American dreams
Some of the world’s biggest classic car auction houses will host their first sales of 2026 in Arizona, USA, in January.
The auctions are part of Arizona Car Week, which also includes the Arizona Concours d’Elegance.
The southwestern state became a hub for collectors after Scottsdale-based Barrett-Jackson hosted its first sale in its home town in the 1970s.
This year, Barrett-Jackson will return to the WestWorld of Scottsdale venue from 17-25 January.
On 23 January, Bonhams|Cars will host a sale at Scottsdale’s Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, while RM Sotheby’s takes over the Arizona Biltmore hotel in Phoenix.
Here are some of the most interesting classics going under the hammer, presented in chronological order.
Where possible, we’ve provided pre-sale estimates. Barrett-Jackson does not supply guide values.
Prices are given GBP£ and US$, and all conversions were correct at the time of writing
1. 1912 Baker Electric Model V (est: £295-370,000/$400-500,000)
Tesla might be the USA’s most famous electric-car company, but it was by no means the country’s first.
This battery-powered pioneer was built by the Baker Motor Vehicle Company in 1912, around 100 years before Tesla’s first production car.
Like many early motor vehicles, it was aimed at society’s upper crust. Baker called its cars ‘The Aristocrats of Motordom’ in its advertisements.
This Model V has lightweight, aluminium bodywork that maximises the car’s range. It was restored in the late 2000s and became part of a private museum in the 2010s.
It will cross the block in the RM Sotheby’s sale on 23 January.
2. 1914 Delaunay-Belleville 1A4 Landaulet (est: £75-110,000/$100-150,000)
Delaunay-Belleville was a French boiler-making firm that started manufacturing cars in the early 1900s.
Apparently its cars’ trademark round, honeycomb radiator was a reference to the company’s earlier line of work.
This Delaunay-Belleville was bodied by Rothschild et Fils in Paris. Its cabin is decorated with an elaborate floral print, while the brown-leather driver’s compartment has a stylish set of Paris-Rhône instruments.
Late collector Peter Mullin purchased the car in 2006 and it was displayed sporadically in his museum in Oxnard, California.
It’s being offered with no reserve by RM Sotheby’s.
3. 1929 Duesenberg Model SJ (est: £900,000-1.05m/$1.2-1.4m)
This Murphy-bodied Duesenberg was originally a naturally aspirated Model J, but it was upgraded to supercharged SJ specification during a near-two-decade restoration in the 1970s and ’80s.
It joined Tom Monaghan’s Duesenberg collection in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the mid-1980s. The Domino’s Pizza co-founder displayed this green-and-black car at the 1987 Meadowbrook Concours d’Elegance, before selling it to an enthusiast in New Jersey.
In 1990, it became one of the first cars sold by RM Sotheby’s (then RM Classic Cars), and now the auction house has been trusted with the Duesenberg once again.
It will go under the hammer in Phoenix on 23 January.
4. 1934 Packard 1104 Super Eight (est: £220-335,000/$300-450,000)
Packards built in 1934 are known as Eleventh Series cars, and they’re among the luxury American car maker’s ultimate pre-war machines.
Eleventh Series models were the last with separate front wings and a traditional, upright grille.
Automotive historian Jim Pearsall has researched this car’s story. He believes it’s one of seven surviving dual-cowl Sport Phaetons built in 1934.
It was delivered to its first owner in February 1934 and covered 30,000 miles before it was tucked away in 1941, until the end of WW2.
Classic car collector Bruce Meyer acquired this Packard Super Eight in 1974 and kept it for 30 years.
RM Sotheby’s will present this car in its auction at the Arizona Biltmore hotel.
5. 1938 BMW 328 Roadster (est: n/a)
The BMW 328 established the German marque’s reputation for performance, and this restored roadster – which we spotted in the Barrett-Jackson catalogue – appears to be in fabulous condition.
Previous owner Ernest Weil entered this BMW in lots of historic events, including Monterey Historics, the Colorado Grand tour and the 1000 Miglia.
