Re: [DML] Barrett Jackson Auction- AZ

[mike.griese@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Tom - this is an age-old question.  What makes one car more 
important/valuable/desireable than others?  If you look at the 
cars that have been pulling the really big money at Barrett-Jackson,
they have some characteristics in common that aren't common to
the DeLorean.

Probably the biggest difference it paint.  Most of the cars at
B-J are carrying finishes that are miles better than the cars ever
had from the factory.  This is every visually appealing, and most
of the bidders understand the time, effort, and money it takes
to put that kind of finish on a car.  All DeLoreans have the 
same brushed stainless finish.  If a DeLorean car has been painted, 
it is generally seen as an effort to cover up damage - not
the message to convey at a top-end auction.  You won't see
vastly over-restored DeLoreans like you do other, steel
bodied cars.  Because of that, they will always be seen as 
"just used cars".

Another big difference is performance.  You don't see many
six-cylinder Mustangs or Camaros pulling big numbers.  All
the high dollar cars have the large diplacement, high performance
engines.  These cars typically were rarer when they were new, 
which also increases their current value.  The DeLorean had
no engine options, and we all know about the relative lack
of horsepower.  Put 5 DeLoreans next to each other, and 
the general public will have problems telling one from another.
The variety of options, colors, bodystyles, drivetrains make
other cars much more personal.  As an aside, I think this is the 
primary reason that the DeLorean was always doomed to 
failure.  People who care about cars in general don't want their 
car to look just like everyone elses.  

Provenance is the next biggest difference.  The DeLorean has no
performance heritage - in fact it's heritage is just the opposite.
DeLorean set out to build an ethical sportscar.  This is the 
antithesis of sports cars - they are ostentatious and have
very short shelf lives when they are new.  Sports car owners
- and I'm generalizing here - are always looking for the next 
good thing.  Faster, flashier, better handling - first time owners
just don't keep cars as long as the DeLorean lifespan was 
intended to be.  

Sometimes, cars that have been in recent movies can experience
a bounce in value.  Eleanor from Gone in Sixty Seconds, the 
Bullit Mustang, Don Johnson's hemi 'Cuda from television are 
examples.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your
point of view), the DeLorean is best known as the Back to
the Future time machine, which is more of a cartoon image
than a desireable car.  Another problem is that one of the
main themes of the movies was overcoming all of the 
reliability issues with the car - hardly a good image.

There are exceptions to these observations.  Lotus
has a stellar Formula 1 history, along with sports car racing 
in general, however Lotus cars tend to occupy the low end
of the sports car market, even with performance, handling, 
racing history, eye appeal, and movie history all seemingly
in the right categories.  

--
Mike

-------------- Original message from "Tom Porter" <treehouse2000us@xxxxxxxxx>: -------------- 
> 
> 
> I am scratching my head, why on earth are these things so cheap? 





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