When you think about Arizona Car Week, a few things come to mind regardless of your style of enthusiasm. If your a muscle car lover, attending the seventh annual Bonhams sale, held at the Westin-Kierland Resort & Spa, may not be on the top of your list, but this year proved why it should be going forward.

In total, the auction house earned $25.2 million with an 87-percent sell-through rate at the Scottsdale auction. Among the top sellers was a 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder that brought in a final price of $5,170,000; in addition to 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider at $2,640,000; 1991 Ferrari F40 Coupe at $1,512,500; 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster at $1,512,500; and a 1930 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Replica Tourer at $1,457,500. Prices include all associated fees.

“Our sale really demonstrated the strength of the collector car market across all eras of motoring,” said Rupert Banner, Group Motoring Director, who, along with Jamie Knight, Group Motoring Chairman, was the auctioneer. “We had lots of global interest and many new, first time buyers, which is a very positive indication of the growth and future of the hobby.”

While Bonhams is known for exotics and pre-war classics, the sale included classic and modern muscle cars worth noting. Here are the must-see muscle cars from the 2018 auction:

1966 Ford Shelby GT350H – $253,000

In addition to being Carroll Shelby’s personal car, what makes this Shelby GT350 notable is the ‘H’ tacked on to the end of its name. The car came from the factory dressed in Wimbledon White complemented by LeMans stripes in Guardsman Blue and entered the Hertz Rent-a-Racer fleet in San Diego, California.

According to the docket information, after a year of service, the car was purchased by its first owner and passed through the hands of a second owner before it made its way back to Carroll Shelby. While in his ownership, the car was featured at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles as well as showcased at the Imperial Palace Automobile Collection in Las Vegas, Nevada.

From 2008 forward, the car was on display at Shelby Automobiles in Las Vegas, Nevada.





1989 Shelby Dakota – $13,200

It’s easy to forget Carroll Shelby created performance vehicles for other manufacturers and often prompts a double take when one is spotted, like the 1989 Dodge Dakota Sport mid-size pickup outfitted with Shelby’s modifications. The truck represents the first rear-wheel drive vehicle developed as a result of Shelby’s partnership with the Chrysler Corporation.

What made the Shelby variant of the Dakota unique was the upgrade from the standard 3.9-liter V6 to a 5.2-liter overhead valve V8. It was rated with a total output of 175 horsepower, approximately a 70-percent increase over the stock setup and it touted a zero-to-sixty time of 8.5 seconds.

Other highlights included a limited slip differential, transmission cooler, 15-spoke alloy wheels, and body aero. Production was limited to a single year with just 1,500 Shelby trucks produced. Of those, just 995 were made in red while the remainder were offered in white.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT1 Championship Edition – $68,200

The Corvette offered is one of 125 Championship Edition cars built and one of just 55 Z06 examples created. The special edition included a raft of unique cosmetic touches such as C6.R livery inspired graphics, ZR1-style full-width spoiler and chrome wheels, custom ebony leather interior with yellow stitching, GT1 embroidery on the seats, center console armrest, and instrument panel, special engine cover, and only two color options. Further increasing the rarity of this car, it is one of 38 Z06 cars in Velocity Yellow.

2006 Ford GT – $489,500

In 2006, Carroll Shelby ordered this Ford GT in Midnight Blue, void of stripes and outfitted with upgraded lightweight forged aluminum BBS wheels and painted brake calipers. The car has managed 645 miles since new and spent a majority of its life on display in Shelby’s personal collection.

It has been maintained and serviced by Shelby’s team of personal mechanics. Additionally, since Shelby’s passing, the car has been under the care of the Shelby Trust. The GT is offered with its factory owner’s manual, Ford battery tender/charger, original factory car cover, and bag.

2006 Dodge Viper SRT-10 VOI.9 Edition – $ 79,200

This 2006 Dodge Viper is car 12 of 100 unique VOI.9 Edition Vipers built for the ninth-annual Viper Owners Invitational in Las Vegas, organized by the Viper Club of America. Additionally, this car is one of 16 produced with the Prefix Special Edition Aero Package which features an adjustable carbon fiber front chin spoiler and picnic table-size rear wing.

Other special features included in the VOI.9 Edition is the popular white with blue stripe color scheme paint, special badges on the B-pillars, blue interior trim on the center console, lower dashboard and door panels, black shifter boot, and a console-mounted badge denoting the car number. Since new, the car shows 271 miles on the odometer.

2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Coupe – $ 88,000

What makes this 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 coupe unique is that it is the very first C7 Corvette Z06 to roll off the Bowling Green line in 2015. Serial number 001, the Long Beach Red car shows only 93 miles on the odometer and features the Spice Red Design Package. The package includes Shark Gray accent vents, Blade wheels in a slick pearl nickel finish, matching red brake calipers, chrome exterior badges, and this Corvette comes with the optional 8-speed, paddle-shifted automatic transmission.

For more auction results, see the Bonhams auction site.

Photography by Nicole Ellan James