $1,215,000 (Worldwide Auctioneers)
2. 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 $440,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
3. 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 $346,000 (Worldwide Auctioneers)
4. 1940 Packard Custom Super Eight Darrin $335,000 (Worldwide Auctioneers)
5. 1967 Chevrolet C10 1/2 Ton $330,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
6. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle $280,500 (Barrett-Jackson)
7. 1968 Dodge Charger $275,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
8. 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series $247,500 (Barrett-Jackson)
9. 1965 Superformance MKIII Cobra $242,000 (Barrett-Jackson)
10. (Tie) 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 $225,500 (Barrett-Jackson)
    • 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air $225,500 (Barrett-Jackson)

9:12 PM: On the flip side we have cars that sold for less than expected: Would you rather a 2001 Ferrari 360 for $71.5k (#4 Hagerty Price Guide value of $73k) or a 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo for $78k (Hagerty Price Guide #4 value $80k)?

Overall, exotics from the 2010s haven’t fared very well,  On average this week they have sold for 7% below the Hagerty #3 value. The two outliers are a 2008 Ferrari F430 and 2010 Ferrari 599 GTB that sold for close to their #2 values. The poor performance of this decade coincides with a slump we are observing in late model cars not doing as well. At Mecum’s Kissimmee auction at the beginning of the month only 57% of cars three years old or newer sold. That’s compared to 81% at their 2022 auction during peak new car frenzy— James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

8:48 PM: That sold for HOW MUCH? Here is a sampling of five American cars that sold for double to triple the Hagerty Price Guide #1 value. It goes to show auctions are a roll of the dice and the right car at the right time can far exceed market expectations.

1. 1970 Mercury Cyclone – $198k
2. 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 – $176k
3. 1964 Chevrolet Corvette 327/365hp convertible – $192k
4. 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – $115.5k
5. 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – $165k

— James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

8:40 PM: The “Minter” name is worth more than gold in the Thunderbird world. Barrett sold a 1957 Ford Thunderbird roadster for $220k. The Hagerty #1 value? $81.4k. Minter’s name nearly tripled it. — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

8:14 PM: Big money for mid-century American style! A 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible just sold for $193,600, right at our #1 condition value. However, we conditioned this vehicle at a #2-, which puts the sale price 42% above its condition appropriate value.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

6:32 PM: Our team of data crunchers often looks at the performance of vehicles versus their Hagerty Price Guide value to see what sells above, on, or below the market. Right now cars below $100k are faring much better than $100k+: 58% of them have sold above the condition appropriate Hagerty Price Guide value vs only 29% above (and 44% below) for $100k+. — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

5:33 PM: If you think there are more vintage trucks crossing the block than you remember, you’re right. While the share of trucks and SUVs in Scottsdale is down slightly from their 22.9% peak in 2023, this year’s 21.9% is significantly higher than the pre-pandemic Arizona auctions. Just shows how popular vintage trucks have become.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

5:02 PM: You might have heard of a famous Oregon-based Porsche shop called Emory Motorsports that created the outlaw 356s. What you might not have known is their 356s sell for a staggering $750k on the open market. RM sold a 1957 Porsche 356 A Outlaw by Emory for $747,500 this week. That same car had been for sale at Porsche of Colorado Springs for $749,890 for several months. Maybe the buyer is in Arizona and wanted to save $2500 on shipping? — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

3:33 PM: An Elkhart Lake Blue 2019 Corvette Z06 sold for $165,000 at Barrett-Jackson – nearly double its #1 value. That’s a pretty hefty sum for the final year a Corvette was built with a front-engine and manual-transmission. The fact that this same car sold for $65k less only a year ago, shows how quickly “the last” of something can become wildly collectable.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

3:25 PM: Six figure electric car! Not something you thought you’d hear this week, but that’s exactly what happened. Worldwide’s offering of a rare and unique 1918 Detroit Electric just netted a hefty sum of $112,000. Take that Tesla! — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

