There are all sorts of things for car people to do in Reno during Hot August Nights. But for buyers and sellers, there was one place not to miss: Barrett-Jackson at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
Thursday and Friday saw car sales roll past $5.6m for 209 lots, and a lot of the heavier stuff – the cars expected to bring six-digit money – were set to run Saturday. And they didn’t disappoint.
Some of these included lot 728, a 1968 Shelby GT500 convertible that sold for $134,200; lot 726, a 1961 Chevrolet Corvette race car that sold for $148,500; lot 724, a 1968 Shelby GT500 E Continuation that made $165,000; lot 699.2, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS with an undocumented L79 that totaled $110,000, and a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 327/360 Fuelie convertible that sold for $192,500.
One of my favorite cars of the event was the 1957 Chevrolet Gasser sold as lot 716. It had the perfect nose-high stance and clearly had the power in place to run hard if pushed – its 350-ci V8 was supercharged and topped with a pair of QuickFuel carbs and velocity stacks. But, at the same time, it had air conditioning hidden away and was claimed to be a cool runner, which is perfect for cruising here in hot Reno. It sold for $52,800, and I think that was a deal.
And then there was the Rick Dore-built ’32 Ford roadster, sold as lot 714. That car commanded attention with its lime green paint and graceful lines. For $110,000, I’d call it a buy considering the price included a matching chopper.
We’ll have a complete in-depth report on this sale, along with final sales figures, in an upcoming issue of American Car Collector.