Bullitt
The 1968 Ford Mustang that Steve McQueen drove on screen in the movie “Bullitt” finally crossed the auction block. As a kickoff to this year’s auction season, there’s not much more of a splash that could have been made. People have been speculating for months, if not years, over the price that the Mustang would eventually command – if it sold at all. As it turns out, any worry that the Bullitt would be a flop were quickly put to rest. Its $3,500 starting bid quickly jumped to over a million dollars.
The Mustang’s eventual $3.4 million selling price ($3.74 million after fees) is the most money ever spent on a Mustang at auction, besting the previous record by over a million dollars. That may seem like a ton of money, and it is, but the car’s provenance as having been driven by Steve McQueen goes a long way toward adding zeroes to the price tag.
It’s a fitting kickoff to 2020’s auction season and is one that many surely hope will set the tone for the auctions that are kicking off this weekend in Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ. Starting today, the desert towns will host events from nearly every major auction house, with hundreds of rare and exciting vehicles crossing the block for sale.
Here’s a rundown of the biggest events coming up this week:
Barrett-Jackson actually has its headquarters in Scottsdale, so the hometown company always puts on a good show. This year’s docket will include everything from a 1992 Range Rover to a Rolls-Royce once owned by Dean Martin. The action kicks off today and will run through Sunday, January 19.
With some of the rarest and most expensive vehicles in town, Gooding & Company’s auctions will be fun to watch. We’ll see several Ferraris cross the block, as well as a super rare and super expensive 2014 McLaren P1. There will even be a group of Ferraris, ranging from a 1972 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider to a 1995 F50, that are expected to go for well over $2 million.
RM Sotheby’s is one of the most well-known auction houses in town, but they won’t actually be holding any sales in Scottsdale. The company’s auctions will kickoff on January 16 in Phoenix, and will feature some truly special vehicles. There’s a 1949 Harley-Davidson Police Servi-Car motorcycle, a 2005 Ferrari Superamerica, a super cool 1935 Cadillac V-16 Imperial Convertible Sedan, and an ultra-rare 2019 McLaren Senna up for sale at this year’s auction.