2:36 PM: A new, in-wrapper 1989 Chevrolet Blazer with only 21 actual miles just sold for $154,000 at Barret-Jackson, more than triple its #1 value. Proof the vintage SUV market is still red-hot for unique examples.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

2:28 PM: A pair of crusty, garage find Brits just crossed the block, a 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster and 1963 Morgan Plus Four selling for $30,800 and $16,800 respectively, showing that while the garage find phenomenon is still a thing, but not all bidders will abandon their senses to own one. — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

1:43 PM: Worldwide’s first seven-figure sale of the day comes curtesy of a striking black 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster. After careful bidding, it brought $1,215,000 with buyers premium.  — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

1:04 PM: It would be kind of corny if it was just done up to look like a police car, but this 1972 AMC Javelin SST actually did see use with the Alabama State Police in the ‘70s. It’s since been restored and sold here for $52,800, which is almost twice its #1 value.  — Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

12:38 PM: Body number 1 Sunbeam Tiger crossed the Worldwide block to much fanfare, well known and documented and out of a 4 year restoration, the car brought a strong $134,400 including premium – besting our #1 value by 19%.  — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

11:58 AM: Worldwide’s biggest sale so far jives with the theme of the week – newer cars selling well. A 4,300 mile, 2009 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster sells for $346,000 including premium. Perhaps adding to the Lamborghini stereotype, the driver was vlogging from the block as bidding progressed.  — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

11:42 AM: Several high-dollar H1 Alphas selling this week, but $14,300 for a 17-mile, military-spec Hummer seems like a ton (more like 4 tons) of truck for the money, no?  — Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

11:33 AM: Officially Ford Motor Company’s 100-millionth vehicle, this is surely the world’s nicest, most significant, and at $37,400 most expensive ‘78 Ford Fairmont – an odd but real distinction. Sometimes a simple date, an event or a number can make up the majority of an otherwise unremarkable car’s value, and this is a prime example of that.  — Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

11:02 AM: Worldwide’s one day sale has begun at Singh Meadows in Tempe. Over the next few hours, around 100 cars will cross the block ranging from prewar classics to modern exotics, we’re in the room watching it all.  — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

9:05 AM: On the schedule for today, 98 cars will cross the block at Worldwide’s one-day auction. Barrett-Jackson will continue with the fifth day of their seven-day auction. MAG will continue with their second day of their three-day auction. — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

 

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Thursday, January 25th

10:20 PM: Overall Top 10 Sales from all auctions through Thursday:

1. 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport Coupe sold for $5,175,000 (Bonhams)
2. 2020 McLaren Speedtail Coupe sold for $2,012,500 (RM Sotheby’s)
3. 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Sindelfingen Special Roadster sold for $1,545,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
4. 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupe sold for $1,380,000 (Bonhams)
5. 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Coupe sold for $1,352,500 (RM Sotheby’s)
6. 1963 Shelby Cobra 289 W&S Roadster sold for $1,215,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
7. 2021 Ford GT Mk II sold for $1,006,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
8. 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Coupe sold for $797,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
9. 1957 Porsche 356A Outlaw Coupe sold for $747,500 (RM Sotheby’s)
10. 1984 Audi Quattro Sport Coupe sold for $665,000 (RM Sotheby’s)

10:01 PM: Is it a buyer’s market or seller’s market? Considering the median difference in price between today and the last time it was at auction of a vehicle last seen at auction in the last four years is 0% it might be safe to say it is a healthy market for all involved. — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

 

7:03 PM: Buy low sell high (or the unfortunate oppposite…). It’s no secret I love repeat sales – let’s look at some of the best and worst so far.

Best: 

• 1961 Cadillac Series 62: From $33k in June 2023 to $81.4K today
• 1941 Lincoln PLM Custom Limousine: From $33k two months ago to $72k today

Worst:

• 1986 Ford Bronco: From $60k in 2021 to $46k in 2023 to $27k today. This Bronco isn’t garnering the bids it once was.
• 1966 Wolseley Hornet Mk II: Bought at the start of the COVID collector car frenzy for $26k and sold today for $8k.

