Ron Pratt / Barett Jackson

[Back in Time]

You can thank the high prices of these cars for creating a great assortment of quality reproduction parts for our cars, AMD body panels comes to mind.
Remember the '80s?
Sure, you could buy a project car for cheap then, but when you went to restore it you were pretty much screwed.
The only choice was NOS or rust free parts.
Reproduction parts then (other than some interior stuff) was lousy at best.
Some was just terrible!
It was a different time back then scouring junkyards and swap meets........
A lot of cars got parted out back then that today would be easy builders.
But thanks to the higher prices that these cars bring today, the reproduction market has blossomed to where it is today, and more is coming!
I would like to thank the rich bastards that spend big bucks at the auctions.
And my hat is off to Barrett/Jackson, Mecum, and others that make this possible.
Our car hobby is being saved, not destroyed!
Some people just don't know when they have it good........

Very good point.I didn't look at it like this but you nailed it right on the head.

 

[WRB426]

You can thank the high prices of these cars for creating a great assortment of quality reproduction parts for our cars, AMD body panels comes to mind.
Remember the '80s?
Sure, you could buy a project car for cheap then, but when you went to restore it you were pretty much screwed.
The only choice was NOS or rust free parts.
Reproduction parts then (other than some interior stuff) was lousy at best.
Some was just terrible!
It was a different time back then scouring junkyards and swap meets........
A lot of cars got parted out back then that today would be easy builders.
But thanks to the higher prices that these cars bring today, the reproduction market has blossomed to where it is today, and more is coming!
I would like to thank the rich bastards that spend big bucks at the auctions.
And my hat is off to Barrett/Jackson, Mecum, and others that make this possible.
Our car hobby is being saved, not destroyed!
Some people just don't know when they have it good........

Have to totally agree with this. As much I have hated the rich coming into the car hobby it has been good for it. If I was rich I would spend crazy money on cars. I could see myself with a big barn full of muscle cars.

Watching these auctions, there is different levels of cars being offered. Some of the very nice drivers are selling for less then it would cost to build it. The big dollar cars are the oem nut and bolt restos on a rare car.

 

[Tony Fields]

Ron Pratte Net Worth
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Ron Pratte Net Worth
Net Worth:
$350 Million
Source of Wealth Pratte Development co., Inc.
Full Name Ron Pratte
Nationality United States
Occupation Founder and Former CEO of Pratte Developemnt Co., Inc.


ABOUT RON PRATTE

Multi-millionaire Ron Pratte is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and car collector with an estimated net worth of $350 million. He has built his fortune as the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of the Pratte Development Company, Inc. It is one of the biggest wood framing and concrete foundation companies in the United States. It is a privately held company located in Phoenix, Arizona which manufactures structural wood products. He sold his development company to Pulte homes at the peak of the housing boom in Arizona. His move was at a great timing and he was able to cash out before the housing market crashed.

Ron Pratte is best known for his elaborate car collection as a big car buff. Among his collection of fine automobiles included the Shelby G500 which he purchased in 2008 for nearly $650 thousand. Last year, he bough a $4.1 million Futurliner bus. He also won the bid for Caroll Shelby’s 1966 Super Snake AC Cobra 800hp 427 dual quad, dual supercharged for $5 million. Other cars in his collection are the 1945 P-51 Mustang, the last Sting Ray, the first T Bird off the assembly line, and the Beverly Hillbillies Woody. Part of his fortune has been used to build up his privately owned car museum which is intended for his own personal enjoyment.

And Mr. Pratte has served our country. He is a Viet Nam Vet.

