Barrett-Jackson postponing 2021 Scottsdale auction to March

PHOENIX — Car enthusiasts planning on visiting the 2021 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale will have to wait a little longer to do so.

The company announced in a press release on Thursday that their auction, which was scheduled to be held in January, will be moved to the week of March 22 to weather the current spike in COVID-19 cases.

The auction will still be held at WestWorld and will include the Barrett Jackson Cup Competition, which features 50 cars and trucks from custom builders.

The car auction dates back to 1971, when Russ Jackson and Tom Barrett started hosting classic car auctions in Scottsdale. The event has been held at WestWorld since 1989.

Craig Jackson, who serves as the chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson, said the decision to postpone the January auction stemmed from the company’s desire to protect people from the coronavirus.

“While every indication showed that our bidders, consignors and sponsors were behind our efforts to hold our auction next month, we decided it would be prudent at this time to safeguard everyone’s health,” Jackson said in the release.

“We determined that moving our event to March 2021 seemed like the right thing to do to avoid the coronavirus spike that is currently being predicted. We appreciate the support we have received from the city of Scottsdale and state of Arizona regarding this decision.”

Barrett-Jackson was able to hold their fall event with various safeguards in place to maximize social distancing and health, but such actions would not be enough to prevent viral spread in January, according to Jackson.

“We were widely praised for the safety protocols we put in place for our recent fall auction, and we want to be able to provide customers and fans the same safe environment and great Barrett-Jackson experience during our Scottsdale Auction this spring,” he added.

The spring event will feature a variety of collectible cars, including a 2018 Ford GT ’67 Edition and a 1965 Shelby GT350, which is one of 10 that were ever produced.

Barrett-Jackson president Steve Davis added that the March auction will feature everything that fans have come to enjoy in years past.

Attendees for the January auction can have their tickets transferred to the March event, according to the release, with refunds available as well.

“This is truly an unprecedented challenge in our country’s history, and one we take very seriously,” Davis said in the release. “Our decision to delay the auction was made to protect the public’s safety and health. Our consignors have been very supportive, and we already have a fantastic docket of collector cars shaping up for the March auction.

“We look forward to delivering the Barrett-Jackson experience that enthusiasts enjoy at our flagship Scottsdale Auction in March of 2021.”

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