— James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

6:59 PM: The right venue makes all the difference. Barrett’s heavily modified 1957 Chevrolet Custom Cameo pickup sold for $104,500 this week. That same truck was bid to only $37K in early 2020 on Bring a Trailer. After all, Barrett-Jackson’s Arizona auction is known for being the Mecca of modified cars. — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

6:50 PM: The Audi Sport Quattro is a rare sight at auctions, with only 214 produced. But, this one at RM just sold for $665,000 setting a record for the model and besting our #1 condition value by nearly $100k. — Adam Wilcox

5:49 PM: $324,000 for the 2014 Ferrari FF at RM is nearly double it’s current #1 condition value. This bodes well for this years Hagerty Bull Market List. The most important part of that sale – it was a 90 mile car. It shows the FF has collector value or some buyers feel it provides something newer models can’t. — Adam Wilcox and James Hewitt. 

5:34 PM: Someone got a whole heck of a lot of car in RM’s $215,000 Lynx-built 1970 Jaguar XK-SS recreation. Great way to drive a legend for both a fraction of the price and a fraction of the worry. — C.G., Hagerty Contributor

5:32 PM: RM was able to scrape past the $1M mark to get $1.006M for a 2021 Ford GT MKII: a car with a $1.2M base MSRP. That’s a far cry from the $2M sale prices achieved by the first 2nd-generation Ford GTs coming to market when the MSRP was closer to $450K. A first-generation 2006 Heritage Edition achieved $550k. Base MSRP back then? $140K.

 

— James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

4:57 PM: $456,000 for a 991.2 Speedster goes for $200,000 more than RM’s earlier $257,600 991.2 GT3 RS. Both are right inline with the Price Guide, but quite a spread between a technically “better” performance sports car and its limited, heritage-inspired sibling.— C.G., Hagerty Contributor

4:31 PM: RM’s 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster sells at no reserve for $1.545M all in today. That same car sold nine years earlier for $1.87M. — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

4:05 PM: Lots 128 and 130 at RM almost gave us the opportunity to gage the Dino vs Daytona market. In recent years, the value of “Chairs and Flares” optioned Ferrari Dinos surpassed the Ferrari Daytona, where the Dino’s chairs borrowed their style. However, the 1973 Dino 246 GTS didn’t make reserve with a $550k high bid, so the $570,000 hammer on the no-reserve 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona won this round. — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

3:02 PM: At RM, A very gorgeous and very yellow 1969 Corvette Convertible with the exceptionally rare L89-Code 427 saw lively bidding, selling for $313,000 and blowing past #1 condition value. These cars rarely come up for sale and bidding here shows that the best and rarest cars still bring exceptional prices.  — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

2:34 PM: It’s not just muscle and restomods bringing money at Barrett-Jackson. This all-stock, low-mile but used 1989 Toyota MR2 is in #2- condition but sold for $51,700, about 6 grand over its #1 value.  — Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

2:34 PM: Lot 108 at RM, a 1975 Porsche 911 Carrera which sold with a final bid $80k short of its low estimate, may have looked like a disappointing sale, but its sale price of $134,400 is 12% above its #1 condition value when options are accounted for. Not bad for a car we gave a #2- condition. — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

2:29 PM: Over at Barrett-Jackson, a 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 with 11,788 actual miles just sold for $176,000, double its #1 condition value.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

2:02 PM: RM’s 85-lot auction is underway, starting with their first lot, a 1939 American Bantam Roadster, hammering 25% above its high estimate of $35,000.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

1:37 PM: After the Cadillac V16 no sale, Bonhams’ other two pre-war heavy weights went with mixed results. While neither were bid past their low estimates, only one went on to new owners. The 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible, which was shown at the 1931 Paris Salon and originally sold to Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, failed to sell with a high bid of $1,880,000. However, the 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Sunroof Coupe (pictured below) sold for $1,380,000.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

12:52 PM: On the other end of the spectrum… Fun, rarity and cute factor per dollar are all way high on this 1969 Moretti 500, which sold for just over $10K at Bonhams. One of just 50 built, it’s a little scruffy but very charming.  — Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor

