Three special vehicles, including a famous Ken Block hoonigan video car, have been donated for Barrett-Jackson’s Fall Auction to be sold for charitable organizations.
The sale of the cars, for which the auction company takes no commissions, will add to Barrett-Jackson’s total of $126 million raised over the years for more than 170 organizations nationwide.
The live/online sale, to be held October 22-24 at WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona, was added to Barrett-Jackson’s schedule this year to replace the Northeast and Las Vegas auctions, which were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2016 Ford Focus RS RX piloted by Block for Gymkhana Nine, an internet icon seen by millions of followers, will be sold with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting Team Rubicon, which helps armed-forces veterans assist those affected by disasters, as well as themselves, according to a Barrett-Jackson news release.
The RX is dressed in distinctive livery designed by renowned Argentinian artist Felipe Pantone, marking the first time that Block and the Hoonigan Racing Division worked with an outside partner on the styling of one of their stunt cars.
The Focus is equipped with an M-Sport and Ford Performance turbocharged 2.0-liter, inline-4 engine that sends 600 horsepower to all four wheels via a Sadev 6-speed sequential gearbox.
Also being sold for charity is a 2019 Ford-350 Super Duty Dually transformed into the “Ultimate Tailgate Truck” by the engineers at Extang, a Truck Hero company, along with Washtenaw Community College students in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The truck’s 8-foot bed is outfitted with a 65-inch LG 4K TV, custom Maxxsonics 8-inch speakers, copper-plated swing-out grill, cooler and custom dining table.
The truck will be sold to benefit Building Homes for Heroes, which provides houses for homeless veterans.
A new 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, a mid-engine C8 painted in Shadow Gray Metallic with red leather interior, will be sold to benefit the Heartstrings Foundation, an organization that provides guitars to veterans and actively serving military members and their families, as well as music-therapy programs, children’s hospitals, first responders, transitional housing for battered women, drug treatment programs and other non-profit organizations around the country.
The winner of the Corvette bidding also will receive a guitar autographed by a number of notable country music artists.
Charity sales to benefit worthy causes have been a longtime signature feature of Barrett-Jackson auctions, with the vehicles being donated and the auction company donating valuable block time. Every dollar of the winning bids goes to the charities, according to Barrett-Jackson.
“It’s a great honor to use the Barrett-Jackson platform to help those in need,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and chief executive of Barrett-Jackson, in the news release. “The tremendous generosity of those who donate vehicles to be sold for charity and our incredible customers who bid for them speaks volumes about their incredible character.
“We have three very special vehicles that will support American military veterans, as well as those affected by disasters and humanitarian crises.”
The Fall Auction will be held under strict pandemic restrictions, according to the news release, following local, state and federal health and safety protocols, and maintaining physical-distancing guidelines recommended for live events.
The live auction, usually attended by thousands of spectators, will be limited to bidders, consignors and their guests. Enhanced live online and phone bidding options will be available for registered bidders.
For more information about the Fall Auction, visit the Barrett-Jackson website.
How do I register as a bidder in this auction?
A link to the Barrett-Jackson website is at the end of the article.