Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas auction draws drivers

Though you'll see the usual assortment of restored muscle cars and one-of-a-kind automotive delights at the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction, it's the buyers who make this event a little different, organizers say.

"Most of the vehicles we sell in Vegas go to first-time buyers--and they want drivers," said Craig Jackson, CEO of the auction company. "They're end users and drivers, rather than speculators."

Those buyers will have a wide variety to choose from at the fourth-annual Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas auction, which kicks off on Sept. 22 and runs through Sept. 24 at the Mandalay Bay resort. Nearly 600 vehicles have been placed on consignment for the event, and Jackson said he expects total sales at the auction to top $20 million.

Probably the most popular cars at the auction will be the array of restored, numbers-matching 1950s-era convertibles. Volkswagen Microbuses have also come on strong, said Jackson, noting that a restored VW bus sold for more than $200,000 at the company's Orange County auction in June.

Jackson said two supercars--a 2009 Mosler and a 1997 Vector fitted with a Lamborghini V12 engine--likely will draw considerable interest, along with specials such as magician Criss Angel's Mindfreak Dodge Viper and Ray Allen's 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Convertible world champion drag car that previously sold at auction for $1.2 million.

"That could be a sleeper," Jackson said.

For auction watchers, the Vegas auction will also offer a preview of half a dozen million-dollar cars scheduled to cross the block at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale sale in January 2012.

By Bob Gritzinger