Craig Jackson
Bio by Gregg Leary
Chairman/CEO Barrett-Jackson Auction Co.
Responsible for events in Scottsdale, AZ, Palm Beach, FL, and Las Vegas
His dad, Russ Jackson, and friend Tom Barrett founded the company in 1971
Craig took over leadership in 1997
Twice named to Motor Trend’s “Top 50 Power Listing in the Automotive Industry”
(along with Bernie Ecclestone, Carroll Shelby, Roger Penske)
Ernst and Young “Entrepreneur of the Year”
Craig named his daughter after Carroll Shelby

Sales were $135 Million in 2006
The Scottsdale event in 2008 had
$88 Million in sales
280,000 in attendance
100 Million Web hits
3 cars went for over $1 Million each
Tony Stewart’s race car went for $300,000
Celebrities included Muhammad Ali, Jay Leno, Patrick Dempsey and Carroll Shelby
John Schneider’s “General Lee” fetched $450,000
“The Monkeemobile” went for $360,000
“Robosaurus” sold for $575,000

The 2008 West Palm Event did charity work for Missing and Exploited Children, The Darrell Gwynn Foundation, Salute to Education, Childrens Hospital of LA, The Armed Forces Foundation, Child Rescue Network,
Last year B-J raised $4.5 Million for charities.
SPEED had 19 hours of coverage
Around 600 vehicles were sold with No Reserve
The 2008 Palm Beach event auctioned
Evel Knievel’s 1972 Harley Davidson XR 750 and memorabilia like X-rays from his Caesar’s Palace crash
Eight vehicles from “The Sopranos”
Two KITT Mustangs from the “Knight Rider” pilot
2008 Roush P-51 Mustang
1967 Amphicar
Plymouth Superbird with 9,000 miles

“Car collecting is quite possibly the most American of all pastimes. The automobile symbolizes the spirit of freedom that has built this country.” CJ

“Passion-this is the heart and soul of it.” CJ

Craig’s dad, Russ Jackson thought he might buy a Joan Crawford Cadillac that Tom Barrett was selling. He didn’t buy the car but the friendship that followed led to a successful business…Barrett-Jackson.

In 1967 they staged a charity car show/ parade to benefit the Scottsdale Art Center and to buy books for the community library.

Craig’s first car was a 1939 Austin Bantam when he was 9.

The first Barrett- Jackson Auction was in 1971. (Craig was 12) Tom Barrett was the “P.T. Barnum” of the duo. He sold two Hitler Mercedes-Benz cars, made the national news with Roger Mudd and posted $650,000 in sales.

In 1987 Andy Granatelli was the first person to pay more than $1 Million for a collector car…a 1932 Duesenberg.

Craig’s dad, Russ Jackson died in 1993.

Craig’s brother, Brian died in 1995.

Craig bought out Tom Barrett.

“I wanted to change the perception that Barrett-Jackson is just an auction. It’s more than that. It’s a car show.” Craig Jackson.

“I wanted to turn B-J into a lifestyle event that you have to go to…like SEMA.” CJ
He added fashion shows for the wives…and on-line bidding.

Craig started out parking cars at the auctions…started to computerize the business…and worked in the restoration shop. He learned the business well. He spent 10,000 hours restoring a 1948 Delahaye …that was literally “in pieces”… “from the ground up to a perfect 100 point score”.

The first car he redid was a 1968 Corvette when he was in high school.

Speedvision aired the first B-J Auction in 1996.

Television exposed car collecting to a much wider audience, and would turn some bidders into car-collecting celebrities.

Craig tried to do away with “reserves.” “If I don’t think we can sell your car at the reserve you want, we’re not going to take the car.” In 2005 all 871 vehicles were offered at NO RESERVE. “The bidders realized that the cars were actually going to sell. It’s evolved to where people know they can buy the cars.” CJ
Craig got tired of being an appraisal service for people who held out a high reserve just so they could see what their cars were worth.

Craig targeted the “Baby Boomers” who were becoming “empty nesters” with lots of income…no more orthodontist bills and college tuition. Many were buying cars that they couldn’t afford or were not allowed to have when they were in high school…MUSCLE CARS. Craig also spotted the trend in hot rods by such builders as Chip Foose and Boyd Coddington…and Resto-Mods.

B-J went to Monaco in 2000 for its first overseas auction.
In 2001 they did the Petersen Museum Auction in LA.
In 2003 they went to Palm Beach.
In 2005 a 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 concept car created by Harley Earl sold for $3.28 Million.

Craig came up with “Family Value Day” with no charge for kids 12 and under to “make sure the next generation learns about cars at an early age.” All the vehicles are on display in a “car show” and there were 350 vendors and numerous food stands. “We wanted to open the experience to people from whatever walk of life and regardless of their income level. My intention has been to grow the event to have something for everybody.”

2006:
225,000 attendance
People from all 50 states and 14 countries…4,852 bidders
6,000 consigners vied for 1,100 spots
781,000-1.6 Million households on SPEED

The Top 35 Cars from the 35th year included:
1950 General Motors Futurliner Parade of Progress tour bus: $4.3 Million
1954 Pontiac Motorama Concept Car: $3 Million
1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible: $2.16 Million
1970 Chevelle Ray Allen drag car: $1.2 Million
1953 Corvette Convertible #003: $1.08 Million
1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Hardtop: $702,000

Craig’s vision for the future:
A permanent home for the B-J Auctions… corporate headquarters, showroom, a permanent building to house the auction and a “country club” for car collectors…a place they can store, restore and drive their cars…with a restaurant, gift shop, restoration facility and car storage.

A quantifiable way of rating collector cars…like a grading system for coin, stamp and diamond price guides.

A code of ethics.