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CARS & CIGARS

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN WHEN IT COMES TO COLLECTING

The term “man cave” was coined in the early
1990s, referring to a male’s “place of solitude”
or the “last bastion of masculinity.” Whether a
garage, a basement or a dedicated room in one’s
home, the man cave remains a space where a man
can be alone, indulge in hobbies or just hang out
with male friends.
It’s no surprise that many items offered during
Barrett-Jackson Automobilia Auctions find their
way into the décor of these male-centric spaces,
from vintage gas pumps and neon porcelain car
dealership signs to nostalgic soda memorabilia
and antique toys.
It is a natural assumption that the occasional
fine cigar might be enjoyed in such spaces as
well, especially when you consider the rise in
popularity of cigar lounges and “Cars & Cigars”
events around the country in recent years. And
that perhaps would explain the increasing interest
in cigar collectibles on the automobilia stage,
providing the perfect ornamentation for any cigar
aficionado’s domain – whether male or female!

Historians generally believe the cigar was invented
by the ancient Mayans, who would wrap the
tobacco in a palm or plaintain leaf and smoke
it; an ancient Mayan pot from the 10th century
depicts a man puffing on one of these very early
cigars. Synonymous with premium cigars, Cuba –
with its fertile land and warm climate – become
a very popular location to grow tobacco plants;
sailing ships distributed Cuban tobacco from
Europe to Asia. Later, Tampa, Florida, became
a cigar hotspot, with many Cuban cigar-makers
migrating there.

The cigar industry saw its biggest growth after the
Civil War. At the industry’s peak, 40,000 cigar
factories operated in the United States.
Cigars continued to grow in popularity all over
the world, with the U.S. consuming approximately
300 million cigars by the middle of the 19th

78 BARRETT-JACKSON EXPERIENCE FALL 2021