Unique at BJ Auction???

[JeepSnake]

Well crud - I just flipped over to Speed in time to catch the end of a Cobra auction (at 6:07 Central time). What little I saw looked like a Unique 427, but I didn't see enough of the important, definitive details to tell for sure. Just a glimpse of the front shock towers and steering area, and they looked right. Radiator angle looked right for a Unique. Didn't see footboxes. Other stats:

Metalflake blue (not as light as Viking, not as dark as Guardsman) with white stripes
Appeared to be a Windsor engine
Auto trans
Bolt on wheels, possibly Compomotives
Full black interior
Inverted dash layout - i.e. two small gauges in top row, three in bottom row
Commentator said it had Jag IRS

Went for $37k or $38k.

Anybody happen to see it and tell whether it was a Unique or not?

[brfutbrian]

zach,yes it was. couldnt believe it went that cheap. must have been the small block in a big block body thing. maybe it didnt look as good in person as on tv. ? later brian

[wlewis]

I doubt the Auto trans helped it.

[eliminator]

This just verifies what has been stated before:

427 car with a small block Windsor....

427 car with an automatic transmission.....

Big deductions when it comes to selling the car, other than that it looked good on TV.
Just a basic car and that was it.

[tcolley]

Did you all see the Viking Blue Shelby CSX70543 (?) that had a 302 crate motor, webers, Shelby's signature and yellow FIA stripe that went for $67,000??? The announcers said that the car was "well bought" as they usually go for $80,000+ I thought that was an interesting comment as the car didn't appear to be anything really special at all.

Seems to me that the bidding was a little soft last night as several cars went for a lot less than they did last year.

Anyone else get that feeling?

Terry
289 in the works

[weaver]

My guess is that the Russo and Steele auction across the street is hurting BJ, you can consign your car with a reserve and the bidders pass is much less, we paid $475.00 last year and RS cost less than $200.00. I checked the auction list for both auctions and the list was better at R and S. The cars last night were bringing a more realistic price than a year ago.

Alan

[JeepSnake]

I think an auction, any auction, is a marvel of human psychology.

I agree that the Windsor & auto hurt the Unique last night.

But, to throw in the psychology bit, consider the, well, "Cobra replica" that sold night before last. I don't know who the manufacturer was, but it was baaaad. Car was well finished, but it was a shame that a builder put the time and effort into an inferior kit. Kind of like polishing a - you get the idea.

This car had a 428 - the redeeming qualities ended there. The valve covers had 427 side emblems glued onto them. It had an auto with un-trimmed Lokar street rod shifter that was taller than the body tub. The butt was jacked way up. Un-finished chopper-gun glass was visible on the underside of the trunk lid. Best of all: there were NO DOORS in the body. Entry & egress were Dukes of Hazzard style. Final selling price? $48k.

That's what made the selling price on the Unique so startling to me. Maybe Wednesday's crowd wasn't as whipped up as Tuesday's crowd. Maybe the buyer of the bad replica would have paid that for the Unique had the Unique been first on the stand. So many variables...

Terry - the commentators knowledge base is questionable at best. One of my favorites: They were running-down a non-numbers-matching '65 GTO convertible for having had the correct 4-barrel swapped out for an OEM Tri-Power setup. Then they said, "However, the correct, numbers-matching original intake and Quadrajet are included with the car here in the trunk." As the guy points to the intake with (correct) Carter AFB atop it! :(

[TurnpikeBoy]

Zach, you've hit the nail in the head. Anybody for a Million Dollar 'Cuda? - even the Ramchargers (same) car didn't bring anywhere near that much, an occurance that defies rational analysis. And the vapidity of the auctioneers/commentators, and that especially of the bidders, makes watching these circus sideshows comtemptably laughable.

Need more proof? - a Unique for $38K. Objectively, one of the best two or three replicas available, and it brings 10% less than a piece that could only mercifully be described as a replica.

Go figure.




-Roger

[brfutbrian]

the price was only startling because it was barrett jackson. throw in the 8% sellers fee and its 35k net. not bad , not great either. but you`d think you would do better at that circus.

i think the prices, except for the feature cars, are going to be more in line with the real world this year much more than the past few years have seen. i think the csx 7000 car was a good example of that. thats was regular money for what it was.

dont be bustin on mike joy too much. im sure it was a slip of the tongue. ive known him since i was a kid, and hes good people. i dont think you can get 2 better commentators on the stage than whats there now.

im looking forward to saturday to see what that barris/ jefferies tv car goes for.

enjoy the circus. later , brian

[ralphscott]

The valuation of cars in the mid range price below 100K track with the performance of the stock market. A down market will suppress collector car prices and sales of sports cars in general.

Ralph

[will butterworth]

have good point, slowdown in general economy is down a tier now affecting the next big ticket item below housing, automobiles. Me and Joan are watching the corvette pricing---coming down slowly, we intend to buy one down the road, but not now. Big ticket items are a bit slow right now, reflection of general downturn in economy.Will-alabama

[brfutbrian]

after watching last nite`s action there must be alot of really pissed off sellers. i couldnt believe what some of the cars i saw went for. wonder if it will be a no reserve auction next year. notice how theres no mention of last years daily totals to this years daily and combined totals.if last nite was an indicator of whats gonna happen friday, it might be called black friday. enjoy the circus everyone. later, brian.

[JeepSnake]

I did the usual routine of flipping back & forth to the auction, and I saw several cars go through that might be considered a deal.

Well, as Alan said, they might not have been as much of a deal as they were just more realistic in pricing compared to years past.

One particular car I thought should have brought more was the Chrysler Airflow, owing to that model's significance in auto history. But, that just goes to show that significance does not necessarily equal desirability.

[weaver]

Last night during a commercial, around 7:30, one of our 427 cars brought $50,000.00, it was built by a customer in 94 and had a 427 engine. It was a driver but showed really well.

Alan

[tcolley]

Alan,

I saw that one and it was lot#707.

The only other "Cobra Replica" that brought more was lot #453 the "FIA CSX7028 Shelby" which brought $64,000. That's the one that I said the announcer said was "well bought...as they usually bring $70,000-$80,000".

Lot# 715.1 a Contemporary 427 sold for $46,000.

According to their listing there is lot:

#735 Daytona Coupe-FFR Coupe Sold for $37,500 (which is below what it should have brought)
#918 Cobra Replica
#1237.1 Superformance Daytona Coupe
#1250 Cobra Replica

I was able to check the sold amounts off Barrett-Jackson web site.

Terry

[Justin Upchurch]

I agree with Freakin Brian. The owners can't be very happy with the prices of some of these cars. Did anyone see the 68 Mustang that had some of the Elanor type bodywork go across the bolck? It's hard to tell on TV, but the car looked fantastic with all the right option, very nice blue paint and a 428 FE. Beautiful car, I think it only went for 38K.

Justin

[ralphscott]

Shelby GT 350 for 92K 11:30 p.m EST

Ralph