Breakfast with Mr. Ferrari, Lamborghini & Rob Myers

It’s no wonder RM Auction is celebrating their 10th year in Arizona with “Automobiles of Arizona” at the Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona. Accepting my invitation to their Media breakfast I arrived slightly more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed then the next writer and photographer because this was my first time to look behind the scenes. Tucked in a small ballroom with other friends from the Phoenix Automotive Press Association (PAPA) I got to meet the kind folks running RM and hear what Rob Myers founder and former president ( Ian Kelleher was recently promoted to President) had to say about the state of the Collector Car Market.

Mr. RM took the podium with a smooth stride and turned to show a friendly smile. Here’s a man that enjoys what he does. Reflecting back to 1976, Myers remembered his first trip to Barret Jackson. Back then, he says, “It was a hobby.” He remembered buying a Mustang for about $1000 and driving it back to the RM home base back in Canada.

Now, Meyers estimated that nearly a quarter billion dollars will exchange hands in Arizona this week. Sound crazy? He’s not speculating that RM, Barret Jackson and the other auctions he spoke well of would clear that kind of money, (although the auctions are a healthy $150M chunk of it) he was referring to all the peripheral money and side deals being made all over the valley.

Take a cruise down to the Scottsdale Pavilions on Saturday night during Auction Week and you’ll see a huge turnout of cars with bunches of them for sale. Then, how about the revenue from the hotels and bars? And don’t forget the local classifieds that are jam packed with classic cars for sale because everyone knows, the right people are in town: Buyers. If you can’t sell your car this week, you won’t.

Telling us of a $1M car deal done in the hotel bar, Meyers asks us, mostly rhetorically, “How’s the Collector Car Market? It’s great! Good cars always bring good prices. It’s a good investment too… at least if it’s in my garage, I can’t get Ponzi’d out of it!”

As I listened and took notes between laughs enjoying how well Rob Myers knows his business, he offered more proof of a strong collector car market by casually mentioning the 3 years of work booked for RM’s elite car restoration business in Canada.

RM’s got it all for their clients: Hospitality, a full range of services and of course, they get the cars. In this strong collector car market, I can’t wait to see what the Corvette Grand Sport goes for.

Arizona Auction Kickoff with RM Auction

RM Auction Press Release:

Preeminent international auction house, RM Auctions, will celebrate a decade of excellence in Phoenix, Arizona in January with their 10th anniversary ‘Automobiles of Arizona’ event. Returning to the luxurious Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, the highly anticipated event will kick off the 2009 collector car season in grand style as 125 magnificent vintage motor cars cross the block before an international audience.

When the focus of the collector car world returns to Phoenix, Arizona, in January, all eyes will once again be on Canadian-based RM Auctions and their eagerly awaited Automobiles of Arizona auction event.

Long regarded as the most prestigious event of Arizona’s famed auto week, the annual multi-million dollar RM sale brings together some of the world’s finest vintage automobiles with some of the world’s most discerning collectors.

The grand tradition is set to continue in 2009 as RM celebrates their 10th anniversary sale in Phoenix, January 16th. “We are thrilled to be returning to Phoenix for our 10th anniversary sale and look forward to again welcoming collectors and enthusiasts from around the world to Arizona for what is shaping up to be another first class event,” said Ian Kelleher, Managing Director of RM Auctions.

“RM has been referred to as the barometer for the high end collector car industry, and as the first major event of the hobby calendar, enthusiasts look to our Arizona event for market indicators. Our recent auction results have proven the market for alternative investments remains strong,” he added.

For the car enthusiasts amongst us, the RM Arizona line-up will present 125 important and historically significant motor cars for auction. Notable early consignments for the event include: a rare and highly desirable 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (chassis no. 002), the most important Corvette ever to come to market and possibly one of the most valuable American-built automobiles produced: an extraordinary, elegant 1937 Bugatti Atalante Type 57 SC, recognized the world over for its union of styling, engineering and sophistication; a unique 1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Boattail Skiff, well known-in Rolls-Royce circles and regarded as one of the most instantly recognizable of all Rolls-Royces; a 1950 Hudson Commodore Convertible, formerly owned by the legendary Steve McQueen; and an elegant 1937 Delage D8-120 Aerosport Coupe, the only known survivor of ten examples built by famed French coachbuilders Letourner et Marchand.

Additional highlights set to cross the block include: a race-bred 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta; a speed record-breaking 1954 Dodge Firearrow III Coupe Concept car by Ghia; a one-of-a-kind 1948 Mercury Custom Bob Hope Special; a 1955 Cadillac Series 60 Special Fleetwood Sedan, as used in the Academy Award-winning film ‘Driving Miss Daisy; and a magnificent selection of vintage motor cars from the distinguished Dr. Barbara Mae Atwood Collection.

RM’s Automobiles of Arizona auction event will be held at the luxurious Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa, 24th Street & Missouri, Phoenix, Arizona on January 16th, 2009. An auction preview will be held January 15th from 9am to 5pm followed by the auction on January 16th from 11am. Admission to the auction is by catalog only, which admits both the catalog holder and a guest. The full-color collectible catalog is available for $100 U.S. (plus shipping), by calling (800)-211-4371 or visiting www.rmauctions.com.

About RM Auctions, Inc.
Celebrating nearly 30 years in the collector car industry, RM Auctions Inc. and its associated companies are responsible for acquisitions, restorations and sales of the world’s rarest and most valuable vintage automobiles, including record-breaking sales in Maranello, Italy and London, England. RM’s restoration division achieved unprecedented accolades in 2006, when the Company earned “Best of Show” honors at the world’s top three collector car events in a single year. www.rmauctions.com

End Press Release.

I grabbed the pictures of the cars I think you’d dig. Of course, the 63 Corvette Grand Sport is a show stopper (anyone else wondering who’s got chassis #1?) but what else is going on the block? Just picking these few with special appeal to me, I’ve tallied up over $1.5 million in cars! This is excluding the 63 Vette. Nobody’s sure what that car will sell for!