Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale, Arizona, event has become arguably the world’s premier collector-car auction. Starting out as a small charity function in 1967, the multi-day event now attracts more than 250,000 people and hundreds of classic cars. Scottsdale’s 2012 auction appears to be just as big since many rare and exclusive automobiles have already registered to cross the auction block.

Because every collector has his or her own particular likes and dislikes and considering the variety of cars, I could never label a small set of automobiles as standing absolutely above all the rest. But, despite the glorious assortment of fine and collectible cars, I have assembled a list of seven of the more notable automobiles (in no particular order) that will go under the auctioneer’s hammer.

Follow the jump to read our guest post at MyCarQuest.

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Are these pictures of the first Verde Ithaca Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 in the United States? Jordan Shiraki photographed the bright-green Aventador at Lamborghini Las Vegas. Follow the jump for more photos at the Luxury4Play forums.

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David Dopp—a Frito-Lay truck driver, resident of the small town of Santaquin in Utah, and father of five—won big, or so he thought.

Last week, a “Joe Schmo to Lambo” contest sponsored by Maverik convenience stores and Teamgive, a not-for-profit organization, declared David Dopp the winner of an eye-popping lime-green 2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster, estimated to be worth more than $350,000. In addition to the sports car, Dopp also won driving lesson worth $5,000.

Unfortunately, Dopp, crashing the Italian exotic mere hours after taking delivery on Saturday, may no longer need those lessons.

This story starts when Dopp was first given the keys to his new 632-hp ride. According to a message Dopp posted on Facebook before the crash, Santaquin Police contacted him because residents were complaining that he was driving too fast. Then, approximately six hours after Dopp acquired the Lamborghini, the police were called again, but this time because Dopp had crashed the car.



As Dopp told police, he was coming around a corner, hit a patch of black ice or gravel, and the car slid out of control. The car came to rest about 75 feet off the road. Dopp admitted to going 40 to 50 mph in the 35-mph zone, and police confirmed the crash was speed related. The car was sent to Las Vegas, Nevada, to be repaired. The crash caused damages to the oil pan and bumpers and numerous scratches.

Jalopnik claims that this crash might have been on purpose. It says that a close friend of Dopp contacted the web site and said the car was totaled in order to collect $300,000 insurance payout. Jalopnik reasons that since Dopp had to put his house up as collateral for the insurance and taxes, which could have exceeded $100,000, he must have ultimately been planning to wreck the Lamborghini and collect the insurance money. It also points to a post Dopp put on Jay Leno’s Facebook page asking for help with selling the car.

We think that Dopp simply wanted to enjoy his new toy before he was forced to get rid of it.

According to the Associated Press, Dopp is going to have the car repaired, and then he will try to sell it.

"I already had offers on it. I'm going to sell it," David Dopp said Wednesday. "I have bills more important than a Lamborghini. I've got a family to support."

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Premier Financial Services—the same organization that worked with Lamborghini to provide low-cost leases—is suing Record Producer Jermaine Dupri Mauldin for the money owed on a 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster. Premier Financial Services loaned Mauldin $330,000 in 2006 in return for 58 monthly payments of $4,323. Mauldin made payments totaling more than $135,000, including a $70,000 down payment, but suddenly stopped in 2009. Premier Financial Services repossessed the car and sold it for $115,000, leaving Mauldin with a $79,095 tab, which Premier Financial Services is now suing to obtain.

Jermaine Dupri, as he is best identified, is famous for launching the careers of Kris Kross, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, and Lil’ Bow Wow and working with Usher, Mariah Carey, and other well-known artists.

[via TMZ]

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A fleet of exotic supercars were involved in a disastrous crash in Japan on Sunday after one hit a median barrier and spun out of control. The crash included a stunning eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini, and three Mercedes. In total, 14 vehicles were involved. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. The Ferraris appear to include a white 512, a 430 Scuderia, F360s with large rear wings, and F355s. The pack of sports cars was headed to Hiroshima from Kyushu and eclipsing speeds of 90 mph according to initial reports. The accident occurred when one of the Ferraris tried to change lanes on the wet road and crashed into a median barrier, sparking a chain of events that led to the horrific crash. Damages are estimated at $3.8 million.

