Four (4) Any Day Passes (does not include Friday, Saturday or Sunday) for the 2010 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Scottsdale, AZ  January 17-24, 2010. You wil have access to all of the cars before nad after they go up for auction. There will also be hundreds of exhibitors, food and merchandise vendors.

What started as a simple meeting between two car buffs in 1960 has emerged over some 48 years into the world's most prestigious and anticipated collector car auctions and events.

It began in Scottsdale, Arizona – a Wild-West town that had yet to spread its wings and create its own identity.  Russ Jackson and Tom Barrett were drawn together by a car advertised for sale.  It seemed Mr. Barrett was selling his 1933 Cadillac V-16 Town Car, and it appeared Mr. Jackson was interested.  "Appeared" may be the operative word, as a deal was never struck.  However, the beginning of a lifelong friendship and partnership was firmly cemented between the two gentlemen.

That initial enterprise set the tone for what would become the Barrett-Jackson legacy.  In 1967, Barrett and Jackson presented a car show they called, with the appropriate flair, "Fiesta del los Auto Elegance."  The event was a fundraiser for local charities, including the Scottsdale Library.

In 1971, the two combined their talents to present the company’s first collector car auction, featuring classics from their individual collections.  Barrett's Mercedes 770 Phaeton captured industry headlines, selling for $153,000 and grabbing the attention of collectors worldwide.  The sale and the inaugural event thrust the Barrett-Jackson name into international prominence.

The 1980s represented a “growth spurt” throughout the collector car industry, with record prices and record participation at events across the country.  However, the Barrett-Jackson partnership was not content to ride the wave, as the two men continued to set the standard.  Barrett brought the very best and rarest automobiles to the event and earned the reputation as the "Grandfather of the Collector Car Industry," while Jackson expertly collected and restored cars for show.  It was during this time, too, that Jackson brought his sons Brian and Craig onto the team, and wife Nellie ran the day-to-day operations of the thriving auction company.

Change continued to be the theme as Barrett-Jackson grew through the 1990s. Russ Jackson passed away in 1993, Brian Jackson succumbed to cancer in 1995, and Tom Barrett, who retired in 1997, passed away in 2004.  Craig Jackson, who had worked actively on a daily basis and on-site during the auction, took the reins in 1997. 

With Craig Jackson at the helm, Barrett-Jackson rose to even greater heights with an aggressive plan of growth, expansion and hi-tech innovations.  The auction began airing live on SPEED in 1997.  Internet live bidding was also introduced that same year.  A $17 million sale, 65% sales success ratio and over 100,000 spectators marked the 1998 event, as did a cyber-simulcast on the Internet, a bidder liaison service and the introduction of an international designer fashion show.  The Barrett-Jackson docket was also changing, as more muscle cars, hot rods and resto-mods began crossing the block.  These groundbreaking features led to monumental growth for years to come, including recent Scottsdale sales totals of $100 million in 2006, $112 million in 2007 and $88 million in 2008.  Attendance at the 2008 event reached 280,000.

The success of the Scottsdale event led collectors on the East Coast to clamor for their own auction.  In 2003, Barrett-Jackson took its famous auction and lifestyle event across the country to Palm Beach, Florida.  With a unique ambiance and collector car lineup that reflected the South Florida setting, the Palm Beach auction recorded impressive attendance and sales.  In 2008 the event boasted over $23 million in sales, 509 cars and over 1,000 bidders.

Barrett-Jackson’s monumental growth continued in 2008 when it added a Las Vegas event at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, giving auto enthusiasts around the globe the one-and-only “Triple Crown” of car collecting.  The inaugural Las Vegas event was a smash hit, attracting an eclectic crop of 533 collector vehicles, over 50,000 attendants and nearly $30 million in total sales. 

Throughout the years, innovative changes have sparked growth at Barrett-Jackson and vaulted the family-run auction company onto a worldwide stage.  As a result, a hobby once dominated by dealers and the ultra-wealthy is now enjoyed by families, first-time buyers and general enthusiasts.  As the industry continues to evolve, Barrett-Jackson will remain at the forefront by offering the world’s most desirable vehicles and an experience that appeals to everyone.