I’ve been writing this column for over 36 years, and every January when I write the February column, I’m in disbelief that, like today, it’s already January 21st. It seems like just last week we were enjoying Christmas dinner and New Year’s fireworks scaring the cats. January is also when the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction rings in the new year by selling several thousand unique and exciting cars, trucks, some boats, and one-of-akind custom-built vehicles.

My longest-running friend of over 55 years, Terry Joy, andI went to the Saturday opening viewing day and walked through the absolutely amazing display of automotive and lifestyle vendors inside the huge pavilion, with even more set up outside. We passed many premier vehicles, including exotic sports cars, fully custom-built muscle cars and trucks, and beautiful fully restored and all-original low mileage cars and trucks.

When we left that pavilion to view the hundreds of vehicles on display inside those massive tents, the first thing we saw was an amazing large Class C motorhome. This thing had more bells and whistles than you could ever imagine for an RV. Terry and I stood there looking at this awesome rig, trying to guess what it would sell for. My guess was $500,000; Terry didn’t have a clue. How about $900,000 — and that included an event discount. WOW.

Since I have a 1972 Chevrolet C-20 pickup in my garage right now that I’m doing complete body prep on and still haven’t decided on a paint color, I was interested in seeing as many 1967–1972 GM trucks as possible. Who knows, I might have seen one that would inspire a color decision. Nope. I’m still waffling between boring white, original sunflower yellow, twotone sunflower yellow with a white top, some blues, maybe red? My sentimental choice is a light blue with a white top, but that would also require a ton more work, painting the interior and firewall. So as of this minute, I’m still undecided.

Back to Barrett-Jackson, we also looked for a 1969 Plymouth Cuda. That was Terry’s first muscle car back in the early 1970s. As we walked through the rows and rows of vehicles that will cross the auction block, we both stopped dead in our tracks when we saw one of the most unusual vehicles I’ve ever seen at Barrett-Jackson. In its heyday, this vehicle was powered by either four, six, or maybe even eight horsepower — yes, actual live horses — because this was an 1870s Arizona stagecoach.

Just like the buggy whip, these vehicles were destined for history and museums. I’m pretty sure that’s where this beautiful example will end up. It was fun viewing these vehicles and flashing back to Terry and me doing burnouts in his green Cuda muscle car so
many years ago.

~ Jerry Hutchcroft