Barrett-Jackson heads to Las Vegas this weekend at the height of summer heat and—pardon the pun—plans to send a seriously hot lineup of Mopar classics across the auction block, led specifically by a solid selection of Hemi-powered stunners. Potentially the star of the show arrives in the form of a hardtop 1971 Hemi 'Cuda, one of 59 ever built in the same spec—and another of which Barrett-Jackson sold for $935,000 in Scottsdale earlier this year.

To put the Las Vegas lineup into context, that 'Cuda arrives from the same consignor alongside a remarkably similar convertible and might well eclipse other certified stars including a Hemi-powered Plymouth Superbird and even a highly original, restored 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Before the festivities begin and the bids start rolling in, I spoke with Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson about why Hemi collectors, in particular, see now as the perfect time to buy and sell, as well as whether he believes the collector car market can keep ratcheting up the heat in today's uncertain times.

Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson

Plymouth Hemi Cuda front three quarters
via Barrett-Jackson

I last spoke with Jackson ahead of Barrett-Jackson's Palm Beach 2022 auction, which featured a Shelby Super Snake and a 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Indy Pace Car from two consignors who planned to sell the cars with benefits going to Samaritan's Purse, a humanitarian aid organization focused on the crisis in Ukraine. Jackson brought up the success in Florida but our focus quickly turned towards all the Hemi-powered American classics headed to Las Vegas. I asked how the seeds of such a lineup originally started sprouting.

"Dave Wise, who helps us inspect all of our Mopars, he's out there looking at all these cars and he helped get the first collection," Jackson explained. "And I think once people saw that, it got an awesome lineup across the board of Mopars, in particular Hemis, and then getting the pair of '71s was just outstanding on top of that. It was just the cherry on top."

Available from the same consignor, the two 1971 Hemi 'Cudas represent just about the pinnacle of potential Mopar collectability. The hardtop, in particular, boasts a rare combination of the 426ci Hemi, four-speed manual, and 4:10 Dana Super Track Pak that together make it one of only 59 ever built. The convertible, meanwhile, almost matches perfectly, with a four-speed manual backing up a 383ci big block and a recent restoration bringing it back to original spec, as selected by a serviceman who placed the car's original order from Zurich, Switzerland. I asked if the two cars might sell as a perfect pair.

"They're not selling as a pair, but they're selling consecutive," Jackson replied. "So if you want to keep 'em as a pair... The convertible is a very cool car, but the '71 four-speed is spectacular. Super Track Pack car, 4:10 Dana, it's got the original fender tag on it, the broadcast sheet. Dave's gone through the car, it is the right car."

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Setting Precedents In Scottsdale And Palm Beach

Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible 383 Profile
via Barrett-Jackson

The fact that Wise and Jackson managed to wrangle such an unbelievable slate of Hemis for Las Vegas points at the state of the collector car industry today. Not often can a legit Hemi Superbird end up backing up other Mopars, after all.

"I think it was Scottsdale, we rang the bell on Hemi cars with the 'Cuda and the Superbird," Jackson speculated. "I think people just see where the market is."

At Scottsdale, Jackson reminded me, Barrett-Jackson sold a Hemi-powered Superbird, one of only 135, for a whopping $900,000 hammer (and $990,000 all in). But at the same time, he sees collectors keeping their rotations flowing these days, too.

"Different people have different reasons at different times why they want to change stuff," he said. "I do it occasionally. You'll see me on the block selling a car, you'll also see me up there buying a car, trying to keep it fresh."

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Restomods And Classics In The Modern Era

Custom Restomod Interior white and black leather
via Barrett-Jackson

I asked Jackson whether he believes that the modern resurgence of classic nameplates, ranging from Dodge reviving the Challenger and Charger to Ford with the Mustang and Chevrolet with the Camaro, might contribute to the increased values of those originals. Specifically, a couple of Mustangs in Mach 1 and Boss 302 spec from the Lindley Collection join the Mopars at Las Vegas.

"I've been in this for a long time and when the OEMs started bringing back their marques," Jackson replied, "What a cool time, that if you have a classic muscle car, you can buy the contemporary sort of twin. I've sort of done that throughout my entire collection, of the original ZL1 and the modern ZL1. And I just think it's just helped the popularity of both, it's educating and I think the movies have helped, too, Fast and Furious having the muscle cars in there. And you've brought a whole 'nother generation along that really appreciates what these cars are."

And alongside the boom for classic and modern muscle, the burgeoning restomod trend that combines vintage style with modern performance, creature comforts, and creative enhancements only builds on the craze. At Las Vegas, everything from a 1958 Corvette Custom Roadster known as "My Little Fuelie" to a '41 Cadillac Series 62 will cross the block after receiving the kind of work that used to turn up collectors' noses—only now, the sheer amount of blood, sweat, tears, and knowledge that go into such builds can actually fetch good money, too.

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Restored Originals: Always A Good Bet

Original Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Front Three Quarters
via Barrett-Jackson

But of course, a highly original car still always brings more bids. Sitting on the phone with me at the Las Vegas Convention Center only a few days ahead of the auction, Jackson almost chuckled at how good the lineup of cars in front of him looked.

"Our docket is absolutely spectacular," he told me. "I was just out looking at some of the cars, from classics to a curved-dash Oldsmobile."

That Olds caught Jackon's eye, in particular, because he might want to take it to the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the world's oldest motoring event, but a highly original, fully restored 1963 Split-Window Corvette Z06 will probably stand out more to a larger swath of potential bidders.

"Our Z06 is a very special car," Jackson said, once again turning to the modern era, "Especially with the new Corvette Z06 coming out. That's a highly anticipated car and this is going back to the roots of where it started."

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Looking For Responsible Fun During Uncertain Times

Ford Mustang Boss 302 front three quarters
via Barrett-Jackson

Our previous conversation ahead of Palm Beach focused more on the charitable efforts of Barrett-Jackson, as well as consignors George Shinn and Mark Pieloch, because of the auction's timing shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I now asked Jackson whether he sees, if anything, even more hesitation about the state of the world in the collector car market than even just a few months ago.

"The war in Ukraine was even more uncertain then," he countered, "The stock market's been down, it's rebounded. They're gonna raise interest rates, we know that they gotta slow the economy down. And, you know, hard assets in this uncertain time are always one of those things..."

From directly relatable stats like the cost of fuel to more abstract concepts like the Federal Reserve attempting to tamp down inflation by raising interest rates, which typically causes an economic slowdown, the usual standards for diversification and hedging bets look less stable—and don't even bring up cryptocurrency or the NFT situation. In the end, maybe collector cars do represent a more solid investment today, plus a stunning Hemi 'Cuda or Mustang Boss 302 allows for a bit of fun, in the meantime.

"People just want to live life," Jackson told me. "The great thing about cars is, whether your piece of paper goes up or down in value, you still go out in your garage, get in your car, and enjoy life."

Even if the economy turns south, Jackson believes auctions and collectors will continue to move serious weight in the future, too.

"We're in the live event, entertainment business and we sell hard assets," he explained. "So it's a good time to be in my business, I'll tell you that much, it is. Really, people are excited to get back out."

Sources: barrett-jackson.com, lvcva.com, chevrolet.com, and reuters.com.