Internet rumors

[Rusty Gillis]

When Jenkins had the Vega at Pomona during the Winternationals we were staying at the same motel and he had water circulating through the engine all night long.

[Kenny Wigington]

Well, I'm 45 next month.

I never got to see the Vegas or Monza's race,but did see a couple of Camaro's with Lepone driving. I met Grump, when Brian Browell used to let me hang around , and learn a little about comp cars and V-6's. That was a blast I will always treasure. Bill was funny, but very to the point.Brian even found a beer coozie with a tremendous likeness of Bill, and we kept it in the trailer, only letting him use it. That was good for a few laughs, especially the first time Bill saw it. I went to about 3 or 4 a yr w/ him and Jenkins, from 96 to 99. Like I said, great times. I have one pic, if I can find it, of Grump and crew warming , what I think was in 80, Camaro ProStocker.

That's really a shame about the auction stuff. I enjoyed watching that, until now.

[Dave Goob Cook]

Yeah, a few rich azzholes got together and decided that they spent too much money on their car collections, so they have tried to turn it into a commodities trading market, and there is no love of motorsports or classic cars involved, it's all about swinging the financial penis on TeeVee for everyone to watch.

Reggie Jackson started this downhill slide.......now TeeVee pushes it over the brink.

Now there is no way the average person can afford to own a decent old car.

[76 RACER]

Aspen...finally someone that had the nuts to say what has been known for a long time! Number one there was never a partnership between Russ jackson and Tom Barrett in 1971. Tom was a very influentual man in the Phx. area. He was on the board of Directors of United bank and had his own high end Real Estate company with his partner Sim Nathan. it was called TIME REALTY and was located at the Safari Hotel on Scottdale Rd. the site of the first Auction. Myself and another person took two cars to be sold there in 71 for a man that is a well known collector in the DUESENBERG circle! Lets ask ourselves this...If tom and Russ were partners as told all the time on TV why wasnt it called the Barrett-Jackson Auction until the Jackson family took it over? Also,Tom had 4 kids. Three daughters and a son. They worked their asses off for their dad. I dont know why they didnt get the auction. Anyway I started delivering cars to Barretts home at 5601 E. Nauni Valley Dr in the town of Paradise Valley just on the north side of Camelback Mtn. Tom had almost 4 acres of land there that you cant even buy today at crazy money! In 1974 I was at Toms home delivering a car to him. It did not run. I fooled with it and got it running to perfection for what it was. He offered me a job taking care of his car collection. That was quite an offer to a 22 yr. old kid from a small town just outside of Dayton.O. I accepted and lived at his home for almost 2 years. I dont need to get into details here but Barrett was way beyond the Jackson family in every aspect if you get my drift. I am not taking anything away from them. They had a shop on Washington St. in Phx. and did not have near the collection of cars that Barrett had. When I went to work for Tom he had the Prince Agakhan 1951 P-IV Rolls, A Maybach that belonged to Dr. Gobels( Hitlers Buddy) Eva Brauns 540 SSK Benz, the Roosevelt parade car when he was president. A Delehaye that belonged to Adriam M. Conandoyle(spelling?) The list goes on and on. To the best of my memory the Jacksons got involved in the auction in 1975 as Barrett let them start doing the advertising for him. For legal reasons I dont need to go with this. Some of the most famous people in the world walked thru Tom Barrett s front door. I know as I was witness to it !!! I will tell you Tom was a hard guy to work for after a while. He wanted me 24 -7 plus! I had no life after a while. Tom was a great man and did a lot for me...believe me! He didnt like my 66 Nova I bought from Pat Hale in Scottsdale and built me a 2-car garage on his property so his customers wouldnt have to see it. Funny thing is that Tom raced UNLIMITED HYDROPLANE boats and was called TOM the BOMB! As far as Jenkins Vega goes...I spoke to him on the phone about the car because I have a Vega I race and always liked his. His words were this. The engine in the car has never been down a race track. The guy that bought the car rolling came back and wanted an engine. He went thru his shop and put together time dated parts to build the engine! He also said that without a contract signed and money in the bank he would not come to Scottsdale and tell the story as he called it about the car! Aspen is correct,there are way too many stories that go with these cars today. Have you noticed that no old $$$ people go to the Barrett Auction? No one of a kind classic cars either. He is right, the Kruse or the RM are better venues. In closing,one well known collector is Banned from the Barrett-Jackson fling because he helped the Kruses a few years back. by the way,the Kruses are some of the wealthiest people in the WORLD! But,they are just some hicks from Auburn,In.......lol Some of the stories I can tell about things I saw at Barretts are really neat. Tom died of Alzheimers and his second wife the mother of three of his kids and her husband took care of him till the end!

GOOB...you be right about REGGIE! I think I told you the story about him from 79 when I met him and he wanted a 69 Camaro I had.

[Jeff Lee]

And some of the BIGGEST ticket items, the ones that have received the BIGGEST press are pre-arranged sales at MUCH lessor pricing, with the run-up in bidding being a joke! Of course this manipulates the market into believing higher valuations. Geez, just like the housing market! *

*This statement is my opinion and may not be attributed to any one particular auction company. This statement made to satisfy the lawyers.

[76 RACER]

I did some inquiring this afternoon and Craig will NOT be going to Vegas! He has struck yet another deal with the city of Scottsdale! They did make 7.2 million off the proceeds from the auction last year! Craig has just opened a new facility at 96th.st. and Bell Rd. I was told today! He also had to put up a NEW tent for this years auction. The old one had an AMERICAN flag on it and the new one does not as there was too many complaints from the FOREIGNORS that live in Scottsdale!!! Imagine that? I believe the lawsuit is over the RAMCHARGERS S/S car that was rolled thru way too fast! When Tom started the auction all on his own it had an altogether different theme. Every well known collector in the world was present. Granted times have changed and Craig has taken the auction to the next level. I believe it goes back to this question.....Was the person great for the time or did the time make the person great? If anyone reading has not been to the auction I would say go to it! The quality of cars is great. I can remember when a Duesenberg would bring 125k. The Gretta Garbo Duesy came on the block and the owner wanted 150k firm for it. The car stalled at 138k. Then Leo Gephart took the microphone from Dean Kruse and talked about the importance of that car. Actually that car was the most highly optioned Duesy ever built. It went to 145k and stopped. Leo said that he had sex with Gretta in the back seat of that car and it went to 190k and sold! Those days are long gone.....Dick Butler may remember the T-Bolt Fairlane Leo had. It was yellow and said URBAN AUTO SALES on the sides. It was driven by Chuck Callahan. Leos car lot was located on the west side of Dayton on West 3rd. Street in Drexel!