10 Race Cars from Barrett-Jackson’s 2020 Scottsdale Auction
John Gunnell
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The collector value of a racing car is hard to estimate. But if you want to sell it – or, sometimes, to insure it – you need to establish at least a “ballpark” value. One way to find out a fair market value for a racing car is to see what racing cars bring at a big auction, such as the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The recently concluded auction put 1,700 vehicles of all kinds across the auction block and a high percentage went home with new owners. The racing cars in the mix included a 1920s Ford Model T racer, a tiny souped-up Fiat 600 minicar, a Porsche Cayman coupe built for the circuit, a NASCAR racer, an Indycar, several Dodge and Plymouth Max Wedge lightweight drag racing cars and a Baja race truck.
These 10 car descriptions and prices from Barrett-Jackson give you a quick snapshot of the market. If you want to see the prices of all cars (including more racing cars), visit the Barrett-Jackson website listed above, sign up for free and do a little navigating through the website (it’s fun) until you find the “results” tab. Then, you can search to find the prices that various race cars netted at Scottsdale and other Barrett-Jackson auctions.
First up is a 1998 Ford F-150 Super Cab Custom Baja Race Truck. This custom Baja Trophy truck has 31,557 actual miles. It features 17-inch custom wheels with all-terrain tires. Power is provided by a 5.4-liter V8 EFI engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive and four-wheel drive. Red and Medium Graphite exterior.
Sold: $10,450
This Fiat 600 is highly customized and professionally built for racing. It’s powered by a 1914cc engine featuring a RAJAY turbocharger with 10 pounds of boost. The engine is paired with an IRS Type 1 VW box 4-speed manual transmission. It features a Ron Lummus custom exhaust system, fully adjustable CNC coil-over race shocks mounted to a full Ron Lummus racing setup, a Holley fuel pump and four-wheel disc brakes. To add to the looks of this beauty, it has a lot of chrome parts and suicide doors.
Sold: $22,000
This steel-bodied racing car was designed with performance in mind and authenticity as its driving force. The period-correct 2006 restoration was performed by Edward's Antique Automobiles, marque professionals and Model T racing car experts. This 1925 racer sports a completely rebuilt and reconstructed steel boattail body. The hand-built body follows authentic design parameters for its period and includes original materials used in the 1920s.
The 170-cid four-cylinder engine has a highly-modified, California-built, Ford Model T block fitted with a heavy-duty Ford Model A crankshaft and larger main bearings. A highly sought-after overhead "RAJO" 8-valve head with larger custom intake and exhaust ports sits on the engine block. A stainless swept exhaust pipe is period-correct and complements the engine with a custom intake and a modern Carter carburetor. The engine is paired with a two-speed manual transmission and the complete chassis is rebuilt with standard gearing for fast acceleration and light-footed cornering on track or pavement.
The car has a lowered chassis with front end stabilization utilizing a unique accessory damper. Special Hayes 21-inch demountable wire wheels were re-spoked and mounted with hard-compound, suitable-for-dirt-track use Excelsior racing tires. The car uses large-drum brakes for stopping and features a complete, period-correct interior with ribbed tan leather trimmed in black metal. The dashboard is solid wood with minimal gauges for an original look. The steering wheel is wrapped with jute twine for positive grip and period appearance. The car is finished in Bright Racing Green with painted-on RAJO logos. This special Ford Racer participated in the “Celebration of Speed” at Ormond Beach, Fla. in 2006. It was also invited to attend the 2008 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.
Sold: $18,700
This 2008 Porsche Cayman S was built for the racing circuit. A 3.8-liter flat six from a Porsche 911 sends power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Finished in Speed Yellow, this Cayman fields a spartan, track-focused interior. A full roll cage with bucket-type racing seats keeps the driver and passenger in place, while a spoiler out back keeps the Porsche pinned to the road. The car is from the Sam Pack Collection.
Sold: $52,800
Dodge got serious about racing and released the Max Wedge V-8 in 1962. They followed that up with a good deal more variety in 1963, when the 426-cid V-8 was offered with two compression ratios: the tight 13.5:1 or the low-compression 11.0:1. The latest Dodge model took the Dart nameplate from the B-series line and came in 330, 440 and top-of-the-line Polara 500 trims.
This Polara is powered by a 426-cid RB-class V-8 with dual four-barrel carburetors mounted on a cross-ram intake with big head ports and lumpy cam timing. A 3-speed automatic transmission operated by push-button selectors on the dash panel was used. The Polara 500 added minor exterior trim upgrades, as well as a two-tone red and white bucket-seat interior for this car. Its all-steel body, finished in red, retains the appearance of a vintage racer. Upgrades include brushed aluminum solid face wheels, a deep sump pan, competition headers, full gauges including a tachometer and Firestone Drag 500 wide slick rear racing tires. The body has been modified for racing purposes.
Sold: $33,000
An amazing piece of NASCAR history, this No. 24 Monte Carlo was driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in the first road course victory in his Winston Cup career. Purchased in 1999 directly from Hendrick Motorsports, this car remains just as it was when it left the racetrack. It is powered by a 348-cid Chevrolet V-8 making an estimated 650 hp and has a four-speed manual transmission. It has a road-course-prepped suspension and brakes.
