Over the past few days, we’ve shown you a few of the neat cars that reside underneath the tents outside. Now, it’s time to show you some of the classics underneath the big top! Here’s a selection that is bound to enthrall the horsepower-inclined!
1970 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air III Convertible (Lot 1449.2)
The Godfather of the GTO, Jim Wangers, was a marketing purist who felt the Judge should not continue into the 1970 model year as it was a promotional model intended to kick GTO sales up a notch. It didn’t quite happen that way, though 10 percent of 1969 GTOs consisted of Judges, plus the performance package added to the GTO’s image and allure.
The bean counters won out, and the Judge continued into 1970. With a strong restyle, the GTO was in fine form, and designers tweaked the Judge package in turn. The overall effect was more extroverted. Equipment continued to be the same aside of the late addition of the 455. This Verdoro Green Judge convertible nicely flaunts the new style. Most of the 168 built had the Ram Air III engine with four-speed manual, just like this one.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 (Lot 1122)
I root for the underdog, so Chevrolets generally are not on my radar. This 1969 Camaro Z/28 strikes me for several reasons: (1) I love the Garnet Red among the reds of the era, (2) I love red interiors, even if it matches the exterior, (3) I can’t dislike a body-colored Endura bumper, (4) the Torq Thrust mags set this apart from all those stock Zs, and (5) there’s more Day II goodness including vintage ceramic-coated headers, traction bars, and aluminum-finned differential cover. What’s not to like?
The matching-numbers 302 with Cowl Induction is backed by an M21 close-ratio four-speed and 3.73 Posi rear. McNeish has certified it too. While this story is being written, this Camaro garnered a top bid of $99,000.
1970 Ford Mustang 428 CJ Convertible (Lot 1094.1)
Sure, Mustangs are everywhere, but not all Mustangs are created equal—this Mustang is the perfect example. Let’s examine the vitals: 7,673 convertibles built in 1970, which was quite a drop from a high of over 70 grand for both 1965-66. Of those convertibles, only 47 were equipped with the 428 Cobra Jet. There were two CJs available—one without ram air (Q-code), the other one with a Shaker hood scoop (R-code).
This car is a Q-code, meaning it is one of 14, and one of nine with an automatic. It has been retrofitted with a Shaker, which doesn’t seem like a bad idea; ditto the Mach I grille. During the writing of this entry, it went up on the block and seemed to stall at $75,000, but the auctioneers did their thing and the next thing you know, it sold for $396,000. Take that, Shelbys!
1998 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway C12 Custom Coupe (Lot 1128.1)
Callaway Cars names its projects with a C and a sequence number. For example, the first Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette from 1987 was C4 (coincidentally, the generation we use for that particular Corvette). The 1997-2001 C12 was a street version of a GT2 car based on the C5. The only original parts of the body retained included the glass and roof, plus several interior components. The bodywork consisted of GRP and Kevlar on a hydroformed steel skeleton.
Several engine choices were available, all versions of the 5.7 and 6.2 small-blocks and all available with the modifications that Callaway was famous for. All told, 20 C12s were built, with this 5,408-mile example powered by a “Supernatural” LS1. As this story was going to press, the hammer fell and this C12 sold for $104,500.
The Barrett-Jackson 2025 Scottsdale Collector Car Auction runs through Sunday, January 26th at WestWorld of Scottsdale. If you cannot attend, you can still watch it online at Barrett-Jackson.com!
