Page 8 - Experience Magazine Fall 2022

Steve Davis’
BEHIND THE SHADES Mustang that I encountered set me Recently, Ford came out with the new
on a path I’m still on today. I was 2022 Ford Shelby GT500 Heritage
living in San Mateo, California, and Edition, and the unique aspect of the
riding my bike down the main drag Heritage Edition is that Brittany Blue
where all the car dealers were. I was color. That’s my latest acquisition.
so obsessed with cars, I would get on The Brittany-Blue trio (shown
my bike and ride down Auto Row.
opposite page) has a wonderful
As I rode past the used car section collectibility, but it also has a
of the Dodge dealer, it had a trio story attached to it with my first
lined up in a row that may as well Brittany Blue Shelby. It ties the
have been spaceships to a bike- cars together for me on a personal
bound kid — a first-generation level. I’ve also been very interested
Mustang fastback, a Jaguar E-Type in the numbers and provenance
STEVE DAVIS’ DARK GLASSES PROTECT HIS EYES FROM and a 1963 Corvette. I was fixated of my cars. My Shelby Heritage
A LIGHT SENSITIVITY CONDITION – BUT THAT DOESN’T on those three cars. I looked in Edition GT500 has a VIN that
HINDER HIS VISION OF THE COLLECTOR CAR MARKET. the window of that Mustang, matches my 2017 Ford GT — so
and it had the Rally-Pac gauges they have matching VIN numbers,
on the steering column with the which makes it special too.
COLLECTING CARS tachometer and clock. I thought In keeping with my matching VINs,
WITH MEANING that was the coolest thing ever. many of my Shelbys share VIN 011.
When you’ve been in the Later, I was telling an older fellow
collector car hobby as long as I I knew about it, and he asked, As a result of the journey I’ve taken
have, with some of that time in “Was it a Shelby?” I didn’t know with Barrett-Jackson, going on
the spotlight, people get curious anything about Shelby Mustangs, three decades now, I have other
about what motivates me to buy so I started searching through car cars I’ve added to my collection for
the cars I do. The questions I models at the store and reading personal reasons. In this job, I’ve
am asked the most are, “WHAT car magazines until I had a handle been blessed with the opportunity
KIND OF CARS DO YOU HAVE? to become friends with legends like
on what a Shelby Mustang was.
WHAT CARS DO YOU LIKE TO BUY?” Carroll Shelby, Don “The Snake”
From that point forward I was
The short answer to that is, every absolutely hooked. Prudhomme, Lee Iacocca and others.
As a kid, you can’t even dream you’d
one of the cars I have in my Of course, it was many, many years become friends, stand on the auction
collection, the cars that I look for, before I was able to acquire a Shelby block and have phone conversations
are cars that have a meaning for me Mustang. But eventually I did, and about cars in general with these folks.
personally that transcends the sum that factory-supercharged 1967 GT350 My time with Barrett-Jackson has
of the parts. Collecting, for me, and Shelby Mustang really represents my really helped me appreciate the cars
the cars that I buy, really do reflect philosophy on collecting. That car that I’ve collected and enhanced and
a lot of who I am and represent a has been in my life since 1977, when reinforced my passion for the hobby.
lot of my history as a hobbyist, as a we bought it after putting a second
collector, as a dealer, as a consultant mortgage on our home. It’s become Having Edsel Ford at the auction
and then ultimately as the president part of the family. when we sold the first ’07 Shelby
of Barrett-Jackson. I still get the I’ve always loved that car, and I love GT500, one of the most anticipated
same thrill every time I see a car its Brittany Blue color. It’s become events in the car world, was one of
that’s special to me. my personal highlights. When that
my trademark car, so much so that all came together at Barrett-Jackson,
The longer answer takes me back to I was very fortunate when the new it was an amazing experience for
my childhood and the influences Ford GT came out, I was able to everyone, but me in particular.
that shaped me. When I was a kid, purchase a 2017 and had a custom Standing on that stage, after helping
cars were an escape. And I just loved Brittany Blue color mixed to match to put it together behind the scenes,
Mustangs when they came out. One my 1967 Shelby.
that’s one of those memories that

8 BARRETT-JACKSON EXPERIENCE FALL 2022