He modified the car by reinforcing the rear end, fitting aluminium knock-off wheels and installing a fully synchronised gearbox.
Since 2006, the BMW’s engine, suspension and electrical components have also been rebuilt and restored.
The sale includes a huge collection of spare parts, too. It will be offered with no reserve.
6. 1952 Muntz Jet (est: £75-95,000/$100-125,000)
According to RM Sotheby’s, who will offer this car on 23 January, this is one of the best-surviving Muntz Jets – and the last one that was built with a Cadillac engine.
If you’ve not heard of Muntz, then here’s a quick history lesson.
Earl ‘Madman’ Muntz was an American businessman who made his fortune selling used cars and televisions. In 1950, he acquired designer Frank Kurtis’ blueprint for a sporting drop-top.
Muntz made it longer, fitted a speedboat-inspired interior and added an ice chest for cocktails.
Around 190 were made (first with Cadillac engines and later with Lincoln motors) before Muntz abandoned the project and later turned his attention to manufacturing eight-track tapes.
This car, the 30th built, was displayed at Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in 2020.
7. 1954 Buick Skylark (est: £74,500-96,500/$100-130,000)
The Buick Skylark was the American car maker’s 50th birthday present to itself.
Based on the 1950s Roadmaster’s chassis, the Skylark was introduced in 1953 and was supplied with a long list of upgrades that were optional extras on contemporary Buick models, including Kelsey Hayes wire wheels.
The model’s early success prompted Buick to revise the Skylark’s design for 1954. The updated car received a wraparound windscreen, painted wheelarches and more.
This Titan Red example has covered just 65,900 miles. It will be sold with no reserve in the Bonhams|Cars auction at Westin Kierland Resort & Spa on 23 January.
8. 1956 Ferrari 250GT (est: £484-558,500/$650-750,000)
In the 1950s, Enzo Ferrari approached coachbuilder Boano to construct drop-top bodies for the V12-engined 250GT.
A prototype was displayed alongside a Pinin Farina-designed coupé at the Geneva motor show in March 1956.
Interestingly, Ferrari then commissioned Boano to build coupés to replace the 250 Europa GT, while Pinin Farina got a contract for 250GT convertibles.
Boano’s design largely echoed Pinin Farina’s show car, but altered the beltline and added foglamps to the eggcrate grille, which were removed for its Ellena-bodied successor.
This car is one of 68 Boano-bodied 250GTs and was once owned by industrialist Giorgio Billi.
It will be offered in the Bonhams|Cars sale.
9. 1959 BMW Isetta 300 Cabriolet (est: £30-44,500/$40-60,000)
This roofless BMW Isetta caught our attention in the Bonhams|Cars catalogue.
The auction house claims it is one of the rarest types of the pint-sized bubble car, with just 80 or so known survivors.
The European-spec cabriolet was delivered new to the USA and eventually crossed the border into Canada.
It was restored around 15 years ago and repainted in the factory-correct shade of Weißgold.
The 300-series Isetta was one of the most potent. This 36,000-mile car makes c13bhp from its single-cylinder motor and it’s fitted with a rare Tropenlüftung door, with nostril-shaped air vents.
The engine, gearbox, brakes and suspension were refreshed in 2023.
10. 1966 Shelby GT350-H (est: n/a)
Ford asked Carroll Shelby to create the GT350, a hotter version of the Mustang that took the fight to the Chevrolet Corvette.
In 1966, Ford sold 1002 examples to rental company Hertz and most were finished with black-and-gold paintwork – like this one.
Chassis SFM6S1618 joined the company’s Rent-A-Racer scheme at its Los Angeles airport branch in mid-1966.
Following a careful restoration, this special Mustang attended the Shelby American Automobile Club’s gathering at Sonoma Raceway in August 2025.
It was presented with the Premier Award in the Division 2 concours. It was the first 1966 Ford Mustang GT350-H to receive the honour.
It will go under the hammer with no reserve in the Barrett-Jackson auction.
