Barrett-Jackson set a Palm Beach auction record with $60.7 million in total sales and offered car collectors the opportunity to view and buy many unique vehicles that aren’t often seen on the road. After spending three-days at the auction, I found myself gravitating to the some of the more unique options for collector car lovers.
After walking more than 7 miles in uncomfortable dress shoes in Florida humidity, taking a nerve-racking thrill ride in a 470-horsepower 2022 Ford Mustang Mach 1 (the ride was recorded but the footage has mysteriously disappeared for my sake), and meeting a lot of great people, I present some of my favorite offerings from the 3-day auction that featured nearly 700 vehicles from a diverse docket:
2003 AVSE “street legal” NASCAR coupe
1986 Chevrolet Corvette IMSA GTP race car re-creation
It’s documented that I don’t drive quickly, but I am a motorsports fan and the idea of a street-legal race car is enticing. Based on my Captain Slow mindset, it stands to reason I wouldn’t get any of these cars out of second gear, but I like to imagine that I would look cool driving under the speed limit in a street legal racecar.
1982 Checker Marathon Taxi Sedan
As a former Blockbuster Video cashier and overall movie aficionado, I’ve seen D.C. Cab a few more times than the recommended dosage. Paint this yellow and I’m rolling like Mr. T., or I could use it for a side hustle as a Lyft driver.
The term multi-purpose vehicle has evolved into a favorable term for a van or people hauler. I like to think of an MPV as a vehicle with different uses or objectives. As such, this Amphicar fulfills my concept of an MPV. The Taylor Aerocar also falls into this genre, but history has largely ignored true MPVs that offer road use and floatation of flight.
Lamborghini’s origin story is unique. I can’t think of another supercar manufacturer that started by producing farm equipment, and if one is inclined they can still purchase a tractor with the iconic bull logo on it. I know nothing about tractors, I’ve been on two farms in my lifetime and have never driven a tractor, but this 1963 Lamborghini 2R in Gulf Racing-style livery might have changed my trajectory if we had crossed paths sooner.
A six-pack of 6×6 vehicles crossed the docket at the 2022 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction. These highly modified SUVs have strong stance, a long track, and a lot of wheels, but I’m not sure of their practical purpose. Every vehicle doesn’t need a practical application and hopefully these custom SUVs don’t have an existential crisis.
The 2022 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction was a great experience. Good people, great cars and the humidity tapered off each day to a better level for a Phoenix resident. I got to see some vehicles up close that I had only read about and that is a great souvenir from a trip to the Sunshine state.
