A Shelby, a concept car and a bus (!) topped the list of cars selling for more than a million dollar at the Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale, Arizona auction. The highest result was for a 1950 General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress Tour Bus bus achieving $4 million while a 1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama Concept Car sold for $3.3 million. A 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 sold for $5,115,000 after the hammer. Nine cars sold for over a million dollar each. Three historic Corvette racing cars failed to clear the reserve margins.
Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale Sale
Where top classic car auction houses such as Bonhams, Gooding, and RM Auctions sell around 120 cars each at the annual mid-January classic car sales in Scottsdale and Arizona, Barrett Jackson offered more than 1,600 cars over 10 days in 2015. Although only a few of these sell in excess of a million dollars, a wide range of classic, historic, concept and muscle cars cross the block in a quick, high adrenaline pace not seen at the more restraint auctions.
In total, Barrett Jackson sold 1611 cars for over $130 million and 2,000 automobilia lots for $6.55 million at the Scottsdale auctions held January 10-18, 2015.
Barrett Jackson also sold a number of cars for charitable purposes and collected $8,735,000 at Scottsdale 2015 alone.
Million-Dollar Cars at the Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale Sale
The following nine cars achieved results in excess of a million dollar each on Saturday January 17, 2015, at the Barrett Jackson collector car auction:
| Year | Car | Model | Price ($) | |
| 1 | 1966 | Shelby | Cobra 427 Super Snake | *5,115,000 |
| 2 | 1950 | General Motors | Futurelines Prade of Progress Tour Bus | **4,000,000 |
| 3 | 1954 | Pontiac | Bonneville Special Motorama Concept Car | 3,300,000 |
| 4 | 1949 | Talbot-Lago | T-26 Grand Sport Coupe Franay | 1,650,000 |
| 5 | 1965 | Shelby | Cobra 427 Roadster CSX 3169 | 1,595,000 |
| 6 | 1955 | Mercedes Benz | 300 SL Gullwing | 1,100,000 |
| 7 | 1989 | Ferrari | F40 | 1,072,000 |
| 8 | 1937 | Mercedes Benz | 320 B Cabriolet | 1,045,000 |
| 9 | 2015 | Shelby | GT350 R | **1,000,000 |
| * Price was agreed post-hammer. ** Cars sold for charity. | ||||
Shelby Cars at the Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale Auction
The highest price paid for a car at the Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale collector car auction was $5,115,000 for a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 “Super Snake”. The price was agreed after the hammer came down below the reserve margin.
This Shelby is the only surviving of two “Super Snake” Cobras ever built. It was one of only 23 427 competition roadsters built. In 1966, the car was transformed into a “Super Snake” semi-competition car to make it road legal.
A regular 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 Roaster achieved $1,595,000. It was recently restored to full factory correct specification.
The newest car achieving a million dollars at Scottsdale 2015 was a Shelby GT350 R sold to benefit JDRF, the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. The new owner will receive the coveted VIN001 of the new GT350 R Ford Shelby and can still specify colors and options.
1950 General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress Tour Bus
The highest result achieved during the Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale collector car auction was $4 million for a 1950 General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress Tour Bus. This bus from the Ron Pratte Collection was sold in aid of the Armed Forces Foundation.
General Motors built twelve Futurliner Parade of Progress Tour buses in the 1950s, as self-contained display and transport vehicles. The bus on offer is one of only three survivors restored in their original configuration. Ron Pratte not only restored the original colors but even has period-correct tires produced from correct molds.
1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama Concept Car
A 1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama Concept Car achieved $3.3 million at the Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale auction.
It is one of two concept cars built and used for demonstration purposes at major dealers and car shows.
1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport
The rare 1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport achieved $1,650,000 at the Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale sale. This is one of only eight cars built on the same short chassis Talbot used for grand prix cars.
Only three of these cars were Grand Sports with all three having unique Franay coachwork. This one is the only model with a sunroof. The fully restored car was displayed at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. (A barn-find 1949 Talbot Lago Grand Sport SWB with coachwork by Saoutchik achieved $1,948,790 at the 2015 Artcurial sale in Paris.)
Mercedes Benz at Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale Sale
Two Mercedes Benz cars achieved over a million dollars at the Barrett Jackson sale. A 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing achieved $1,1 million – several other auction houses offered 300 SLs at Scottsdale in 2015 and many failed to sell or sold well below too high estimates.
A prewar 1937 Mercedes Benz 320 B Cabriolet sold for just over a million.
Only one Ferrari, the mainstay of Bonhams, Gooding and RM Auctions, achieved over a million dollar at the Barrett Jackson sales: a 1989 Ferrari F40 selling for $1,072,000.
Unsold Million-Dollar Cars at Barrett Jackson 2015 Scottsdale Sale
Five cars achieved highest bids exceeding a million dollar but failed to clear the reserve margins. Three were Chevrolet Corvette racecars and one a Lotus Indy racecar.
| Year | Car | Model | Highest Bid |
| 1953 | Chevrolet | Corvette Roadster Race Car | HB 2,200,000 |
| 1968 | Chevrolet | Corvette Convertible L88 Race Car | HB 1,650,000 |
| 1968 | Chevrolet | Corvette Convertible L88 Race Car | HB 1,650,000 |
| 1968 | Lotus | Rurbine-Powered Indy Race Car | HB 1,320,000 |
| 1929 | Alfa Romeo | 6C 1750 SS | HB 1,210,000 |
A 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS received a highest bid of $1,210,000 but did not sell. Several similar Alfa Romeos will be on offer at the Paris auctions in early February 2015.
