The 41st annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction is in full steam here in Scottsdale, Arizona. Over 250,000 auto enthusiasts from all over the globe are here for the world’s greatest collector car auction.

Our schedule didn’t permit us to attend this year.  However, having attended the last two years, we can assure you that this is an event that the whole family will enjoy, even if you have no plans to make a bid on a cool collectible car.

The show runs through Sunday, and you can check out the remaining festivities on the Barrett-Jackson website.

To wet your appetite, here is our video from last year:

Here are a few events you can still enjoy:

• Dress for Success Style Show featuring Bobbi Brown make-up artists, previews of the latest trends in fashion, CRAVE stylists and fashion show, taking place from 10 am – 3 pm Thursday, Jan. 19^th, in the Lifestyle Pavilion, with proceeds benefiting Dress for Success Phoenix.

• The International; Fiesta of Four Flags, featuring the latest in fashion, food and flavor from around the world. Culinary treats and the latest trends from Italy, Germany, Russia and the United States with special performances from the US Color Guard. Activities run from 7 pm – 10 pm Thursday, Jan. 19, in the Lifestyle Pavilion, benefiting the Veteran Tickets Foundation.

• Paw Pawshion Show – Pet Fashion Show and Expo featuring and benefiting Gabriel’s Angels, which provides pet therapy to abused and at-risk youths, from 10 am – 3 pm Friday, Jan. 20, in the Lifestyle Pavilion. 

• FUEL your Senses – The Barrett-Jackson Culinary and Wine Fest featuring flavors from some of Scottsdale’s premier culinary destinations in the Lifestyle Pavilion.

• Jazz, Jewelry & Bedazzled Brunch from 10 am – 3pm Saturday, Jan. 21^st, in the Lifestyle Pavilion, featuring a high-fashion jewelry expo & champagne tastings.

• Icing: The Million Dollar Diamond and Dessert Show – The gem of the Barrett-Jackson Lifestyle Pavilion, featuring a VIP preview show with Beach Bunnies, Million Dollar Diamond Fashion Show and a sampling of sweet confections. Benefiting the American Cancer Society.

• Sunday Funday – Champagne Brunch and Celebrity Karaoke Contest: Pair yourself with a local or national celebrity and sing your heart out to a panel of judges to win amazing prizes. 10 am – 5 pm Sunday, Jan. 22, in the Lifestyle Pavilion, benefiting Childhelp. 

• The Tilted Kilt Garage – This year, with energy infused from Tilted Kilt, Barrett-Jackson’s social club is going to rev the engine on its nightlife scene. The Garage, which mixes the high-energy of Barrett-Jackson with the beauty associated with all-things steel and Scottsdale, is THE finest velvet-rope venue this winter, The Garage is center stage at WestWorld throughout the auction, and immediately adjacent to the staging lanes. Mingle, muse, savor and sip under the stars, with the stars and the auto industry’s elite.

• Stars and their Cars– Celebrities flock to Barrett-Jackson every year. Tony Stewart, Alice Cooper, George Foreman, Randy Johnson, Wolf Blitzer, Nicholas Cage, Pamela Anderson, Sammy Hagar, David Spade, Paul McCartney, Michael Anthony, DMX, Smashing Pumpkins, Bill Goldberg, Harry Morton, Tim Allen and countless other celebrities are Barrett-Jackson loyalists, previous attendees and future headliners. Whether buying a car, selling an automobile or just exploring the options, Barrett-Jackson is THE place to stargaze this season, even if you’re not on the A-List. Check out the celebs throughout the WestWorld site.

 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 Auctions™” in Scottsdale, Ariz., Palm Beach, Fla., Las Vegas, Nev. and Orange County, Calif. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance offering for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.

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This year’s 40th anniversary Barrett-Jackson show brought over $70 million in total sales, over 230,000 visitors, and sports and Hollywood royalty, including Tim Allen, Bret Michaels and Randy Johnson.

“Barrett-Jackson has become far more than just an auction, it’s a celebration that attracts everyone from captains of industry to celebrities and athletes who want to be part of this fantastic event,” said Craig Jackson, chairman/CEO of Barrett-Jackson.  “We sold more vehicles for more money than any other collector car event in North America.  We proved the collector car hobby is growing with record breaking attendance, as well as a record number of new bidders and consignors.  This is no longer an ‘old boy’s club’.  We’ve transformed into a mainstream event much like the NFL Championship game, Kentucky Derby or New Year’s Eve in Times Square.”

We agree.  We had a blast at this year’s event!  Here’s a video highlighting our experience:

This 39th annual event draws massive numbers of people each year.  In fact, we started our adventure in a remote parking lot where a luxury bus shuttled us to the actual event.  You could tell that they had done this before.  The parking/shuttle process was flawless, and surprisingly quick.

Once we entered the main gate we were dumbstruck at the size of this event.  The exhibit hall was the length of six football fields, and held over 350 sponsor and vendor booths.  There was every imaginable gadget, and great quantities of automotive memorabilia, artwork, clothing, watches, and gizmos all designed to tug at the purse strings of adoring automotive collector enthusiasts and wannabees.

As we approached the end of this panoply of automotive wonder, we began to smell the fumes of the classic automobiles.  When we turned the corner to enter the massive auction hall we were greeted by the sound of the auctioneer busily screaming his bids, beautiful women accompanying each car with bulletin boards of vital information, and we found that our hearts quickened just a bit as we witnessed the excitement of this place.

While we stayed to watch the circus of events occurring around us, a charity auction drag racer sold for $250,000, and a 1964 Corvette Convertible went for the “hammer price” of $100,000.  Evidently, in spite of a great recession going on around us,  $84 million dollars has been spent so far at this “world’s greatest collector car auction”.

If you find yourself in Scottsdale, Arizona, during the month of January, I can highly recommend a day at the world famous Scottsdale Barrett Jackson Collector Car Auction.  We had a great time, and look forward to next year’s 40th annual auction.

Here is a slide show with a sampling of my photographs of the event: