2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse nets $300K, Kris Jenner Thunderbird sells for market value
Kris Jenner sold her Fiesta Red 1956 Ford Thunderbird at auction for $49,500.
The convertible hardtop was received as a Christmas gift by the businesswoman who gained notoriety as the matriarch of the Kardashian clan, according to the Barrett-Jackson auction company.
Still, the celebrity affiliation didn't drive the sale price higher or lower, because it sold for market value, said classic car consultant Jonathan Klinger, of Traverse City.
"The new owner does have an interesting chapter in that car’s history," he told the Detroit Free Press on Sunday. "Historically, when you start to look at celebrity value as it relates to sale of the vehicle, car buyers tend to react more positively to the celebrity owner if that person is viewed as a car enthusiast."
The Thunderbird sale on Thursday wasn't the only high-profile Ford vehicle that hit the auction block in Scottsdale, Arizona in recent days.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse VIN 001
Ford Motor Co. donated the first 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse VIN 001 with a six-speed manual transmission, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The Blue Ember Metallic sports car with a blue and black interior sold for a whopping $300,000 on Saturday.
Car collectors love to buy the first or last vehicle built, Klinger said. And donating proceeds to charity almost always guarantees a higher sale price, he said. "It's a proven strategy."
A basic 2024 Dark Horse sells for about $60,000 while premium versions are listed around $80,000. A cars.com ad online listed a used version with 82 miles on the odometer at $84,999 in St. Clair Shores this week.
1968* Shelby GT350
A 1968 Continuation Shelby GT350 convertible snagged $100,000 on Friday to fund scholarships for students attending the Carroll Shelby Automotive Program at Northeast Texas Community College, located near Shelby's birthplace.
Donor Barry Smith, owner of Legendary GT Continuation Cars in Roaring Springs, Pennsylvania, built the Wimbledon White convertible from the original 1960s-era Mustang, with a factory VIN and original title as a 1968 Ford Mustang.
1965 Shelby GT350
The 1965 Shelby GT350 is one of 562 vehicles for its model year and, notably, one of the final eight crafted in 1965, sold on Saturday for $522,500.
The sale included period photos, owner letters, race time history and documentation with the sale. It has undergone cosmetic improvements and restoration, including refurbished suspension. The vehicle has a total of 39,170 miles.
Two vintage Mustang Boss 429s
A Black Jade 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 and a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429, one of only 43 of the 500 custom-built models painted Grabber Green, sold for $363,000 and $286,000, respectively, on Saturday.
"The Boss 429, in terms of Mustang pedigree, that's definitely a serious Mustang," Klinger said prior to the sale.
What the prices mean for the economy
Skeptics have questioned the stability of the collector car market headed into the auction, wondering whether there might be a price correction after the "post-COVID exuberance," said Klinger, a board member of the McPherson College Auto Restoration Program in McPherson, Kansas. "Looking at the macro-economics, the fact that these vehicles are selling for market appropriate prices versus selling for significantly less speaks to a nice healthy market versus something that's volatile."
Craig Jackson, CEO of Barrett-Jackson, told the Free Press that the auction scene continues to be dynamic.
“It wasn’t just the quantity of consignments that were strong, but the quality as well," he said. "We have hundreds of incredible vehicles that we had to defer to future auctions, and this demand and enthusiasm around Scottsdale is part of the reason we announced that we will be hosting a second event here in Arizona in 2024, the Scottsdale Fall Auction, Oct. 10-13. Despite the economy at times, the collector car market has remained strong and our auction this week reflects that.”
More: Ford just added 100 hidden-for-decades photos of concept cars to its online archive
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on X at @phoebesaid
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2024 Mustang Dark Horse nets $300K, outshines Jenner's '56 Thunderbird