11. 1967 Citroën 2CV (est: £30-44,500/$40-60,000)
This blue-and-yellow Citroën 2CV was previously owned by American model Christie Brinkley. It was a gift from her then-husband, singer-songwriter Billy Joel.
Brinkley sold the 2CV to its current owner in the mid-1990s, and it has been lovingly preserved ever since.
Bonhams|Cars reports that the vinyl roof has some light tears in it and the Michelin tyres are well worn.
Apparently, the 425cc, air-cooled, twin-cylinder engine runs well, though. The ignition system has just been serviced and a new battery was recently installed, too.
It will be offered with no reserve when it crosses the block this month.
12. 1970 Maserati Indy (est: £44,500-67,000/$60-90,000)
This V8-engined Maserati Indy 4700 was one of just 364 examples built. Now it will cross the block without reserve in the Bonhams|Cars sale at Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.
It was delivered new to Mexico City and later imported into the USA.
A previous owner replaced this Indy’s original V8 with a 4.9-litre Maserati motor, which makes around 320bhp. It has a ZF five-speed manual gearbox and power steering.
For many years, it was one of many Maserati road cars exhibited in the Riverside International Automotive Museum in California, which closed down in 2016.
Bonhams|Cars understands the car was restored during its time at the museum.
13. 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda (est: £205-260,500/$275-350,000)
The Hemi ’Cuda was a hotted-up version of the Plymouth Barracuda. This one is fitted with the mighty 426cu in V8.
The c425bhp coupe has twin four-barrel carburettors and a three-speed 727 TorqueFlite gearbox. Just 380 examples left the factory with the latter, according to Bonhams|Cars.
This Lime Light car was fitted with a raft of optional extras, including the Elastomeric Front Bumper, Super Performance Axle Package and Rallye Instrument Cluster.
It was previously owned by pilot Scott Romuld, who drove it around Minnesota when he wasn’t in the cockpit of his North American T-6 Texan aircraft. The current owner bought it in 2011.
14. 1970 Porsche 914/6 R (est: £650-800,000/$900,000-1.1m)
Porsche created 12 914/6 racers and this car, chassis 9140430705, was one of them.
Built to Group 4 regulations, it has a reinforced chassis, lightweight panels with balsa-wood braces and Scheel bucket seats.
The Porsche 914/6 R was fitted with the Type 901/25 flat-six also found in the 906 sports-prototype.
After Vic Elford used this car to practice for the 1970 Targa Florio, chassis 9140430705 became a test bed for various engines before being shipped, without a motor, to a racing team in the USA. Reportedly, it finished third in the 1971 Bridgehampton Three Hours.
It was put into storage in the mid-1970s and didn’t resurface for almost three decades.
Now the bright-orange Porsche has been restored and reunited with a 906-spec flat-six.
It will be offered in the RM Sotheby’s Arizona sale this month.
15. 1978 Studebaker Avanti II (est: n/a)
The original Studebaker Avanti was on sale for just one year in the 1960s, but a pair of former dealers restarted production in 1965.
The Avanti II was subtly restyled – most notably with rectangular headlights in place of the original’s circular lamps – and built at the old factory in South Bend, Indiana.
Avanti IIs continued to be produced in Mexico until 2006, eventually using Ford Mustang chassis.
This 1978 car is underpinned by a Studebaker Lark X-frame chassis and remains fairly faithful to the 1963 original.
It has power steering and a sunroof, and it’s finished in Sunkist Tangelo.
Interested? This car will be offered without reserve by Barrett-Jackson during Arizona Car Week 2026.
16. 1980 BMW M1 (est: £405-480,000/$550-650,000)
Following the release of rock band Pink Floyd’s 1979 album The Wall, founding member Roger Waters travelled to Germany to collect his brand-new BMW M1.
The musician kept the car for 42 years, during which time he amassed a big history file for the one-of-399 supercar.
The RM Sotheby’s sale includes MoT certificates, the original invoice and maintenance records from specialist Meridien Modena, who looked after the M1 between 2006 and 2020.
The BMW M1 was imported into the USA in 2021 and recommissioned by its second owner.
