Saturday in Scottsdale - Barret Jackson Auction

Lot #2501 – 1950 General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress Tour Bus – $4,000,000

Special to The Auto Channel From Barret Jackson

Scottsdale January 18, 2015; A Like a lumbering giant, the 1950 General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress Tour Bus from the Ron Pratte Collection idled into the packed arena at the 44th Annual Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction. Onlookers could truly get a sense of the vehicle’s massive size. Pratte, a Vietnam veteran, is donating 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the Futurliner to the Armed Forces Foundation (AFF) in support of service members, veterans and their families. As the huge crowd enthusiastically waved American flags and cheered, a U.S. Marine Corps color guard took center stage, joined by veterans and active-duty military, and flanked by the ultra-rare transporter. The auctioneers got the ball rolling. As the price rose, so did the roar of the crowd—culminating in the hammer going down on the winning bid of $4 million. The collector car hobby is full of generous, patriotic enthusiasts. Another dozen or so generous individuals donated an additional $650,000, bringing the grand total to $4.65 million, all for AFF.

Just days after what would have been Carroll Shelby’s 92nd birthday, his personal 427 Cobra Super Snake returned to the auction block for the first time since 2007. After presiding in the Ron Pratte Collection, it’s clear that the Super Snake was in pristine condition with sparkling paint and a high state of tune. Hundreds of thousands had visited the car at its impressive display at WestWorld during the prior week, almost as if paying homage to a king. Enthusiasts reveled in what is the most valuable 427 Cobra roadster in existence. Between the car itself and the Barrett-Jackson display, it was clear that Ron Pratte and Barrett-Jackson covered all of the bases in anticipation of the Super Snake sale. When the time finally came for bidding to begin, only one thing was missing: Carroll Shelby himself. A friend to Ron Pratte, Craig Jackson, Steve Davis and so many in the collector car world, Carroll Shelby touched many lives. His spirit lives on in his legend as well as his cars. His soul has, in part, transferred to the metal, fabric and rubber that comprise the Super Snake. As the legendary Cobra changes hands, the new owner is but a custodian of a great car and a significant piece of Carroll Shelby history. Congratulations to the new owner. Shortly after the bidding closed without meeting reserve, a deal was struck for a sale price of $5.1115� million.

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Lot #2509 – 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 “Super Snake” – $5,115,000

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Ford is knocking it out of the park with the Ford Shelby GT350R Coupe. The exciting new car was donated for a great cause with all proceeds benefitting Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The striking GT350R was driven onstage by none other than Mark Fields, CEO of Ford Motor Company, and accompanied by representatives of JDRF, who got the bidding rising quickly, resulting in a whopping $1 million raised for the cause, with another generous donation of $100,000 tacked on after the hammer went down.

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Lot #3008 – Ford Shelby GT350R Couple – $1,000,000

The morning saw some incredible pieces of automobilia from the Ron Pratte Collection go up for auction, with the hottest item being a 1950s Chevrolet “Chevy Boy” single-sided neon porcelain dealership sign (Lot #9495), which went for $69,000. A unique Carroll Shelby Signature stainless steel neon sign (Lot #9490) was among the top sellers, fetching $37,950.�An unusual item to rank in the top�10 of Saturday’s automobilia was a superb 1958 17-foot ChrisCraft wooden speedboat bar (Lot #9476), which a lucky bidder walked away with for $34,500. Ron Pratte’s pedal car collection was second to none; a 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer concept car design studio model pedal car (Lot #9471) sold for $33,925.

Among the record crowds at today’s auction were celebrities that included actress Sharon Stone; comedian Tim Allen; racing legends Jeff Gordon, Arie Luyendyk and Rusty Wallace; former MLB players Reggie Jackson, Pat Burrell and Paul Konerko; and Phoenix Suns player P.J. Tucker. Visitors not only enjoyed the acres and acres of car displays, sponsor exhibits, and the giant vendor marketplace, but were entertained to a true taste of the Southwest by a country music band and the second round of the exciting 2nd Annual Barrett-Jackson Bull-Riding Challenge.

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Here are the remaining Top 10 sellers of the day:

Lot #2500 –
1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama Concept Car – $3,300,000