I Need More Money (and Less Brains)

The Barrett-Jackson classic car auction finished yesterday. I didn't watch as much of it as I would have liked, and I haven't heard of any industry-altering sales this year. But I did find a few lots that looked interesting on their website.

I used to like the Barrett-Jackson auction for the exotics. The Ferraris, the Duesenbergs, the Tuckers. You know, the cars you never saw out in "the real world." Lately they've been focusing on classic American muscle cars. (I have nothing against that. As an American I like to celebrate my heritage by driving by myself in a 6-passenger, 6500lb car at 80 mph, getting 4mpg, while eating a Big Mac from a non-bio-degradable Styrofoam container.) But it seems like the big money excitement cars are very rare versions of somewhat common cars.

Maybe I haven't seen a 1970 Chevelle LS-6. But does it look different than the Chevelle on blocks in my neighbors yard? Probably not. But when is the last time you saw anything like a Mercedes 540K? Or a Duesenberg? Or even a Ferrari Dino?

I still have to work for a living. For me Barrett-Jackson is a car show not an auction. I want to see unicorns, not buy horses.

1974 Triumph TR-6. Sold for $14,500. Mallard Green with 42000 original miles. It looks really nice in the pictures but, as my wife likes to point out I'm a little anal about these things. So there are a few things that look out of place to me. I'm no expert (and if you are an expert please correct me) but here's my list:
1. Tires. On a car being sold as an original they should be Redlines.
2. Exhaust. Looks like a Monza.
3. Badging. What is that in front of the British-Leyland badge on the left front fender?
4. Bumpers. There are black rubber bumper riders in the back but not in the front. I've never seen that before.
5. Under the hood. What's with the red hoses? What's the box on the drivers side inner fender behind the brake reservoir?

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III. $105,000!

1967 Cobra 427. Okay, this looks like about 1000 cars you've already seen. Hell, there's a Superformance dealer down the street with 40 in his lot that you couldn't tell from an original at a stop light. (And it's one of the American Muscle cars I was whining about 4 paragraphs ago. Cobras are given a pass.) It's a 427 side-oiler? 11,000 original miles? If I had the resources I'd have gone toe-to-toe with Ron Pratte for this one.

I guess it's good to have something to strive for.