Scottsdale, AZ, October 7, 2008 –- The ultimate celebration of the collector car hobby will bring some of the hottest sports and entertainment celebrities, as well as vehicles with real “star power” to the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company’s inaugural event in Las Vegas. From Oct. 16-18, 2008, vehicles with celebrity provenance such as Toby Keith, Evel Knievel and Nicholas Cage will be sold at No Reserve in the Mandalay Bay Events Center during a lifestyle event that will blend the excitement of high octane cars with the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip. As with all Barrett-Jackson events, SPEED cameras will capture all the action live on high-definition TV.
“Barrett-Jackson automotive lifestyle events have earned a reputation for being the most exciting place to buy, sell and enjoy collector cars,” said Craig Jackson, Chairman/CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Celebrities who are as passionate about cars as we are, also love to be part of the action. For our inaugural Las Vegas event, several vehicles that are currently or previously owned by some of the biggest names in the world will run over the block.”
Movie star cars will be well represented by a 1980 Ford Mustang (Lot #460) originally owned by cinema star Bette Davis and actor Nicholas Cage’s Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster (Lot #782). Dubbed “Black Beauty” by Bette Davis, the Mustang has been on display at the Petersen Automotive museum in Los Angeles for seven years and includes sales receipts, correspondence, owner I.D. cards and original license plates. Cage’s black on black Porsche Speedster is one of only 802 special production models built and features a 3.2-liter engine, 5-speed manual transmission and only 1,200 original miles. Ironically, the car was stolen and recovered in 2002 while Cage was filming “Gone in 60 Seconds,” in which he portrays a famous car thief.
Country music star Toby Keith is selling his 1934 custom Ford two door cabriolet (Lot #820) in Las Vegas. The pristine street rod includes a “Brilliant Red” paint scheme, tan cabriolet convertible top with matching interior and a powerful Chevrolet small black V8 engine. Hip hop DJ and custom car aficionado Funkmaster Flex will part ways with a piece of his collection when he sells his 2006 Ford Mustang GT custom (Lot #774.4). The Mustang is loaded with one-off modifications and was featured on Funkmaster Flex’s ESPN2 reality TV show, “Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex.” All proceeds from the sale of Funkmaster Flex’s Mustang will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Another Mustang with superstar pedigree is the 2008 Barrett-Jackson Edition Shelby GT (Lot #819.1) that includes signatures from the host and judges of Fox’s hit reality show “American Idol.” The Lili Claire Foundation will receive all proceeds from the sale of the Barrett-Jackson Shelby.
Those who have a keen interest in politics can bid on the 1984 Eagle Motorcoach (Lot #804) used as a campaign headquarters by the George W. Bush presidential election team or a 1962 Lincoln Continental sedan (Lot #812) that was part of John F. Kennedy’s presidential stable.
NASCAR fans will have an opportunity to snap up two authentic race cars when Robby Gordon’s No. 7 Dodge Charger (Lot #162.1) that raced this year in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol and Kurt Busch’s 2007 Dodge Charger No. 2 (Lot #163) that competed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, are sold. All proceeds from the sale of Kurt Busch’s car will go to the Kurt Busch Foundation, which benefits The Victory Junction Gang Camp.
Two celebrity motorcycles that will attract a great deal of attention in Las Vegas are a 1995 custom motorcycle (Lot #100) previously owned by William Shatner and George Barris and a bike from the personal garage of Evel Knievel.
“One of the highlights of the show will surely be a Harley personally owned by the greatest daredevil ever and a Las Vegas legend, Evel Knievel,” explained Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “It was the only bike titled to him at his death and it’s being sold by his estate. Evel purchased the bike in his hometown of Butte, Montana and he once declared it to be his favorite street bike within the entire Harley Davidson line. It’s fitting that we’re selling this bike on Oct. 17, which would have been his 70th birthday.”
The 2005 customized Harley Davidson Screaming Eagle V-Rod (Lot #459.4) has been customized with a unique windshield, saddlebags, seat and crash bars. The 1250cc bike has a race fueler and custom chrome pipes making it roar down the road with that typical Evel flare. On both sides of the gas tank, Evel added his name in gold leaf.
About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company
Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces the “World’s Greatest Collector Car Events™” in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla. and Las Vegas. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.