Page 9 - Experience Magazine Spring 2022

of those great firsts were going to moment that we had in ’06 spawned We only have so many spots for
manifest on the Barrett-Jackson stage. all these incredible moments, creating charity vehicles, so it becomes very
Plus, that GT500 was one of the most a platform for charity cars to bring the competitive, in a good way. And
anticipated cars of that era because it kind of money that had never been there’s a lot of planning that goes
was going to have 500 horsepower! seen before. on behind the scenes. We work with
Of course, we kind of chuckle about What we did this year with the the manufacturers, there’s usually
it now when 700 or 800 horsepower Corvette with General Motors was a spokesperson, and we often have
is common, but that was leading-edge one of the highlights of our charity some of the most incredible American
back then. sales, right up there with the Shelby heroes standing side-by-side on

Ron Pratte ended up buying that for me. It was north of $3 million, that stage. We’ve even had A-list
first GT500, paying an unheard-of and it was for a great veteran-related celebrities. We need to make sure a
$600,000 (opposite page). What we cause. It was one of those moments lot of choreographed moments get
did in 2006 was unprecedented: that when it seems as though time stands put together before the cars go over
a car like that would be offered to still on the auction block, and the auction block. It’s quite a ballet.
the general public, and that it would then when we got to that last bid The car is inserted surgically into the
be offered at Barrett-Jackson; that it everybody erupted and just blew the docket because we’re selling it on a
would be offered at No Reserve, and lid off that massive structure. time basis. It’s a lot different now with
that it was all for charity. All those One of the things I’m proudest of our charity process than it was trying
things melded to create this incredible is the awareness we create for these to convince Ford to roll the dice with
moment that helped launch all of it — charities. It isn’t just that moment on us on that first GT500.
all to help others. The years between 2006 and 2022 may
the block. People start talking, “Wow,
From there we nurtured our that was incredible. What is that seem like a long time, but in another
relationship with General Motors, and charity and what do they do?” Before way of looking at it, it hasn’t been that
the next thing you know, GM is in the you know it, we get a lot of great long ago that we’d taken something
hunt and they’re selling their VIN 001s. calls and a lot of follow-ups from the that didn’t exist and fine-tuned it
At the 2008 Scottsdale auction, the charities after the car sold thanking us into this amazing, magical thing that
first retail 2009 Corvette ZR-1 (above because their website was inundated people expect at every Barrett-Jackson
left) sold for $1 million to benefit with inquiries and people were really auction. And now we’re going to
the United Way, which was followed excited about what was going on. keep that momentum going as we
by other Corvettes and first-of-series In many cases, that’s exposure you gear up for Palm Beach, where more
Camaros. Then Dodge announced can’t get anywhere else because we’re first-in-series cars, including Ford’s
it would sell the first Challenger a world stage. We have millions of 2022 Bronco Raptor VIN 001 and a
Hellcat (above center) and the last people watching us online, we have very early production VIN of the 2023
Viper (above right). All of these firsts millions of people watching on TV, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 convertible,
and lasts were coming right and left. and we have millions of people on will cross the block, all for great causes.
That monumental precedent-setting social media.

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