Vehicle donations for charity set record for Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale

January 15, 9:21 PMPhoenix Travel ExaminerJay Hammond

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Image courtesy of the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation

An unprecedented number of cars are being auctioned off to benefit charities during the 38th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale this week. Fourteen cars, twelve existing and two yet to roll off the manufacturing line will be auctioned between January 11 -18, 2009. Among the generous donors are General Motors and Ford Motor Company as well as NASCAR icons Tony Stewart and Rick Hendrick. Charities benefiting from the auctions include the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation, MLB Charities and the Hendrick Marrow Program.

“In today's unique economic environment, these groups need extra support to continue changing lives,” said Steve Davis, President of Barrett-Jackson. “At Barrett-Jackson, we're devoted to increasing awareness of these charities by offering amazing vehicles on the hobby's biggest stage.”

The rights to the first retail production 2010 Chevrolet Camaro coupe (Lot #1316), the first retail version of 2010 Shelby GT500 (Lot #1347.2) and the first 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor (Lot #1347) are available at auction along with 11 classic collector cars. The winning bid for the rights to the Camaro, donated by General Motors, will benefit the American Heart Association. The new Camaro (Lot #1316) is reminiscent of the 1969 model but equipped with modern technology. The winning bidder will receive VIN 100001 and can choose from several colors, engines, transmissions and trim packages.

Proceeds from both the Shelby and the Raptor, donated by Ford Motor Company, will go the the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The latest generation Shelby GT 500 (Lot #1347.2), introduced at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, delivers unparalleled performance, world-call handling, aggressive styling and 540 horsepower. The purpose-built, high-performance Raptor (Lot #1347) is pickup rugged enough for adventure while also refined enough for everyday use that launches with a 5.4-liter Triton V-8 with 310 horsepower and 365 lb.-ft. of torque.

Image courtesy of Barrett-Jackson.

The 11 existing vehicles being auctioned off include:

A rare 2008 Barrett-Jackson Ford Shelby GT convertible (Lot #1563),will be sold to benefit the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation (top image). Featuring a Barrett-Jackson signature black and red paint job, Barrett-Jackson doorsill plates, a special Barrett-Jackson gas cap insert and a Shelby-installed Kenne Bell Supercharger, this car is number 28 of only 100 produced. The 2008 Barrett-Jackson Shelby GTs, a limited edition pony car, was a collaboration between Ford Motor Company, Barrett-Jackson Auction company and Shelby Automobiles and sold through Arizona Region Ford Dealers. The Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation, founded in October 1991, is dedicated to providing assistance for acute coronary and kidney care and research for young people.

Hot rod legend Boyd Coddington, who passed away a year ago February, will be honored when a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda crosses the auction block. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) Young Eagles program. Built by West Coast Customs and volunteers like Marc Holmes of Rod and Gauges, the one-off 'Cuda features a 6.1-liter, 500 horsepower V8 HEMI. The EAA Young Eagles program, launched in 1992, introduces young people between the ages of 8 and 17, to the world of aviation by giving them the opportunity to fly in general aviation aircraft.

Another Plymouth, a 1970 Sunbird custom tribute (Lot #1289), built by YearOne in conjunction with Gillette Evenham Motorsports, Musclecar TV and former pro wrestler, actor and auto enthusiast Bill Goldberg, will be auctioned off to benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation as will the winning bid for 2007 Chevy Monte Carlo (Lot #1575) driven by Tony Stewart to threw victories in the 2006 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The Darrell Gwynn Foundation exists to prevent, provide for and ultimately cure spinal cord injuries and other debilitating illnesses.

Image courtesy of Barrett-Jackson

Proceeds from the sale of a custom 2008 Chevy Tahoe (Lot #961) will be donated to MLB Charities as befits a vehicle with a baseball-inspired interior and an extra hood signed by approximately 220 Major League Baseball (MLB) players. MLB Hall of Famer Goose Gossage, who helped Autotrader.com collect the signatures as part of the Drive to a New Start program, will be on stage in Scottsdale for the sale. MLB Charities provides support to a variety of local, national and international tax-exempt organization promoting good health, physical education, medical research, literacy, educational or charitable causes.

Jack Roush, founder, CEO and co-owner of the NASCAR Roush Fenway Racing team, will be on stage to help auction a 2008 Ford Mustang GT ROUSH P-51A (Lot #1575.1). Proceeds from the sale will go to Speedway Children's Charities. This 510 horsepower Mustang is number 104 of only 151 built. Speedway Children's Charities was founded in 1982 to care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need to help them lead productive lives by providing funding hundreds of non-profit organizations across the nation.

Additional NASCAR-related charity cars include Jeff Gordon's 2006 Monte Carlo (Lot #1274) and an officially licensed 2009 60th Anniversary NASCAR Motorcycle (Lot #706). The Monte Carlo (Lot #1274) recorded two wins during the 2006-2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Proceeds from the Monte Carlo auction will be donated to the Hendrick Marrow Program which raises money to recruit bone marrow donors and help patients pay for transplant-related costs. The NASCAR Motorcycle (Lot #706) is serial number 60 of only 60 bikes built by Destination Daytona. Proceeds will benefit the Victory Junction Gang ,which provides camping experiences for children with serious illnesses and chronic medical medical conditions, through the NASCAR Foundation.

A pristine 1957 Ford Thunderbird (Lot #1055) will cross the auction block to benefit the automotive restoration at McPherson College in Kansas. It's only fitting since McPherson students restored the T-bird which is powered by a 312 c.i.d. V8 with a 3-speed Ford-o-matic Transmission, power steering and power brakes.

Rounding out the charity cars scheduled for auction at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale are a 1961 GMC Carryall (Lot #701), benefiting the Boys Scouts of America and a 2008 Ford Mustang GT (Lot #62) benefiting the International Children's Heart Foundation.

The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona was established in 1971 and specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts. In addition to the Scottsdale auction, Barrett-Jackson auctions are also held in Palm Beach, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada. A schedule of events, live internet bidding, a roster of cars being auctioned and a live video feed from the auction floor in Scottsdale are available online www.barrett-jackson.com. The Barrett-Jackson auction is being held at WestWorld located at 16601 N. Pima Rd. in Scottsdale. Ticket prices vary depending on the day and are discounted after 5 p.m.

Last year, Barrett-Jackson, which does not collect commission on the vehicles sold entirely for charity, helped raise a combined $6.7 million for charities in the Scottsdale, Palm Beach and Las Vegas auctions.

“Thanks to our caring sponsors, partners and customers, we're going to offer an unprecedented number of charity cars at the 2009 Scottsdale event,” Davis said.