Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction returns with over 600 vehicles
South Florida car enthusiasts can rejoice as the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction returns to the South Florida Fairgrounds Thursday to Saturday.
Barrett-Jackson's chairman and CEO, Craig Jackson, told the Daily News that the company is excited to return to Palm Beach County, fueled by the success of the January auction in the company's hometown of Scottsdale, Arizona.
"We come off our biggest Scottsdale auction ever, and we have a great line-up of cars this year," Jackson said.
The three-day event features over 600 vehicles including a 1983 Honda ATC 110 three-wheeler and rare vintage cars such as the 1959 Cadillac El Dorado Brougham, one of 99 ever built.
"Across the board we have movie cars, the '68 challenger from 'Joe Dirt,' and a lot of very high end sports cars ... multiple new Ford GTs coming over the auction block, Ferraris," Jackson said. "Barret-Jackson is a little bit of everything."
Jackson said this year's lineup will also include a vehicle never sold before by Barrett-Jackson, a decommissioned but fully functional 1976 Leopard Battle Tank.
"It's fully restored, you can drive it around," Jackson said. "It's quite the piece."
Also up for auction are 11 vehicles from local celebrity and car enthusiast John Staluppi's "Cars of Dream Collection," including a 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire that features a striking maroon exterior with matching leather upholstery.
The auction isn't limited to just automobiles, Jackson said, noting that hundreds of pieces of vintage automobile memorabilia, or "automobilia," are included in the auction's docket.
"Gas pumps, gas signs, '50s diner items, they're all authentic, original," Jackson said.
He also noted that unlike many auctions, all vehicles and "automobilia" up for auction are marked as no reserve, meaning that they will be sold at the price set before the hammer drops for the auction.
"So the last person with their hand in the air, if it's their dream car, they will own it," Jackson said.
To participate in the auction, bidders must have the required pre-registration forms, state-issued identification, insurance and payment method ready on-site.
For those not planning to participate in the auction, there's plenty more to check out, including an exhibitor marketplace featuring vendors selling a host of products such as hand carved sculptures, custom jewelry and unique home décor.
"We sell as I say, everything you don't need but want to have," said Jackson about the exhibitor marketplace.
Those looking for more excitement can check out the Dodge Thrill Rides and Ford Hot Laps, where attendees can jump into the passenger seat of the newest muscle cars from Dodge and Ford and experience their power as a professional driver races through the track.
For the first time in Barrett-Jackson's history, Volvo will be offering test drives of their newest models.
The event will also have food offerings, and live music, Jackson said.
"It's a little bit of everything, and its fun for the whole family," he added.
The auction will be livestreamed on the fyi and History Channel, though the history network will only present Saturday's auction. The auction also can be livestreamed via the Barrett-Jackson app.
General admission tickets for the three-day event are available for purchase online as well as at the box office and provide access to the entire event except for access to the auction block, which is reserved for bidders and private skyboxes.
For more information on the event and ticket prices, go to https://barrett-jackson.com/. The South Florida Fairgrounds is at 9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach.
Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction returns with over 600 vehicles
