West Palm Beach, FL. February 8, 2008 — Stunning vehicles, lavish parties and red hot celebrities will return to the beaches of South Florida when the 6th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event rolls into West Palm Beach, Fla., on March 26-30, 2008. SPEED will once again bring the action home with TV coverage during the auction as approximately 600 of the finest collector vehicles are sold at No Reserve. Due to popularity and viewer demand, SPEED will expand their event coverage to 19 hours.
The world-famous automotive lifestyle event will kick off on Wednesday, March 26, with a preview day for bidders and auction participants and the highly anticipated Opening Night Gala from 7:30-10:30 p.m. EST, with proceeds to benefit The Darrell Gwynn Foundation. For the sixth consecutive year, the event will take place at the spacious South Florida Expo Center, located at 9067 Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
“The Barrett-Jackson automotive lifestyle event in Palm Beach has grown to become the most well-respected, highly attended collector car auction along the East Coast,” said Craig Jackson, Chairman/CEO of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company. “Last year, we welcomed an unprecedented number of new buyers to the hobby, continuing our efforts to fuel the passion for collector cars that resonates throughout the United States. After a spectacular event in Scottsdale, where attendance records were shattered and sales were strong, we’re expecting another sizzling auction week beneath the sun in Palm Beach.”
Highlighting this year’s Palm Beach lineup is a stunning 1957 Chevrolet convertible, which was custom built for the Armed Forces Foundation and Super Chevy magazine. Dubbed “Project American Heroes,” the proceeds from the sale of the car in Palm Beach will benefit The Armed Forces Foundation, which provides support to the families of fallen or disabled soldiers. The convertible is powered by a 572ci, 717 horsepower custom built Chevy big block engine with an automatic transmission. Select Armed Forces personnel were invited to choose the ultimate design specs for the custom Chevy, including the blue pearl color scheme, interior design and exterior trim.
Cars with star power will be well represented in Palm Beach as 13 vehicles from HBO’s “The Soprano’s” will be sold. Another high-profile car headed to South Florida is a 1967 Ford Mustang “Pit Viper.” The custom fastback is Serial No. 005 from the limited production build by Total Performance Inc. and includes a 427ci, 550-plus horsepower small-block Ford engine.
“Palm Beach will once again provide the perfect setting for Barrett-Jackson’s one-of-a-kind automotive extravaganza,” added Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “From muscle cars to classics, we’re lining up a diverse offering of collector cars for Palm Beach. We’re taking the same approach that led to a successful Palm Beach event in 2007 with cars that appeal to seasoned collectors, as well as entry level collectors looking for good values.”
Another popular trend that will continue this year in Palm Beach will be the Barrett-Jackson Automobilia Auction. The one-of-a-kind automobile collectibles will be offered at No Reserve prior to the start of the vehicle auction on March 27-30. In Scottsdale, automobilia earnings were off the charts with nearly $1 million in total sales recorded. In addition, the public can shop from a multitude of vendors that will be part of the automotive lifestyle event.