Being born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Barrett Jackson auction has always been an event for looking. Never once in my years of going has it been to purchase a vehicle or even sell one. I have always gone because to me, as a little girl, as a teenager, and now as a young adult it is a car show and an opportunity to see some of the most unique and rare cars in the world.
What appeals to me about Barrett-Jackson is its diversity. You never know what you will come across. I remember running around with my dad, looking at all the beautiful cars and what I love so much about that is that each car has its own story from its own time. I love the glamorous long hoods and rolling fenders from the ’20s and ’30s, to the more angled and bubble-esk cars of the ’40s and ’50s into the powerhouse ‘60s and ’70s muscle cars, and the more modern cars I see roaming the streets today.
As I walked around Barrett-Jackson today I had a new appreciation for these cars that can be attributed to fond memories of riding shot gun in some of my dad’s old hot rods and hearing him passionately talk about his dream cars the years before. This year I took Barrett-Jackson in stride and decided to look at the cars as if I was window shopping for my future car collection.
Here are some of the cars I wanted to take home with me and why:
 | 1968 Jaguar E-type roadster This is a fairly new addition to my dream garage. Something is so intoxicatingly sensual to me about the long nose on this car (Lot 805). The pearlescent blue paint sucks me in and leaves me wanting more. This particular year represents a transition between the early Series I and Series II, giving the driver/owner the best of Series I styling cues and the technical improvements of the Series II. |
 | 1957 Chevrolet 210 custom I am instantly taken back to a time when I was sitting on the grandstands of the drag strip at Firebird International Raceway. As a young girl, and still to this day, there is nothing more captivating than a ’57 Chevy speeding down the quarter mile. This one (Lot 793.1) is a Resto-mod housing a healthy Z06-LS6 motor and a six-speed-manual, and in seductive red. |
 | 1968 Ford Mustang custom convertible There is nothing more that I love than race cars and Mustangs. Put the two together in this white convertible with beautiful red stripes (Lot 1010) and what do you get? Pure awesomeness. I love the aggressive styling of the hood scoops combined with the sleep side scoops and aggressive no-nonsense front grill area. |
 | 1935 Ford custom pickup This speaks to me on so many levels. It has the aggressive front grill with defined and sharp edges, the swooping rolling fenders, and that classic hot rod look. Missing side panels leaves the built ’59 AB Flathead motor exposed. Add in those three beautiful chrome Stromberg 97 carburetors with rare Sharp intake manifold and Sharp aluminum heads and you got yourself a real winner (Lot 455) dripping in gorgeous purple paint. |
 | 1966 Shelby Daytona recreation coupe What I loved about this car is that it is 100-percent unique, something I have never seen before. Complete with a fixed hard top and a wide body stance, this Shelby Daytona Coupe (Lot 495) is an eye catcher. The build list on this car is incredible and includes a 406-cid stroker motor, Edelbrock carburetor, and all the fun shiny extras like a polished aluminum intake, aluminum radiator, headers, and a chrome exhaust. |
 | 2008 Shelby GT500 KR What I love so much about this is simple: it looks like Marilyn (my very own 2005 Ford Mustang). I look at this Shelby as an inspiration for what my car could become. I love the front bumper, the splitter is sexy as all heck, and I have been lusting after the GT500 hood. What makes this car (Lot 440) even more spectacular to me? It’s the same Torch Red as mine. I also love the Carbon fiber mirror covers and side skirts. |
