The Scottsdale and Phoenix collector cars sales in Arizona are the first major classic car auctions each year. Several auction houses, including Barrett-Jackson, Bonhams, and RM Sotheby’s, participate in this weeklong event that usually sees well over 3,000 cars on offer.
The first significant collectors’ car auction series of the year is held each mid-January in Scottsdale, Arizona. Several major classic car auctioneers participate in this weeklong commercial event. (A notable exception is Mecum, which usually starts selling at Kissimmee, Florida, a week or two earlier). RM Auctions, Bonhams, and Barrett-Jackson regularly achieve over a million dollars on select vehicles here, but many other smaller auctioneers also participate, covering cars in all price classes.
→→ See Scottsdale, Arizona articles for the latest announcement and results.
Scottsdale Classic Car Auctions
The annual January classic and collectors’ car auctions in Arizona are generally referred to as Scottsdale, even though many of the sales are in adjacent Phoenix, Arizona. It is the first major classic car event of the year for most auction houses and one of the biggest car sale events on the calendar.
In contrast to many other classic car auction events, the Scottsdale week has purely commercial origins. The auctions have been an annual event since the 1970s, The main events of the Arizona Concours d’Elegance are often on the Sunday preceding the main classic car auctions.
Scottsdale, Arizona Classic Car Auction Results
The Scottsdale week is big. The combined number of cars on offer at the various auction houses often exceeds 3,000. Although only a small number achieve over a million dollars, Scottsdale auction week remains a major event for collector cars.
- In 2025, Barrett-Jackson earned $198 million by selling 2013 car lots and $5.2 million from 957 pieces of automobilia. A further $6.2 million was raised for charity.
- In 2024, Barrett-Jackson earned $200.9 million by selling 2016 car lots (100% sell-through). A further million dollars were raised for charity.
- In 2025, RM Sotheby’s earned $31,634,160 in sales in Arizona and in 2024, $23 million.
Scottsdale has been of lesser importance to Bonhams in recent years, and Gooding Christie’s held no Arizona auction since 2022.
Scottsdale Classic Car Auction Record Holders
The auction record for Scottsdale / Arizona is $9,900,000 achieved by a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2016 auction. Even a decade later, it remains the most expensive car ever sold at a Scottsdale auction and one of the most expensive Mercedes-Benz passenger cars ever.
The Mercedes-Benz increased the Scottsdale record from the $9,625,000 paid for a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM sold at the 2015 RM Auctions Arizona sale. This car broke the previous record $9,405,000 set only a day earlier for a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione at the 2015 Bonhams Scottsdale classic car auction and the $8,800,000 achieved for a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti at the RM Auctions’ Arizona sale in 2014.
Results Achieved at Previous Scottsdale / Arizona Auctions
Scottsdale and Arizona Car Auctions 2026
Many auction houses have sales during the annual Scottsdale week in Arizona, USA, in late January 2026, including amongst others:
- Barett-Jackson: 17 to 25 January 2026 at WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona.
- Bonhams: 23 January 2026 att he Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.
- RM Sotheby’s: 23 January 2026 at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Gooding & Company: no Scottsdale auction scheduled in 2026.
→ RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2026 Preview: Four Modern Hypercar Ferraris (F40, F50, Enzo, LaFerrari).