Auction Results: Barrett-Jackson’s 2013 Scottsdale Sale

Having held an auction in Scottsdale for 41 years, one would think Barrett-Jackson would be out of surprises. Not so, though, as the company only fell $5.5M short of its record $108M set in the high-flying days of 2007. Its 2013 effort totaled $102.5M from the sale of 1,336 lots (including an airplane), with only four lots failing to change hands. This outing far surpassed 2012’s $90.4M return to form.

In as dramatic a fashion as imaginable, the top sale was George Barriss’s iconic Batmobile, used in the 1960s television series starring Adam West. The car sold for an astonishing $4.62M in front of tens of thousands of standing spectators. Clark Gable’s 1955 Mercedes-Benz Gullwing sold for a very strong $2,035,000, and a 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda convertible sold for a market-correct $1.32M. Best buy of the week among all auction houses was a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 coupe that sold for $280,500 in the wake of the Owens/Corning L88 selling for more than a million dollars. This was roughly half of what was expected.

Top 10:

1. George Barris Batmobile Roadster sold for $4,620,000
2. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe sold for $2,035,000
3. 1947 Talbot Lago Record T26 Grand Sport Coupe sold for $2,035,000
4. 1934 Duesenberg J Murphy LWB Custom Beverly Sedan sold for $1,430,000
5. 1956 Chrysler Diablo Concept Convertible sold for $1,375,000
6. 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible sold for $1,320,000
7. 1929 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A SS sold for $1,320,000
8. 1949 Delahaye 135MS Saoutchik Coupe De Ville sold for $1,210,000
9. 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Owens/Corning Race Car sold for $1,100,000
10. 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe sold for $1,100,000

Barrett-Jackson will next conduct its West Palm Beach sale on April 4-6, 2013, before initiating a brand-new sale in Reno during Hot August Nights.