1968 Shelby EXP 500 fails to sell at Barrett-Jackson despite $1.8 million bid

     

EXP, in the case of the 1968 Ford Mustang you see above, stands for Experimental. You see, this is one of the cars used by the Shelby American team in the development of a long list of classic Shelby Mustang models.

The car, powered by a 390-cubic-inch V8 engine and known internally as The Green Hornet, underwent a huge number of upgrade sessions that saw it receive experimental fuel injection, independent rear suspension and unique disc brakes. That's right, a Ford Mustang with IRS!

In a somewhat baffling turn of events, despite a top bid of $1.8 million, The Green Hornet's reserve price wasn't met, meaning it stays with its current owner for at least one more auction cycle. Have a good look at our image gallery above, and be sure to watch the video below that shows all the fast and furious bidding action.

1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona is viceless in Miami Scottsdale at Barrett-Jackson

     

We love the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. It's most definitely a classic, made famous in part by its appearance as Don Johnson's favored ride in the classic '80s television series Miami Vice... but we won't hold that against it.

The specific example you see above just crossed the block at the 2013 Barrett-Jackson extravaganza in Scottsdale, and it cleared a cool $495,000 after the buyer's commission was factored in. The 1972 Daytona features a sweet-sounding V12 engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.

Plus, it's brown, with a tan interior.

1986 Porsche 959 Prototype at Barrett-Jackson sees gavel fall at $440,000

     
Fans of Porsche in America have longed for the chance to buy a 959 ever since the German automaker produced and sold it (well, sold it everywhere but the United States...) in the 1980s. Well, they just had their chance. The car you see above is a Porsche 959 prototype built in 1986, and only one other running prototype still exists.

The 959 prototype can't be driven on public roads, as it carries no such certification. Somehow, we doubt that matters all that much to the new buyer – this one is probably going to be sitting in a collection. When the gavel finally fell, bidding had reached $400,000, plus a 10-percent buyer's fee.

Clark Gable's 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing doesn't sell, then does sell for $1.85 million

 

   

How much extra value does previous celebrity ownership add to of a car? Really, there's no way to know until the car in question hits the auction block and bidders start raising their hands. In the case of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing you see above, the celebrity owner is none other than Clark Gable, who purchased it new. After Gable's death in 1960, the car changed hands a few times before settling with Charles Wood in 1975.

A high-dollar restoration was performed in 1989, and period accessories added by Gable himself were kept in place, including the Rudge knock-off wheels and Nardi steering wheel. Any Mercedes-Benz 300SL is worth a big chunk of money. In the case of Clark Gable's old Gullwing, the bidding stalled at $1.9 million here at the 2013 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. As one of the 5000-series cars, this 300SL carried a reserve, and a bit of after-the-fact dealmaking saw the car change hands for $1.85 million.

Chevrolet Camaro COPO Convertible jumps from SEMA to Barrett-Jackson, pockets $400k for charity

 

   

Back at the 2012 SEMA event in Las Vegas, Chevrolet unveiled the car you see above, a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro COPO Convertible. Actually, that's not quite accurate – this car is THE 2012 Chevrolet Camaro COPO Convertible. As in, the only one ever sold. There was one more produced, but it's not leaving the GM Heritage Center any time soon. This one was just sold at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale for $400,000 exactly.

That sum will be donated to the American Heart Association, and the winner will take home this Inferno Orange Metallic COPO, complete with a 327-cubic-inch V8 topped by a 4.0-liter supercharger. The engine sends 550 horsepower to the rear drag slicks through a three-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. Perfect for a run down the quarter mile, top-down style.

Check out our high-res image gallery from the block at Barrett-Jackson above, and don't forget to watch a video of the COPO being auctioned below, along with the car's official auction description. And don't forget to play along with the crowd at the Hagerty Fantasy Bid game online for a chance to win a custom 2013 Shelby GT500

One-off 2013 Shelby GT500 Cobra raises $200k for charity at Barrett-Jackson

   

 

You can count on the fact that there will be plenty of tributes to the late Carroll Shelby over the next several months and years – most of them taking the vehicular shape of the Ford Mustang, we'd wager. The one you see above was created by a group called Friends of Carroll and was unveiled by Edsel Ford II, Ford marketing VP Jim Farley and Shelby American President John Luft at the 2012 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.

The 2013 GT500's stock 662-horsepower 5.8-liter V8 engine has seen its power bumped to an even 850 horses with upgrades provided by Ford Racing. A widebody kit from Shelby covers up the 13-inch-wide rear wheels and 345-series tires. The car is painted in Guardsman Blue with Wimbledon White stripes – a classic color combination seen on many Cobra roadsters from the 1960s.

All proceeds from this sale at Barrett-Jackson will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Check out our live image gallery above and peruse a video of the car's time on the auction block as well as the official auction description below. If you want to have some fun while watching the auction action, click here to take part in the Hagerty Fantasy Bid online game... after all, you could win a new GT500 of your own.

Barrett-Jackson 2013: Odds and Ends from Friday's Festivities

     

While the big-ticket items sold at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale usually hit the block on Saturday, Friday often brings with it a few interesting finds. This year was no different. With an assortment of vehicles ranging from an original 1969 Chevrolet Camaro COPO with a 427-cubic-inch V8 and four-speed manual transmission to a 1929 Ford AA Custom Popcorn truck, you never can tell what's going to show up at Barrett-Jackson.

It's impossible to miss a bright tangerine Willy's Roadster, and we could hardly pass up the opportunity to watch one of the infamous Unique Performance Eleanor replica cars cross the auction block. Really, we just pointed our lenses at whatever happened to catch our eye.

Check out the fruits of our labors in the high-res image gallery of live photos above. Each of the cars you'll see is captioned with the its appropriate make and model, plus the amount it finally sold for. Enjoy!