STEVE DAVIS’ BEHIND THE SHADES: Collecting Cars With Meaning

Steve Davis’ darkish glasses safeguard his eyes from a light sensitivity situation – but that doesn’t hinder his eyesight of the collector car or truck current market.

When you have been in the collector vehicle interest as lengthy as I have, with some of that time in the highlight, persons get curious about what motivates me to invest in the cars I do. The questions I am requested the most are, “WHAT Kind OF Automobiles DO YOU HAVE? WHAT Cars and trucks DO YOU LIKE TO Buy?”

The short response to that is, each individual one of the vehicles I have in my assortment, the vehicles that I look for, are autos that have a that means for me individually that transcends the sum of the sections. Amassing, for me, and the automobiles that I purchase, actually do reflect a lot of who I am and stand for a ton of my historical past as a hobbyist, as a collector, as a dealer, as a specialist and then ultimately as the president of Barrett-Jackson. I even now get the identical thrill just about every time I see a motor vehicle that’s unique to me.

The lengthier solution normally takes me again to my childhood and the influences that shaped me. When I was a child, autos were an escape. And I just liked Mustangs when they came out. A single Mustang that I encountered established me on a route I’m nonetheless on currently. I was living in San Mateo, California, and using my bicycle down the primary drag in which all the motor vehicle sellers were being. I was so obsessed with automobiles, I would get on my bike and ride down Automobile Row.

As I rode previous the applied automobile portion of the Dodge supplier, it had a trio lined up in a row that may possibly as nicely have been spaceships to a bike-sure child — a initial-era Mustang fastback, a Jaguar E-Kind and a 1963 Corvette. I was fixated on people three automobiles. I looked in the window of that Mustang, and it had the Rally-Pac gauges on the steering column with the tachometer and clock. I assumed that was the coolest factor ever. Later on, I was telling an more mature fellow I understood about it, and he asked, “Was it a Shelby?” I didn’t know nearly anything about Shelby Mustangs, so I started off looking by auto versions at the shop and looking through automobile publications right until I had a tackle on what a Shelby Mustang was. From that stage forward I was unquestionably hooked.

Of class, it was quite a few, many years before I was in a position to obtain a Shelby Mustang. But inevitably I did, and that manufacturing unit-supercharged 1967 GT350 Shelby Mustang actually represents my philosophy on collecting. That motor vehicle has been in my lifetime due to the fact 1977, when we purchased it just after placing a 2nd home finance loan on our home. It is come to be component of the family members.

I’ve always liked that automobile, and I love its Brittany Blue color. It is turn out to be my trademark car, so substantially so that I was extremely fortuitous when the new Ford GT came out, I was equipped to buy a 2017 and had a tailor made Brittany Blue color mixed to match my 1967 Shelby.

Recently, Ford arrived out with the new 2022 Ford Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition, and the exceptional facet of the Heritage Edition is that Brittany Blue color. That’s my latest acquisition.

The Brittany-Blue trio has a amazing collectibility, but it also has a tale hooked up to it with my to start with Brittany Blue Shelby. It ties the vehicles alongside one another for me on a own level. I’ve also been very interested in the numbers and provenance of my autos. My Shelby Heritage Version GT500 has a VIN that matches my 2017 Ford GT — so they have matching VIN quantities, which tends to make it particular far too.

In maintaining with my matching VINs, lots of of my Shelbys share VIN 011.

As a result of the journey I have taken with Barrett-Jackson, likely on three a long time now, I have other cars and trucks I have extra to my assortment for particular causes. In this occupation, I have been blessed with the option to develop into close friends with legends like Carroll Shelby, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, Lee Iacocca and other folks. As a kid, you can not even desire you’d come to be friends, stand on the auction block and have mobile phone conversations about automobiles in common with these folks. My time with Barrett-Jackson has actually served me respect the automobiles that I’ve gathered and improved and reinforced my enthusiasm for the interest.

Owning Edsel Ford at the auction when we marketed the initially ’07 Shelby GT500, one of the most anticipated occasions in the auto globe, was a person of my particular highlights. When that all arrived alongside one another at Barrett-Jackson, it was an awesome encounter for all people, but me in distinct. Standing on that phase, following assisting to put it alongside one another at the rear of the scenes, that is just one of those people reminiscences that I cherish. When I consider back again on that knowledge, I glimpse at it now via the prism of getting on the auction block and operating with Carroll, doing the job with Edsel Ford and performing with all the persons at Barrett-Jackson to make that come about.

But I was also pretty fortunate that I was the purchaser of a 2007 GT500 convertible that was very special. I took delivery of that auto in Flat Rock, with Carroll Shelby and collector Ron Pratte as he took delivery of his automobiles. It was a triple-black convertible, and not only was it VIN 011, but by way of a series of functions, after I took shipping and delivery correct off the assembly line, that vehicle was then despatched to Shelby American and applied as the thought car or truck for what would develop into the 40th Anniversary bundle. So my motor vehicle has a Ford number 011 VIN, and then a Shelby VIN of 001C, which stands for “Concept.” That car is incredibly distinctive, not only due to the fact of its uniqueness and rarity, but for the personalized tale it represents.

The pursuing yr we set jointly a offer with Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Business to develop 100 Barrett-Jackson Mustang Shelby GTs, and I extra a convertible and a coupe to my assortment. These ended up amazing automobiles and produced excellent additions to my assortment, and all over again, the private story hooked up to those people cars and trucks produced them even a lot more particular.

That individual method extends to my automobilia collection, too. I have been inclined to obtain for a very long time and have amassed fairly a personalized selection of Sizzling Wheels cars and trucks and other automobilia. When the Hot Wheels very first came out, my younger brother and I spent hours and hrs enjoying with them. But through my grownup lifestyle, I even now get a thrill locating a Scorching Wheels motor vehicle on a peg that’s uncommon and one of a kind. I’m an avid Very hot Wheels collector and have a good deal of uncommon illustrations on show in my business.

That’s what helps make this hobby, this car tradition, so particular. Everyone has a special tale about a auto. Individuals tales encourage us to not only preserve our cars and trucks alive, but keep the heritage and spirit at the rear of the cars alive.

The prevalent denominator is to stoke the passion, glance for what you enjoy, invest in the nicest you can afford to pay for. And hey, if all else fails, you can normally buy some Warm Wheels to preserve that flame alive.