[via Yahoo! News]

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A 22-year-old engineering graduate, Dhiaa Al-Essa, became the first person in Saudi Arabia to take delivery of the new 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. To bypass the car’s 18-month waiting list, the youth reportedly paid an additional $71,000 on top of the car’s $387,000 base price. Obviously, Al-Essa is not tight on cash, which may have a lot to do with the £1.5-billion estimated worth of his family.

The Lamborghini is just one of many exotic supercars that Al-Essa owns, which looks like a laundry list of the latest and greatest and includes a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, Koenigsegg Agera, Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe, Rolls-Royce Phantom sedan, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, Ferrari F430, Ferrari 599 GTO, Ferrari 458 Italia, Ferrari California, Porsche 997 GT3 RS, Porsche 997 Turbo Spyder, Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG, BMW M5, BMW X6M, BMW X5M, Audi R8, and Maybach 62. His collection has an estimated value of $12 million.

Which car does Al-Essa like the most? According to an article posted on Metro.co.uk in 2010 before he acquired at least the Koenigsegg and the Aventador, his favorite ride was the Mercedes SLR McLaren because of the way it looks and drives and its reliability.

[via SWNS.com]

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Ditching last year’s Nissan GT-R, Jon Olsson has acquired a Lamborghini Gallardo as a temporary replacement to transport his winter skis as he waits for delivery of its bigger brother, the Aventador (as you may have guessed, Olsson has a little love affair with Lamborghini products). Dressed in winter camouflage and a ski box, the Gallardo will be driven more than 30,000 miles this winter season says Olsson.

[via Jon-Olsson.com]

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duPont REGISTRY has the named the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 its Car of the Year, its most prestigious award, in its 2012 Exotic Car Buyers Guide, which is set to hit newsstands and other retail outlets in early October. With production of the Murcielago concluding in 2010 after nine years and a run of 4,099 cars, Lamborghini released its most potent and technologically advanced V-12 flagship of all time: the Aventador LP700-4. duPont REGISTRY chose the LP700-4 as the king of the 2012 exotics because of its advanced carbon-fiber construction, powerful V-12 engine, sophisticated transmission, and mesmerizing styling.

In addition to its Car of the Year award, duPont REGISTRY also acknowledged five other automobiles for their contributions to the exotic and luxury car marketplace for 2012 and beyond:

• Best Design — 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia Spider
• Best Luxury Sedan — 2012 Bentley Mulsanne
• Best Bang for the Buck — 2012 Nissan GT-R
• Best Eco-Exotic — 2014 BMW i8
• Best New Concept — Jaguar C-X75

duPont Publishing, Inc. will release its annual Exotic Car Buyers Guide to over 25,000 upscale newsstands, bookstores, and international airports on October 4, 2011. The 10th-anniversary issue includes nearly 150 pages of detailed reviews and specs of exotic, luxury, and aftermarket automobiles as well as accessory and wheel guides.

“The duPont REGISTRY Exotic Car Buyers Guide is the only annual guide that focuses on only exotic automobiles,” says Publisher Thomas L. duPont. “There are no factory epistles… just pictures and a few comments from our editors that are designed to pique the reader’s interest and take them to the next level—ownership!”

duPont REGISTRY Awards Ferrari 458 Spider for its Design

duPont REGISTRY bestows the 2012 Best Design award on the new Ferrari 458 Spider in the latest edition of its Exotic Car Buyers Guide. The car stood out among its peers because of its revolutionary hardtop convertible mechanism, which allowed for the retention of many of the coupe’s lines with the roof closed while establishing a distinguishing new look with the top open. In addition, not only does this innovative top weigh less than a comparable soft-top mechanism, it also allows room for an uncompromised cargo area behind the two passenger chairs.

