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Barrett-Jackson is kicking off Arizona Car Week this weekend at WestWorld in Scottsdale, and with it, scores of visitors will roll in to see collector, buzz-worthy and celebrity-owned cars.
The event, which starts Saturday and concludes Jan. 30, is bringing more than 1,800 cars with no reserve to the Valley, meaning there is no minimum price and the vehicles will sell to the highest bidder.
Last year, the auction house sold 1,039 autos and brought in $99.9 million in sales, according to Hagerty Price Guide.
Here are the highlights to look forward to during Barrett-Jackson this year.
Celebrity appearances
One of the most exciting highlights of Barrett-Jackson every year is learning who will cross the auction block. President George W. Bush, talk show host Jay Leno and TV personality Simon Cowell have made appearances at the event.
This year, Pitbull and Bret Michaels are set to promote their cars and raise money for charity.
Michaels, frontman for the 1980s rock band Poison, is slated to accompany a 1973 DeTomaso Pantera when it crosses the auction block on Friday to benefit the Barrow Neurological Foundation
Michaels’ 2007 Bentley Continental GT will cross the auction block on the same day, with part of the proceeds benefiting his nonprofit, Life Rocks Foundation.
Pitbull will take the stage on Jan. 29 to help auction a 2022 Karma GS-6 for The SLAM Foundation and Selfless Love Foundation, two charities that help underserved youth.
Scottsdale native David Spade is auctioning his 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle. The car will be auctioned on Jan. 29, although the actor is not expected to cross the auction block with it.
Rare and buzz-worthy cars
Barrett-Jackson is also known for auctioning off cars that were featured in Hollywood.
One of this year’s Hollywood cars to be auctioned is the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SE (Lot #1264), which was made popular in “Smokey and the Bandit,” and was owned by late Burt Reynolds, who starred in the movie.
Three vehicles featured in the “Fast and Furious” series will also cross the auction block, including a 1956 Chevrolet Fleetline (Lot #1263) and a 1956 Ford Fairlane (Lot #1264), which appeared in the opening scene of the eighth movie. A 1987 Buick Regal Grand National (Lot #1265 ), driven by Vin Diesel in the fourth film, will also be up for grabs.
There are also the cars whose owners are part of history, like a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette 427 convertible (Lot #1420) that was owned by Alan Shepard, the first American astronaut to go to outer space.
The last Buick Grand National to ever be built in 1987 (Lot 1347) will also be on the auction block. GM workers signed the car’s engine and decorated two signs that read, “Built by the Best,” and “The End,” which are also included in the sale.
On the modern side, the main highlight is a rare 2020 Ford GT Carbon Series (Lot 1399), the first ever of this model to be offered for sale.
The first hybrid supercar to be produced, a 2014 McLaren P1 (Lot #1413) is also being auctioned off without reserve.
Plenty of rare automobilia and memorabilia, such as gas pumps from the 1920s and a Disneyland toy machine from the 1960s, will also be auctioned off throughout the nine-day event.
Reach the reporter at rclo@arizonarepublic.com or at 480-267-4703. Follow her on Twitter @renataclo.
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