12:47 PM: Bonhams’ 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ hammered “sold!” at a whopping $4.7 million high bid. The offering represents one of the biggest potential sales of the week, but with a reported eight brought into the country at this specification, where will you find another?  — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

12:28 PM: Sometimes the parking lot can rival the cars in the tent. A small sample from outside Bonhams.  — Brian Rabold, V.P. of Automotive Intelligence

12:12 PM: Bonhams offering of a 1964 Ford Galaxie Convertible with 99 original miles showed up in a big way. Spending several minutes on the block, this time capsule was bid up in steady increments to over double #1 condition, this goes to show that the right car in the right place will bring out the bidders.  — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

12:00 PM: Spitting rain has turned the Bonhams show field into a marsh. It’s fun to watch hulking, chrome-covered Deuseys cut ridges through the muck. For some cars here, this is the first time they’ve seen rain in decades. — C.G., Hagerty Contributor

11:45 AM: At Bonhams, the 1930 Cadillac 452 V-16 Roadster failed to sell after a bidding slowdown at roughly $140,000 under low-estimate. That’s a shame, as for Pre-War American metal, it doesn’t get much more blue-chip than this. And, as a perfect contrast, the 1951 Kaiser Deluxe that immediately followed saw quick bidding that pushed the winning bid to the $35,000 high estimate. — C.G., Hagerty Contributor

11:00 AM: The first 15 lots at Bonhams were offered with no reserve and sold with varying degrees of success. A 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Saloon sold for $268,800 (29% over its appropriate Hagerty Price Guide condition (#4+) value). The best buy of the group was the 1959 Citroen ID 19 Berline which sold for $19,040 after fees, half its low estimate.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

10:17 AM: Bonhams is about to begin. There is a great lineup of cars with some big pre-war headliners such as a 1936 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante, 1930 Cadillac V16 Roadster, and 1931 Duesenberg Model J, however the biggest anticipated sale is for a 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport with a $5.5M high estimate.  — Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide Editor

9:00 AM: On the schedule for today, Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s will both hold their single-day auctions, and Barrett-Jackson will continue the fourth day of its week-long auction.  — Adam Wilcox, Senior Data Analyst

8:15 AM: Checking into my hotel in the heart of Phoenix, and again, a quick conversation with the check-in desk proved Barrett-Jackson is the name-brand of the week, as that’s all you’ll hear from locals. — C.G., Hagerty Contributor

 

Wednesday, January 24th

10:15 PM: The most expensive vehicle to sell so far is a unique 2009 Chevrolet Corvette that was customized to look like a ’63 split-window Corvette. At $128.7k it also costs as much as a split-window Corvette…

10:00 PM: If you’re looking for a bidding thrill on a budget make sure you get in and out early. The average price of the a vehicle creeps up substantially as the week goes on. This is after only three days at Barrett-Jackson’s auction:

7:57 PM: Top tip: as you’re prepping to bid on cars make sure to research if they have come to auction before. Many have: 513 cars at the Arizona auctions have been to auction before – 223 of those have been at auction within the last year. Take this 2014 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6×6 Brabus for example: in the last two years we have seen this exact vehicle auctioned six times at four different auction companies. The high bid has ranged by a staggering $450k, from a high of $1.35M in late 2021 to a low of $900k in March 2022, and the two times it managed to sell had an all-in price of $1.175M and $1.21M. At Broad Arrow’s August 2023 Monterey auction it reached a $1M high bid and failed to sell. Any guesses on what it will get bid to (or sell for) this week? — James Hewitt, Senior Data Analyst

12:05 PM: We’ve landed in Scottsdale and are surveying some of the lots that will be heading across the block tomorrow. This 1948 Citroen 2CV at Bonhams is a rare model from the first year of production. It’s a little rough around the edges but charming. Features unique to early 2CVs include: a corrugated hood, early-style grille, and a full-length folding roof. The 9-horsepower 2-cylinder was good for a 0–25mph time of 42.4 seconds. 60mph was out of the question.  — Andrew Newton, Senior Auction Editor