What an exciting week! I began last Monday at ADESA Phoenix for the auction’s 2nd Annual Legendary Sales Week. Everything—from the cars and attendance to the events and celebrity guests—was just amazing. The auction was completely abuzz with action and excitement for my entire visit.

I also truly enjoyed watching the generosity of our customers as they bid on a Ford Mustang during a charity auction to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Congratulations to Alan Taylor and his winning bid of $18,000.

Left to right: Mike Russo, general manager, ADESA Phoenix; Linda Silverstein, manager of vehicle remarketing, Ford Motor Company; Alan Taylor (winning bidder), CEO and host, Entertainment Radio Network; and Tom Caruso, CEO and president, ADESA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later that week, when I was walking the grounds of Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, it was hard to take more than 10 steps without bumping into a restored classic or luxury exotic. For a car guy like me, this obstacle was definitely a welcome “problem.”

This year’s Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale event smashed all kinds of records. In just six days, the auction sold an amazing $92 million worth of collector cars, with nine vehicles fetching more than seven figures. The auction also raised nearly $5 million for many worthy causes including JDRF, an organization ADESA has supported for many years.

While there was plenty to see and do at Barrett-Jackson, one of my favorite experiences was browsing the classics and rare vehicles parked under the ADESA tent. There are a few pictures are uploaded below. If you would like to see more photos, please head over to ADESA’s official Facebook page.

1932 Ford Custom Roadster commonly referred to as a “Dearborn Deuce.”

1939 Lincoln Zephyr convertible with a beautiful pearl exterior.

1947 Buick Super Convertible Model 56 C featuring 18” chrome wheels in the front and 20” in the back.

1967 Ford Mustang GT500 Fastback. A fitting tribute to “Eleanor” from the movie "Gone in 60 Seconds".

1970 Chevy SS Chevelle 572 5 speed featuring a whopping 620 horsepower.

1917 Crow Lakester Custom Roadster made entirely of jet plane parts.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette. What’s so special? It was used in the Nicolas Cage movie "Con Air".