Years ago, the best car shows and auctions ended in mid-winter. The annual cycle of auto events held an obligatory pause as enthusiasts were forced back into their garages from several months until the weather was deemed fair. Then, in warmer months, the cycle continued. That was until the folks at Barrett-Jackson set their eyes on Palm Beach six years ago.
This weekend’s 6th annual Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Auction proved once again that upmarket car auctions are just as alluring in late March as they are in mid July. This year’s notables for Mustang fans focused more on specialized S197s than any rare classics.
Among them were the highly-tauted Knight Rider KITT cars, both the
regular KITT and
"Attack" KITT. Featured on the
NBC Knight Rider remake, the cars sold for a cool $300K in a package deal with the rights to purchase the last produced 2009 Shelby GT500KR. According the MustangBlog, bidding on the KITT duo had reached a stalemate around $160K on Saturday afternoon, when Ford’s Mark Fields took over the mic and added that the winning bidder would also obtain the rights to purchase an’09 KR at MSRP. That boosted bids to $240K, but wasn’t enough to secure the deal. So, they added that this particular KR would be #1576—the last one produced for 2009. Bidding ended at $300K. And with good reason...just look at the
GT500KR KITT spec sheet!
Speaking of Mustangs that rolled off at the end of the line, Jack Roush made a cameo to auction off his
last 2008 P-51A Mustang, #151. Again, the stallion alone was not enough to entice bidders to get crazy, so Roush began by offering the winning bidder a flight with him on his personal aircraft—a vintage WWII P-51D Mustang airplane. Then, Ford’s Mark Fields stepped in once again to announce that the highest bidder would also receive the honor of grand marshal (throwing the green flag) at the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Homestead Miami Speedway this November, the final race of the 2008 season. Finally, like a rockstar, Roush offered one last item—his signature straw hat, still warm from his head. The P-51A Mustang sold for $135K.
The usual roundup of beautiful classic GT500s and fastbacks came through, including a
1968 Shelby GT500 convertible and a
1967 Ford Mustang Fastback “Pit Viper #05.” Proceeds for the 2008 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Auction went to
Salute to Education, a scholarship program funded by San Diego Ford Dealers and Ford Motor Company.
[Source] MustangBlog.com
[Photo Credits] Barrett-Jackson.com
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