What is it like to stand on the podium with Craig Jackson at the famous Barrett-Jackson January Auction as you sell a car?  

Exhilarating! 

I was fortunate to be on the podium with Craig last weekend as we sold a 2017 Ford GT Mark II and, for the first time in our history, a 2015 Ford GT Prototype.  The proceeds of the sale are all going to support the Ford Heritage Fleet. 

The process is interesting. The lots are sold in order, and about an hour before they hit the auction block, the cars are removed from the exhibit floor and driven about a quarter of a mile in slow procession to the entrance of the hall. During this time, the auction attendees are allowed and even encouraged to walk around and among the cars to get a final chance to see the vehicles up close. 

The Mark II was an immediate hit as the engine rumbled to life every few minutes, attracting attention from bidders and spectators alike. But the 2015 Prototype was the star of the show. Still in its raw carbon finish and pasted with stickers that were used during the powertrain testing, it was quickly swarmed by attendees clamoring to snap photographs as very few had ever seen a developmental prototype in person. 

As the car drew closer to the podium, I was invited by the team at Barrett-Jackson to say a few words about the cars and the fact the proceeds would be used to support the Ford Heritage Fleet. I have a passion for both, so it was easy, but when I went to hand the microphone back to Craig after talking about the prototype, I was surprised to see he had disappeared! I did not know it at the time, but when he is interested in bidding on a car, he leaves the podium and joins the crowd below.  

It is an adrenaline rush to hear the chatter of the auctioneer and watch the dollar amount increase and the sharp calls as bids were accepted. Craig did indeed buy the Prototype, and then he came back to the podium and told me it was to complement the two Shelby Mustang Prototypes he owns, Green Hornet and Little Red. 

I was not the only Ford executive on the Auction podium that day; the Mustang team was auctioning off VIN # 1 of the forthcoming Mustang Darkhorse SC for Breakthrough TD1, a charity accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat Type 1 diabetes and its complications. 

I watched the sale of the Mustang from the crowd and you could feel the energy in the room increase and the huge applause as the auction soared past the $1 million dollar mark. They actually pause the auction whenever a car hits the million-dollar mark as the crowd goes wild. The car sold for $1.25 million for a great cause. 

All in all, it was an exciting weekend being surrounded by 50,000 car enthusiasts as almost 2,000 cars were auctioned off, but I will never forget my moment of surprise to see that Craig had left the podium and was bidding on one of my cars. 

Now it is time to get to work to put the funds we raised to good use preserving the Heritage Fleet. 

Ted Ryan is the Ford Archives & Heritage brand manager.