At the recent Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Las Vegas, a lot of emotion and more than $1 million was generated for first-responder and medical charities in the aftermath of the mass shooting in that city. The auction also featured a display of some of the vehicles that will cross the block at Barrett-Jackson’s 47th annual Scottsdale auction in January.
Monday, the company announced more information about that sale, including news of the return of Ron Pratte.
For those new to the collector car hobby, Pratte built one of the most amazing car collections ever assembled, but then at Barrett-Jackson’s auction in Scottsdale 2015, sold nearly all of those vehicles and an array of automobilia. The Pratte collection brought $40.44 million, and it still ranks at the fifth largest sale of a single consignor’s collection in collector car auction history.
For Scottsdale 2018, Pratte has consigned a 2017 Ford GT, the newest Ford supercar. The car, in Ford’s Liquid Blue color, has been donated by Pratte to the Evernham Family-Racing for a Reason Foundation. and its sale will benefit the Autism Society of North Carolina’s Ignite Program.
Ray Evernham is a long-time NASCAR crew chief and team owner. He also restores collector cars and recently unveiled “The Ghost,” a retro-style race car that puts modern technology beneath a 1936 Chevrolet sedan body. In 2018, Evernham plans to run the car on dirt tracks, around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and up Pikes Peak to demonstrate the car’s capabilities.
In addition to the 2017 Ford GT being sold for charity, Barrett-Jackson announced several other vehicles that will be part of its 2018 Scottsdale docket.
They include a 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Freestone & Webb Sedanca De Ville, one of only 10 produced by the W.S. Atcherley, a small British coachbuilding company, and the first (No. 001) 1966 Shelby GT350 prototype.
The Rolls has copper-skinned bodywork and was nicknamed the “Copper Kettle” by friends of the cars original owner, John Gaul.
The most obvious of the special features of the GT350 prototype is its Medium Blue vinyl roof. In its final weeks at Shelby American, the car was sent to Acme Auto Headlining to be fitted with the vinyl roof cover, which was being considered as a possible factory option.
Also on the docket will be:
- A one-off 1951 Talbot-Lago T-26 Grand Sport Saoutchik coupe.
- A 2006 Ford GT in Tungsten Gray and with only 650 miles on its odometer.
- A 1987 Buick Grand National GNX (No. 003), which was the first unit sold at retail.
- Two 1963 Chevrolet Corvette split-window coupes.
- A restored 1965 Volkswagen 21-window Deluxe Microbus.
- A 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Six-Pack V-Code car driven only 34,500 miles since new.
“Following a memorable 2017 Las Vegas Auction, we are continuing to build a collector car event for Scottsdale that is more than just an auction, it is a celebration of the automotive lifestyle,” Barrett-Jackson chairman and chief executive Craig Jackson is quoted in the news release.
“We will also be engaging in a yearlong charitable initiative to raise much-needed funds and awareness for an important cause, with more details to come in December,” he added.
What a great bunch of people to admire there passion and most of all giving back.