As Barrett-Jackson’s 2011 event schedule gets underway, the auction company’s yearlong 40th anniversary celebration will also kick off in Scottsdale. Barrett-Jackson’s impact and successes through the decades have contributed to this 40-year milestone. Here, we examine the triumphant timeline that has grown this local gem into an internationally respected event with auctions nationwide.

Barrett-Jackson formed from the fateful meeting of Tom Barrett and Russ Jackson. “They were from this area,” says Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “Tom met Russ through an ad in the paper actually selling a car. Ironically, they never consummated a sale but they did develop a friendship and, ultimately, a partnership.”

1967
Barrett and Jackson present a car show called “Fiesta de los Autos Elegantes” at the Scottsdale Ball Park. At the show’s core was a fund-raiser for local charities, including the Scottsdale Library. “The roots of Barrett-Jackson go back to helping the community,” Davis says. “I think it all started at the first Barrett-Jackson car show, which raised money for the local library at the time. As the company has grown, we can not only generate and potentially raise money to help the community, but also provide awareness with millions of people watching from the auctions and live broadcasts.”

1971
The first Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction was at the Safari Resort in Scottsdale and featured vehicles from both founders’ individual collections. Of particular interest was Barrett’s Mercedes 770 Phaeton, which captured headlines when it sold for $153,000. The sale and the inaugural event drew 3,000 car enthusiasts and thrustthe Barrett-Jackson name into international prominence.

1989
Barrett-Jackson relocated the auction to its current location at WestWorld in Scottsdale. The increase in space also parlayed into additional patrons as attendance reached 50,000 plus.

1993
Founder Russ Jackson passed away leaving his sons, Craig and Brian, to head up the company. Two short years later, following a battle with cancer, Brian also passed, leaving Craig to oversee the company and lead it forward. “It was a major deal as you can imagine from the trauma and terrible loss,” Davis says. “There were a lot of things that needed to be done to deal with the loss of family and also to make sure the company was on firm footing and going in a direction to become what it has become today.”

1995
Barrett-Jackson introduced Internet coverage of the auction. “We were a pioneer when we reached out and did what we did on the Internet,” says Davis, who is quick to note that since its inception, the company’s online presence has grown by leaps and bounds. “An analogy would be going from a stone wheel that got the job done to the incredible high-tech radio speed-rated tires that we have on our cars. Today, we are on the cutting edge of technology and our Web site has become one of the top Web sites in the world.”
The company’s current online menu of services includes online bidding, social network connections, live streaming of auctions around the nation as well as a database of information for car collectors and enthusiasts. “We are really engaged with apps for iPhones and Droids,” Davis says. “Barrett-Jackson is really engaging and uses electronic media in a way that makes the company just a touch away from anyone wanting information when we aren’t having an event.”

1997
The Speedvision Network produced live coverage of the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction. (The event was the first-ever collector car auction to be televised live.) As Barrett-Jackson has grown, so has its TV presence. “We are partnering with Speed TV for an unprecedented 40 hours of live broadcast from the Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale,” Davis says.