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VINTAGE: Top 10 Barrett-Jackson Sales
The highest-selling collector cars (and one Parade of Progress tour bus) ever at a Barrett-Jackson auction.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted January 19, 2013   Scottsdale, AZ
A well-restored 1948 Tucker Torpedo was the top seller at last year's Scottsdale auction, and holds the No. 5 spot on the all-time list. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson)
These are the top sales ever achieved at Barrett-Jackson, and most of them reflect record results for the vehicle type, such as the highest-ever Shelby Cobra, Corvette and non-alloy Mercedes-Benz 300SL.

Four of them were sold during last year’s Scottsdale auction as part of the newly established Salon Collection of top-tier collector cars, which is also a highly anticipated highlight of the 2013 Scottsdale event.

Here are the top sales for Barrett-Jackson:

1. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake, $5.5 million – Carroll Shelby’s own Cobra, a specially built supercharged big-block version of the iconic performance sports car, sold at Scottsdale in 2007.

2. 1950 General Motors Futurliner tour bus, $4.32 million – The fully restored Parade of Progress display vehicle used in GM’s nationwide events was a surprisingly strong seller at the 2006 Scottsdale auction.

The huge 1950 General Motors Futurliner tour bus, a definite wild card during the 2006 Scottsdale auction, hit the roof with a $4.32 million sale. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson)
3. 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 concept car, $3.23 million – The GM dream car created under chief designer Harley Earl made everyone take notice of rare show cars when it sold at the 2005 Scottsdale auction.

4. 1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special, $3.024 million – Another GM show car from the Parade of Progress tours, this bubble-top gullwing sports car hit the heights at the 2006 Scottsdale auction.

5. 1948 Tucker Torpedo, $2.915 million – The advanced rear-engine sedan created by Preston Tucker, one of just 51 ever made, was the highest seller at the 2012 Scottsdale event.

6. 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay, $2.75 million – With its evocative custom coachwork by the famed French design house, the most valuable Bentley of all time sold in 2012 at the Scottsdale auction.

7. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, $2.2 million – With its remarkably low original mileage of just over 4,000, this survivor achieved the highest price ever for a steel-bodied 300SL when it sold at the 2012 Scottsdale auction.

8. 1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow, $2.2 million – One of just three remaining examples of this special-bodied classic that provided a glimpse of the future at the 1933 New York Auto Show, it was sold at the 2012 Scottsdale auction.

9. 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda convertible, $2.16 million – The heyday of the American muscle car was exemplified by this fully restored Cuda sold in 2006 at the Scottsdale auction.

10. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette “Rondine” concept car, $1.76 million – A beautiful creation from the Italian design house Pininfarina, commissioned by Chevrolet for the 1963 Paris Motor Show, the Rondine became the highest-priced Corvette ever when it sold at the 2008 Scottsdale auction.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
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