Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Did anyone notice that Ray Allen's/Briggs Chevrolet SS454 SS/EA
(Killer Car) was recently sold at an RM Auction.
Back in 2006 at Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, Arizona it sold for
$1,150,000 (including commision $1,240,000).
Anyone remember the two nice guys that went crazy on that car, when the bidding stalled at $300,000.
Well it just sold for $264,000.
I wonder if the guy who bought it at Barrett-Jackson (who was stirred into a frenzy during the bidding back in 2006 by the B-J auctioneers) will be sending them a Christmas Gift this year.
Caveat Emptor...
PC

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Its because of BS like Barrett Jackson and the collector whores who know nothing about cars trying to make a quick buck is the reason the poor working class cannot aford a nice street ride or race car unless they bend over and grab their ankels. The IDIOT who bought that car for over a million is just dumb as a post. Same goes for all of the other so called collector cars. How many Hemis are sitting in a climate controled garage when they should be on the race track.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

I had heard a rumor that the guy that bought it from Barrret Jackson restored the car back to FACTORY specs...

This would explain the price difference if that was true.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Barrett-Jackson ,just another reality show for ratings . Some of it may be lagit ,like the ones they don't show on tv.OK ,now you can throw me under the bus for my opinion. (still like to watch it though)

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

i couldnt agree more with terry on this one,barret jackson has totally screwed the car hobby,nothing but the lowest type of bottom feeders!!

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

I believe it was restored before Barret Jackson as the announced the lettering was stick on and easily removable

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

I agree-They have taken the average guy out of it,grabbed the baby boomers who are scared of getting old and have a whole lot of money and have hosed the whole works for us. Same old crap. Doug Schriener

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

when this loads "Skip The Intro'
http://www.rmauctions.com/auctionres...?SaleCode=RW09

I was told a good majority (maybe ALL) of these were owned and sold by
a Mr. Guffy from the midwest...

I thought it odd that the Yellow '56 Chevy Jr.Stocker that sold last years BJ
for near $44 - 45,000, again sold for that kind of money here at this R&M.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

And just Plain SICK. A fool and his money are soon parted.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

The guy who bought the Ray Allen Chevelle has a net worth of $800 million. I doubt he cared how much he lost. He had his 15 minutes of television fame..........

Wade

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

From what I understand he owns the Discovery Channel,or some other similar company.I know people associated with Ray Allens car and they believe the BJ sale was a scam.He also owns the GM
Motorana bus from a few years ago.His car collection is in the high 100s.I bet he can't name 10 cars that he owns.BJ,dicks like this guy and Reggie Jackson are a reason the average guy can't touch a
desirable muscle car anymore.

I saw the chevelle at Englishtown and the Briggs lettering was on one side of the car only.And any of the "good" motors are long gone.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

If I could just find the clothes I was wearing when I dug around thru the Chevelle looking for my tire pressure gauge that Ray borrowed.......I could auction them off.......Clothes that touched the Briggs Chevelle in 1970. :rolleyes:I think Ray told me the glovebox door used to fly open and the stuff that was in there flu out......:D

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Terry most of these guy spending that kind of money with Barrett- Jackson probably lost more in the stock market than on the cars they bought and sold. Some felt the pain others did not.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Help me with some history on this car---waaaaay back in about 1973ish hadn't this car passed to Claude urvig (sp?) and was wearing white paint with a white roof-or was he in a different car altogether? it was still heavily associated with T-K of course......anyone remember?

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Yes..the former
It was converted to a 71 by the time Tommy Camperlengo had it

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

It's not tjust the aucrions, like Barrett/Jackson. The whole car restorartion thing got way out of hand, years ago, and created the "matching numbers" atmosphere that drove prices through the roof for some basically, ordinary cars. Nice cars, yes, fully restored, yes, but why should a "showroom restoration" be worth five to six times what it cost, brand new???

I remember that in about 1968, or so, you could buy all the '57 Chevy convertibles and Bel Air two-door hardtops you wanted for about $400,00 apiece. Now, look at them...
It's absurd...

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Yes it was 1973 when Claude owned the car, he was a partner in T-K at that time.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

That's what I thought I remembered-and-when it sold for the big money at B-J, my brother and I had a great laugh, as we lived in columbus at the time and remember seeing the crew guys in the pits,likely springnationals, changing the engine on that car-standing on the front fenders!! it was a comical sight, but they were working frantically to get stuff done and the paint and sheet metal were completely unimportant. I am sure that car had new fenders on it long before B-J but especially considering what it even recently sold for, it is a funny memory-wish I had pictures!

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Steve,

Funny you mention the "little red wagon", Bill Goldens son, John, and I were best friends growing up in Searcy, where Bill still resides. I remember seeing that truck at their shop all the time, and it running around here locally. He had the truck in Auto Trader for sale years ago for $150,000.00 and we all thought he was crazy........