In contrast to the converted circle-track cars of years past, this car was purpose-built for the road courses. It was first raced at Watkins Glen on Aug. 9, 1996, where Gordon finished fourth. The car returned the following May, at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, where Gordon brought it to a second-place finish. Its third and final race - and its most important - was at Watkins Glen on Aug. 10, 1997.
Prior to then, Gordon had achieved victory at every NASCAR venue, but a road course win proved elusive until this race. He won it outright after starting in 11th place and leading the race for 32 of 90 laps. The entirely original car has not been raced since, but has attended various shows and the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. Certain licensing restrictions apply, as the car carries trademarked sponsorship livery. The entire sale price of this race car went to the Arizona Animal Welfare League, Arizona’s oldest animal shelter to feed, shelter and care for local animals in need.
Sold for Charity: $250,000
The legendary team of actor Paul Newman and automotive racing icon Carl Haas (Newman/Hass Racing) began testing the Cosworth-powered Lola T8600 early in January 1986 in preparation for the 1986 CART Series. With all-time great Mario Andretti at the wheel, it looked to be a promising season after he put the new T8600 (body no. 04) on the pole at Phoenix International Raceway. That broke the tie with A.J. Foyt for all-time number of pole positions in an Indy/Champ Car.
After a 7th-place finish at Phoenix, this car was the secondary car for the Long Beach Grand Prix and headed into the Indy 500. Andretti was a favorite heading into qualifying, but had a small handling issue and managed to qualify fifth. A few days later, in practice, the "Andretti Indy Curse" raised its ugly face once again, as the qualified car (body no. 11) crashed due to component failure. Body no. 11 was unable to be repaired in time, so the pole-sitting car from Phoenix (body no. 04) was pressed into service. This car also was unable to escape the curse, being forced to start 32nd. An electrical problem forced the T8600 to retire early in Indianapolis 500.
In 1986, Newman/Hass Racing and Mario Andretti used a combination of four team cars to take two victories and 12 top-10 finishes to place 5th in the series. In 2016, this car (body no. 04) was purchased by the current owner and immediately sent to 40-year racing veteran Kevin Doran at Doran Racing for a complete mechanical sorting. This car since has made laps at Phoenix, Pocono and, of course, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This Indy Car does not come with the Gerhardt starter set up, which is necessary to start the vehicle. A new windshield will be shipped to the buyer.
Sold: $95,700
Drag racing changed significantly in 1963. Late in 1962, ACCUS placed a 7.0-liter (427-cid) limit on drag cars and both NASCAR and NHRA agreed. As a result, Chrysler's 413-cid Maximum Performance Wedge was bored to 426 cu. in. for the new year. The factory also added aluminum body components in the hope of reducing weight.
Thanks to these modifications, even with fierce factory competition between Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac and Chrysler, the start of the 1963 found Dodge in the winner's circle at Pomona and again that summer at the U.S. Nationals. Today referred to as the Stage I version of the engine, the high-compression 13.5:1 Ramcharger 426-cid V-8 used the sonically tuned cross-ram intake, two Carter four-barrel carburetors and refitted valve gears. The 330 was the base-model Dodge.
This car was purchased from King Dodge in Minneapolis, Min. on Feb. 8, 1963. Wain Pearce ran it regionally and at the 1963 U.S. Nationals. It is listed in the 1963 U.S. Nationals program. The authentically-repainted racing car features a 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission and 3.91:1 gearing in its 8.75-inch rear axle. Lightweight aluminum racing components include the scooped hood, bumpers, bumper supports and front fenders. The battery is mounted in the trunk and the factory exhaust cutouts are underneath. The red cloth-and-vinyl interior features radio-and heater-delete plates and a push-button shifter.
Sold: $66,000
The 1964 Dodge 440 was cleaned up from its 1963 format for Dodge’s Golden Anniversary year. It changed to a clean, stainless-steel full-width grille featuring paired headlights at each end. The B-series came in three trim levels: base 330, mid-grade 440 and premium 500. Most racers picked the 330, which was the lightest version. The 12.5:1- compression, Maximum Performance Ramcharger III wedge V-8 was used along with lightweight aluminum body panels.
This 440-trim Dodge has been authenticated as a lightweight factory Max Wedge car. 440s had better interior components and some added bright trim; this one also has the new-for-1964 A833 four-speed manual transmission. To get the lighter pieces installed, the high-compression version of the engine had to be ordered. The Stage III 426-cid V-8 was the most advanced of the wedge race-motors, with better heads and valve train components. From the cross-ram intake and high-flow factory manifolds to the trunk-mount battery, it is pure race car. This car is correctly finished with an Ivory exterior, including inset gold trim for the 50th anniversary of Dodge. It came with a gold bench-seat interior featuring a radio and heater. The car also has back-up lights and a lightweight steel bumper.
Sold: $62,700
Restored by AutoKraft in Eau Claire, Wis., this car features a 426-cid/415-hp Max Wedge V-8 with cross-ram intake that was blueprinted by Wheeler in Minneapolis. This genuine T85 three-speed Max Wedge car now has a four-speed transmission with Hurst shifter. The original T85 three-speed transmission is in the trunk. It has a factory trunk-mount battery and Sure-Grip rear. It is listed in the Chrysler Lynch Road Registry and comes with a copy of a Chrysler build card, IBM card, Darrell Davis authenticity guide and extensive documentation. Owned and restored for Al Corda from the NHRA champ's personal collection.
Sold: $61,500
