Barrett-Jackson kicked off its inaugural auction in the Crescent City with a lively Opening Night Party on Wednesday in the River City Venues at Mardi Gras World. Attendees, including bidders, consignors and guests, reveled in a diverse selection of gourmet delights and live musical entertainment. The NOLA Community Choir added to the festivities by performing the National Anthem while New Orleans locals the Phunky Monkeys electrified the entire audience, getting everyone up on their feet, singing along and dancing the night away to an extraordinary performance.
The vibrant evening established the mood for the auction’s first day on Thursday. Over 100 pieces of authentic automobilia took center stage to kick off the bidding. Gas pumps took the top spots, which included Lot #6291.3, a 1926 Gilbert and Barker Model #178 Standard Red Crown visible gas pump, a 1928 Mobil Oil Wayne Model #515 visible gas pump (Lot #6291) and a 1930s Mobil Oil Bennett Model #76 gas pump (Lot #6289.1). Lot #6299, a Vintage Kentucky Fried Chicken light-up sign, rounded out the top automobilia items of the day.
When the collector cars began to cross the world-famous block, there was an unmistakable sense of excitement in the air. Bidders were eager to see the diverse selection of vehicles, ranging from a classic 1952 Special Construction Sprint Car to a modern 2014 Maserati Ghibli. Pickups and SUVs, in particular, generated a lot of interest among collectors, with several attention-grabbing examples including a 1970 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 custom SUV (Lot #123). Other exciting sales included a 2012 Maserati Quattroporte (Lot #126), a 1960 Kaiser Carabela Hearse funeral car (Lot #124), 2012 BMW 650i convertible (Lot #102), and a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle custom coupe “The Wolf Of Reno” (Lot #87).
Make sure to watch the livestream Friday beginning at 10 a.m. CDT!
Top Ten Sales from Day 1
| Lot | Vehicle | Price |
| 123 | 1970 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER FJ40 CUSTOM SUV | $ 34,100 |
| 126 | 2012 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE | $ 30,250 |
| 102 | 2012 BMW 650i CONVERTIBLE | $ 29,700 |
| 124 | 1960 KAISER CARABELA HEARSE FUNERAL CAR | $ 29,700 |
| 87 | 1967 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CUSTOM COUPE “THE WOLF OF RENO” | $ 29,150 |
| 119 | 1979 TOYOTA PICKUP | $ 27,500 |
| 122 | 1982 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER FJ43 | $ 27,500 |
| 155 | 1965 FORD F-100 PICKUP | $ 26,950 |
| 73 | 2003 CHEVROLET CORVETTE LS1 CONVERTIBLE | $ 25,300 |
| 108 | 2008 MASERATI GRANTURISMO | $ 22,000 |
| 134 | 2004 CHEVROLET SSR PICKUP | $ 22,000 |
| 160 | 2000 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS | $ 22,000 |
Sure wish I could have seen it. Could not find the auction on any channel, although it is now listed for Saturday on HIstory Channel. I have been watching these auctions for years; and don’t understand why they are not televised anymore.