
January 2024
and Porsches, and luxury Bentley and Rolls Royces. Yes, there's something for everyone! You'll be able to tour the main hall where you can see automobiles for sale by reputable dealers from South Florida and around the country. Then, there's the main auction area that seats several thousand people. It's a Wild West-like atmosphere where the auctioneer is rattling off the bids at lightning speed. Cars can sometimes fetch in the millions of dollars. Bidders from around the world competed for 509 vehicles that sold at No Reserve, for a total of $23,301,250 at the automotive lifestyle event. It's like the New York Stock Exchange for cars. The cars to be a part of the live auction can be viewed on parade before they are driven into the main hall to be auctioned off. I'd recommend that you take a tour of the staging area where you'll be able to get a close-up look at the vehicles and hear the roar of the engines and the exhausts, resonating throughout the air. It's thrilling to hear a ROUSH high performance engine being fired up in a vintage Ford GT. There's just nothing like it ... except maybe a Ferrari going through an underpass or an enclosed tunnel. The Barrett-Jackson event was also able to list and sell over $1 million worth of vehicles to benefit various charities, such as The Sopranos Escalade and a 1957 Chevy Bel Air from the HBO drama Project American Heroes. Over 67,000 people attended the event in 2008. The 2009 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event will be held April 9th to 11th at the Americraft Expo Center in Palm Beach, Florida.
ADMISSION South Florida is the boating capital of the world. The finest boat builders in the world, such as Viking and Rybovich, which are now owned by Wayne Huizenga and managed by his two sons, are located in Palm Beach. I had the opportunity to meet Jim Bernstein, who was the former CEO of Rybovich, at Old Port Cove in North Palm Beach. We boarded the '60 Hatteras Sport Fish Kaizen for a 30-minute cruise down the Intracoastal Waterway to attend the 23rd annual Palm Beach International Boat Show. It's one of the top 10 boat shows in the country and there are more than $350 million worth of yachts you can see inside and out firsthand … even a ‘150 mega-yacht that can be yours for a cool $25 million! The show is exhibited both on land and in the water. You can start your tour at the Palm Beach County Convention Center and then move on to the Intracoastal Waterway at Flagler Drive for the in-water showcase. There is also an exclusive exhibit of Mega Yachts at the Rybovich Marina. Pick up the water taxi docked next to the Yachts International Pavilion to gain access. The causeway bridge had to open in order for Kaizen to gain entry into the boat show. I was granted access to tour a ‘120 Horizon luxury yacht that a new owner had just taken delivery from Don Gilman, of Gilman Yachts. It was a floating palace with flat panel HDTVs and a professional kitchen with two sub-zero refrigerators and granite countertops. The layout included a living room, dining room, kitchen, owner's stateroom and two VIP suites. The coolest feature was the six-person hot tub on the sun deck bridge. You could drive the yacht by autopilot while relaxing in the 102-degree water! The West Palm Beach International Boat Show
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