It won the 50th Anniversary of the BMW M Division class at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in 2022.
17. 1989 Lamborghini Countach (est: £295-370,000/$400-500,000)
The Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary was both a quarter-century celebration for the Italian marque and an unhinged send-off for the V12-engined supercar.
Rally driver Sandro Munari was consulted to help tame the wild Raging Bull; the Italian’s updates to the c460bhp supercar included revised suspension and wider Pirelli tyres.
Designer Horacio Pagani refined the styling with deeper air intakes, restyled bumpers and new side skirts.
This 22,369-mile Rosso Perlato car has a tan-leather interior. The glovebox is signed by Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni.
Around 650 25th Anniversary models were built and this one will be offered by RM Sotheby’s on 23 January 2026.
18. 1989 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (est: n/a)
In 1989, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 20th Anniversary became the first unmodified pace car for the Indianapolis 500.
The special-edition Pontiac was built to celebrate two decades of the American muscle car.
Powered by a turbocharged 3.6-litre V6, it’s capable of around 160mph.
Just 1555 were built (all of them were finished in Code 40 White) and this was the 1221st constructed.
The Pontiac is fitted with the race-inspired 1LE package with larger brakes and upgraded steering components. It’s covered just 2166 miles.
Barrett-Jackson will offer this Firebird Trans Am with no reserve in its Scottsdale sale.
19. 1992 Range Rover Chamois (est: £75-110,000/$100-150,000)
UK-based Coachbuilder Vantagefield’s bread and butter was turning cars – mostly Range Rovers – into convertibles and limousines for wealthy customers.
This four-door Chamois was finished in the same colours as a two-door built by Hahn’s Styling Garage in Hamburg, Germany, for the Brunei royal family.
In the 1990s, the matching drop-top Range Rovers were bought by a collector in southern California.
This car has covered just 41,406 miles and RM Sotheby’s reports that its powered, white-fabric soft-top is in good condition.
It will be offered with no reserve at the Arizona Biltmore hotel in Phoenix on 23 January 2026.
20. 1993 Porsche 911 turbo S Lightweight (est: £1.65-2.05m/$2.25-2.75m)
According to RM Sotheby’s, this was the first car built by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, the German marque’s in-house customisation department.
The 911 turbo S Lightweight is a road-legal version of Porsche’s IMSA Supercar Championship-winning model. In all, 86 examples were built.
Race-inspired camshafts and a more efficient turbocharger were among the engine upgrades, while lightweight bodywork and thinner glass panels saved around 180kg/397lb.
This car was completed in July 1992. It’s finished in Midnight Blue Metallic with a Bordeaux interior.
It remained in the first owner’s collection until 2009 and moved to its current keeper in 2018.
21. 1995 Ferrari F50 (est: £5-6.5m/$7-9m)
This was the 60th Ferrari F50 constructed. It left the factory in November 1995, finished in Rosso Corsa with a Nero interior
It’s the most expensive car in the RM Sotheby’s Arizona catalogue, based on pre-sale estimates.
The Ferrari’s early years were spent in California and Texas. In the mid-2000s, the F50 was treated to a $100,000 service at a San Diego-based dealership.
Then, in June 2006, this Ferrari was shipped to Hawaii, where it stayed for 13 years.
Recently, it went to a dealership in California for a service, a fresh set of Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres, a brand-new fuel cell and more.
It has covered just 8195 miles.
22. 2007 NuArt CanAm Car (est: £75-150,000/$100-200,000)
In the late 2000s, a group of American enthusiasts mooted reviving Can-Am cars for a historic championship run by the American Le Mans Series.
The eight-race, one-make competition would be contested by a grid of Chevrolet V8-engined NuArt CanAm cars. Unfortunately, it didn’t come to fruition.
Approximately six cars were built, however, and this restored racer was one of them.
It comes with a ‘Street Package’, which includes headlights, mufflers and wiring to make it road-legal – somehow.
It will be offered without reserve in the RM Sotheby’s sale at the Arizona Biltmore hotel in Phoenix on 23 January 2026.