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

When I started this post yesterday, I had no idea of the attention it would get. All added threads are correct and right on. Didn't realize how much hatred out there for Barrett-Jackson:mad:. They were doing good things in
the early part of 2000, and the (2) announcers they used on the telecasts
were excellent and well-informed on car history. Now, it's just more of a
carnival act, with the auctioneer portraying a carny.
PC
Anyone interested in a 70 1/2 Chevelle SS454 (SS/EA) from South Amboy, New Jersey. Staring bid $1,150,000. :rolleyes:

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

[QUOTE=Paul Ceasrine; They were doing good things in
the early part of 2000, and the (2) announcers they used on the telecasts
were excellent and well-informed on car history. Now, it's just more of a
carnival act, with the auctioneer portraying a carny.
PC
[/QUOTE]

Sounds like NHRA and IHRA of late.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

thanks, Bob-that's just how I remember it except for 2 guys standing on the fenders and one standing on the core support trying to lift the short block out with 2x4s --apparently they had no cherry picker, not that it would have mattered, it was columbus, it had been raining and they were in a grassy mudhole.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

I miss Ralph Truppi. Great Engine builder who supplied the Winning motor for Hundreds of records and Class Wins. An even better friend. Hard to think of racing without his input.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

When the car was sold at B-J in 2006, I think the engine was put back in stock trim. No headers, it had the exhaust manifolds on it. The buyer, Ralph was a nice guy, just got caught up in the frenzy. Not his fault,
looks like he just wanted a chance to drive an NHRA Championship car.
Didn't even care about Ray Allen, or Truppi/Kling. There was actually a video of him doing a burn-out with the car in a parking lot with the
convertible top down. Looked like a kid in a candy store, with the
owner not looking. Can't blame him, if he's got the cash to burn.
Unfortunately, It sent the whole musclecar-network into a 360-spin.
PC

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

the car was restored by Ray Allen himself......i was told he thought the car would bring more money if it were showroom stock.......guess it didn't matter.......


adam

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Why the hate???

Did anyone take econ 101? Simple supply and demand. Economic rules are as old as time. There will always be those willing to pay beyond what most might consider market value for any good or service. And there will be inevitable corrections. NO ONE has a "right" to purchase anything at a lower price than someone else is willing to pay. How many are buying now what will be collectable in 20-50 years?? And storing it for that big score down the road?? Nobody.

In 1980 I passed on a numbers matching Hemi Challenger RT/SE that a local cop was using as his dailey driver. Price? $4000. Who should I blame that it would probably bring $100,000 and I was lacking in vision?

RIP

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

SC4400,
Correct el Mundo,
Beauty in the eye-of-the-beholder. The market will eventually correct itself.
(a2race), I think Ray Allen sold the Chevelle to Chip Gerste, a musclecar expert out of Costa Mesa, California for restoration of the Chevelle
"Killer Car" before it went up on the block.
PC

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

I used to deal in Corvettes when prices just kept climbing and climbing. When it seemed that someone paid too much for a car, we used to say "He didn't overpay for it, he just bought it too soon".

However, today's economic climate shoots that theory all to hell. People are now taking major hits in just about everything (jobs, real estate, stocks, etc.) except gold, if you believe the advertisments on TV. And toys are the first thing to get hit. Ask anyone trying to see a boat or a RV.

Never lived through anything like this before nor did I imagine it could ever happen.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

I meant "sell a boat or RV" (bad typing)

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Bobby Z,
Your right. Remember the group, The Blues Magoo's.
"We Ain't Seen Nothing Yet".
This economic down-turn is only in the beginning stages.
Watch what happens when oil-prices start zooming.
A stock-tip. Trans-Ocean, They lease oil-rigs.
Geez, I'm starting to sound like E.F. Hutton:).
PC

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

"Ray Allen's/Briggs Chevrolet SS454 SS/EA (Killer Car) sold Back in 2006 at Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, Arizona it sold for $1,150,000 - including commission @ $1,240,000"

Chip Geirst (spelling?) sold it that year it brought the $1.240...

Since then I've seen him & Joe Amato at events / sales together...
anybody know the rest of that story? Just curious.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Ralph had lots and lots of money so the mil wasn't a huge deal for him and it meant he got the car instead of BJ's imaginary or shill bidder.

The latest price is more what the car should be worth then and now. It's racing history is now just a paper trail and the car doesn't much resemble it. It had stock sized Cragar SS's and small tube street headers. That'd be like taking Jenkins 72 Vega and restoring it as a stock 4 banger and adding 13 x 6 Supertricks and stick on vinyl "Grumpy's Toy" graphics.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

I'm getting the drift here.
Looks like the only thing real at Barrett-Jackson is Stephen Davis' hair.
NOT. It's only simulated, like the wood grain dashboard panels.
PC

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

http://www.detoursdiecast.com/scrayallen.html

Picture

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

I met Chip Gerst during the mid '80s while traveling to some races with my good friend Dave Schapiro. Dave ran S/G and brackets all over the eastern part of the country and me and a couple friends drove his truck and trailer many times to races. Chip raced for a couple years as well mostly in S/G. He started out with an early Corvette and then had an Olds Cutlass-Hurst Olds that I believe was a former WJ Pro Stocker. He won S/G at Indy in around 1985 or 1986 with the Olds.... Chip had a body shop at the time if I recall right. he went on to become involved in collector/musle cars. I saw him many times on the TV auctions usually with Reggie Jackson and later on with Joe Amato......I did not realize he bought the Chevelle from Ray before the big sale a few years ago. Looks like Chip did real well to say the least on that sale.....


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/au...1CHEVELLE.html

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/au...1CHEVELLE.html

For this to come from a newspaper, this is a good article, that's worth reading.

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

Can someone comment on how many '70 Chevelle convertibles were made with the LS-6 option and how many, other than the Briggs/Allen car, made it to the strip?

I remember the Briggs/Allen car, more so when Urevig had it; saw him drive it to the semi's at Columbus Spring Nats one year...that included a certain SS/I stick Camaro of Bennett & Siranni (sp?) who eventually won eliminator, another Truppi/Kling car I think...

Re: Ray Allen/Briggs Chevrolet SS454
 

There is one of these in San Diego in a private collection...it is a 4 speed car. The owner told me that only five were made....five 4 speed cars.