 

[6pk2goDemon]

hey 6pack to go..

i think you're right on about the car auctions now being the greatest car shows on earth. i'm actually thinking about planning a trip to one of these events just to look at the cars. i've begun to watch more closely when the camera pans to the parking areas or staging areas for the cars and wow... these auctions now have a collection of cars in one spot at one time that i haven't seen for 40 years. AND every one of the cars looks like it could be sitting in a dealer showroom in 1969! some of these cars i remember in high school as being pretty rare even then. some of them were too weird back when they were new so no one cared about them (i.e. a mercury cougar "eliminator"). now, because of all the millionaire "car nut wannabees" out there, people are paying crazy money to restore every muscle car that was ever built. i have seen cars on barret-jackson and mecum that i remember only ever seeing in the lastest edition of "Super Stock" magazine that i had just purchased for $1.50 - after school in 1970!

Hi Jim, Thanks for your courteous response!! You're spot on about seeing cars that you may not see at a car show I find it interesting that you mention a Cougar Eliminator as an example....I had my hands on a 68 Cougar factory equipped with a 427 side oiler that I never knew existed. Pretty awesome car with low production #'s.

If you make it to AZ for auction week some year you won't be disappointed. Let me know...

You can thank the high prices of these cars for creating a great assortment of quality reproduction parts for our cars, AMD body panels comes to mind.
Remember the '80s?
Sure, you could buy a project car for cheap then, but when you went to restore it you were pretty much screwed.
The only choice was NOS or rust free parts.
Reproduction parts then (other than some interior stuff) was lousy at best.
Some was just terrible!
It was a different time back then scouring junkyards and swap meets........
A lot of cars got parted out back then that today would be easy builders.
But thanks to the higher prices that these cars bring today, the reproduction market has blossomed to where it is today, and more is coming!
I would like to thank the rich bastards that spend big bucks at the auctions.
And my hat is off to Barrett/Jackson, Mecum, and others that make this possible.
Our car hobby is being saved, not destroyed!
Some people just don't know when they have it good........

Thanks Dartnut for bringing that important point up also.....

 

[jimharvard]

hey 6 pack...

i used to street race a lot from 1969 to 1973. my 68 formula s 4sp barracuda pretty much beat all the "at the time" muscle cars. there were no fords of any drive train or model that gave my mopar any competition at all. the only ford that did give me a bit of a run (losing by only 1 car length) was a 1970 "Super Cobra Jet" 429 4sp "drag pack" torino.

i lived in a small town in w.va. there was a chevy, ford, plymouth and american motors dealer in the town. but some of the cars offered by these companies never ended up on the streets. a few "rich people" bought the fancy luxury version cougars and there were plenty of "old men" buicks and olds. however, to my knowledge, there were never any of the following within 30 miles of my town: XR7 Eliminator Cougar, GS 455 Buick, W-30 Olds, AMX or SC scrambler. there was one shelby mustang KR500 and a Ford Pantera and a yenko camaro.

i think it would be very cool now to see and drive (that would be really cool) a few of the muscle cars that due to price or popularity at the time never made it to my small town. so if you have a line on an XR7 429 Eliminator, that's great! i would not have been caught dead in a buick "back in the day" but surprisingly the GS Buick had a tire melting highest torque motor. that car would probably be a blast to drive. drop me a line and let me know if you get the cougar ... and what it runs like..

take care

 

[RangerRick]

Went to Barrett Jackson Sunday, Wow, havent been in about 3 years, it gets bigger every year. Arrived at 0900 left at 1500.........They had some mopars not a huge number but good representation.....# 2nd generation barracudas....one mod top, went for high dollar, a tribute 68 hemi cuda black on black....good condition but not the highest quality....I think it was upper 60's...........Best mopar bargains of the day, in my opinion, A 69 R/T convertible, 440, auto, original interior, no tears but needed a good cleaning, blue ext, white interior and top...beutiful paint....$ 32,000..........and a 70 roadrunner 440 for 31,000

a power wagon fully restored frame off, black on black 110,000. not a bargain but nice.

A 66 barracuda FB new paint silver with black stripes, 340 engine w/ 1000 CFM carb?, went for 20,000 + commission..... just my thoughts........hopefully my memory is not to bad.....