Easily one of the most beautiful cars to roll down the auction block at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson event was this 1947 Bentley Mark VI. It’s hard to describe just what this Bentley’s coachwork looks like, so we suggest you check out the live photos we took of the machine as it was being auctioned.

A few things we know for sure, though. This Bentley has won just about every award it has been eligible for, including being voted as the best of its breed by the Rolls-Royce Owners Club. That, for those unaware, is a very big deal in such circles.

Apparently, a number of bidders at Barrett-Jackson realized just how special this Bentley Franay is, because the gavel finally fell with a winning bid of .5 million and a final selling price of .75 million after all fees were calculated. Read more about the 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay after the break.

Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay sold at .5 million

Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay sold at .5 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most, if not all, know the story of the 1948 Tucker sedan. Yes, there was a movie, and it’s well worth watching. But even if you’ve never seen or heard of a the machine, one look at Preston Tucker’s Torpedo is all it takes for you to realize it’s something special.

Just 51 Tucker Torpedo sedans were built before the company went out of business. Those were 51 special machines, though, with a rear engine (like the iconic Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911), disc brakes and fuel injection – a combination practically unheard of at the time.

Perhaps it’s the so-called Cyclops Eye, though, that is most interesting about the Tucker Torpedo. This third headlight moves with the car’s steering wheel, helping the driver see around turns. Such technology may not be uncommon today, but in 1948, it was revolutionary.

The final bid came in at an impressive ,650,000. That means the new owner will pay ,915,000 to drive this Tucker home. Check out our high-res image gallery of live photos from the 2012 Barrett-Jackson auction, and watch a video of the auction or read more about the car after the break.

Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1948 Tucker Torpedo bid up to over .6 million [w/video]

Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1948 Tucker Torpedo bid up to over .6 million [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re as excited as we are by the 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1, it might be wise to understand the historical significance of those three letters at the end of Chevy’s retrofied muscle car. Way back in 1969 – a year some consider to be the apogee of Camaro history – the automaker built just 69 ZL1s, each powered by an aluminum-block 427-cubic-inch V8 that was otherwise unavailable in the Camaro and built specifically for drag racing.

The ’69 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is highly coveted by collectors, and a perfectly stunning example was auction at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale. Though this particular ZL1 saw plenty of use on the drag strip, it’s been completely restored to like-new condition. We just drove the new 2012 ZL1 (full report coming soon), so we were keenly interested in seeing this one cross the auction block. The final bid came in at 0,000, putting the actual sale at 1,000.

Check out our high-res image gallery of live photos above, and be sure to click past the break, where you can watch a video of it being auctioned and read more about the 1969 Camaro ZL1 after the break.

Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 races across the auction block [w/video]

Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 races across the auction block [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What’s “the most famous television car in the world”? We suppose that depends on who you ask, but to many, nothing but the General Lee could possibly hold the title. Of course, there wasn’t just one General Lee. In fact, scores of orange Dodge Chargers were filmed for “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and most of them never survived their first televised escapade.

Not so Lee 1, so named because it was the car that famously jumped over a Hazzard County police cruiser in the very first episode of the hit series. If you’ve ever seen the opening credits, you know the car we’re talking about… it flew 16 feet in the air over a distance of 82 feet. And, as you may have guessed, it didn’t exactly stick the landing.

No matter. Because of its notoriety, Lee 1 was saved from destruction and restored over a period of 16 months. And, due to that same famous history, we thought it might draw plenty of attention from the crowds at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson auction. In reality, bidding ended at just 0,000. That makes the final sale price a seemingly paltry 1,000.

Read more about Lee 1 and watch a video of it’s auction after the break, and check out our live image gallery above.

Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2012: Dukes of Hazzard 1969 Dodge Charger General Lee falls flat [UPDATE: w/video]

Barrett-Jackson 2012: Dukes of Hazzard 1969 Dodge Charger General Lee falls flat [UPDATE: w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What price would you pay to own a piece of history? We’re thinking that might depend on what sort of historic significance we’re talking about… or, in the case of this 1964 Cadillac Hearse, how morbid that history may be.

As you may remember, Barrett-Jackson in 2011 auctioned off a 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ambulance that some thought carried John F. Kennedy’s body to the hospital after his fatal shooting. Turns out the provenance of that machine was very much in question, and bidding stalled at just 0,000.

Following up that unimpressive sale a year prior, Barrett-Jackson decided to bring out a car who’s history was never in question: the car that carried the casket containing JFK, along with his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, from Parkland Memorial Hospital to the airport at Love Field.

Regardless of the fact that it is known to have carried JFK’s body, it only garnered a high bid of 0,000. After fees, the new buyer will pay 6,000.00 to own this 1964 Cadillac Hearse. Check out our live images of the car at Barrett-Jackson above, and read more about it after the break.

Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1964 Cadillac JFK Hearse garners final bid of 0,000 [w/video]

Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1964 Cadillac JFK Hearse garners final bid of 0,000 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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