duPont REGISTRY's Exotic Car Buyers Guide Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Greene marvels, “With the 458 Spider, Ferrari has surpassed most people’s expectations while raising the bar on other exotic-car manufacturers.”

duPont REGISTRY Names Bentley Mulsanne as Best Luxury Sedan for 2012

Bigger yet lighter and redesigned from the chassis up, the Bentley Mulsanne carries its predecessor’s timeless elegance, hulking posture, and immense power into the new decade with the latest technologies and luxury appointments. This is why duPont REGISTRY named the Bentley Mulsanne its 2012 Best Luxury Sedan in the 10th-anniversary issue of its Exotic Car Buyers Guide. This is Bentley’s second award from duPont REGISTRY in as many years, following last year’s recognition of the Bentley Continental GT as its Best Luxury Coupe.

“The Continental Supersports models weren’t a strong move for Bentley, but it made up for this setback by quickly selling a year’s worth of Mulsannes, which is no easy task for a car at that price point,” said Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Greene. “The Mulsanne will help Bentley move to the next level for the new decade.”

2012 Nissan GT-R Earns Nod for Best Bang for your Buck from duPont Publishing, Inc.

Just when you thought the Nissan GT-R couldn’t get any better, new modifications to its 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 result in even more power and faster acceleration times, prompting duPont Publishing, Inc.’s editors to award the GT-R with the Best Bang for your Buck award in the 2012 duPont REGISTRY Exotic Car Buyers Guide.

“Small improvements have made a huge impact on the GT-R, making this already affordably priced dream car an even better value at only $90,000,” mentions Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Greene.

BMW’s i8 Concept Captures duPont REGISTRY’s Best Eco-Exotic Award Despite its Pre-Production Status

The i8, which is the first in BMW’s future line of i vehicles, has captured international attention with its futuristic shape and incredible fuel efficiency.

“Part of the concept car’s physical allure also helps it achieve its goal of low fuel consumption through well-developed aerodynamics,” said Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Greene.

The car, which should appear in 2013 as a 2014 model, includes both gasoline and electric drives and has an incredible range of 435 miles.

duPont REGISTRY’s 10th-Anniversary Exotic Car Buyers Guide Awards the 2012 Jaguar C-X75 the Best New Concept

The C-X75 is Jaguar’s first supercar in 20 years and will be the brand's most advanced model to date. The C-X75 is poised to compete in the new competitive hybrid exotic market. Its sleek exterior combines with its 300-mile range, drawing power from both gasoline and electric sources to solidify the popularity of this futuristic concept.

Background: The 2012 Exotic Car Buyers Guide is published by duPont Publishing, Inc. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, the company publishes duPont REGISTRY A Buyers Gallery of Fine Automobiles, duPont REGISTRY A Buyers Gallery of Fine Homes, and duPont REGISTRY A Buyers Gallery of Fine Boats classified magazines and other lifestyle publications that continue to be the leading periodicals in their respective high-end marketplaces. Visit http://www.dupontregistry.com/ for more information.

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Back in April, a parade featuring five Aventador LP 700-4s and five historic models (350 GT, Miura, Countach, Diablo, and Murcielago) from the Lamborghini museum traveled a 5.5-mile route around Rome to promote its "Made in Italy” slogan on the 150th anniversary of Italy's unification. These are some pictures from the event.

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Ferrari North America has announced its first America-based snow and ice driving school: the 2012 Winter Driving Experience. Based on a similar program offered in Italy, the school will launch in January 2012 out of Aspen, Colorado, as an $11,300 all-inclusive two-day three-night package developed specifically for the Ferrari FF. In fact, the school will run a fleet of eight “specially prepared” FFs for the program. It is unclear if participants will also be allowed to drive their 458s. Ferrari’s announcement comes hot on the heels of Lamborghini's own driving school, the Lamborghini Academy, kicking back off in Europe.

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