Back under the tents at Barrett-Jackson, I spotted a 1961 Volkswagen 23 Window Microbus. It is a European walk-through model, giving it a bigger driver's seat and seating for seven. This bus is equipped with original front safari windows that can be opened. Everything on this bus was replaced with new parts. The original price was in the $2,500 neighborhood. Its new neighborhood is $68,200.

These were quite popular when I was a teenager, especially among the hippy set. I understand that VW is introducing a similar-looking Electric Vehicle called the ID. Buzz. Its price is in that latter neighborhood — currently estimated to start at around $60,000.

Here we see a replica of a 1933 Ford 3-Window Custom Coupe which was originally built for car shows. The gold paint job really caught my eye. It is powered by a 5.0-liter Coyote engine with a Boss 302 air intake mated to a TREMEC 5-speed manual transmission.

The custom interior features diamond-stitched seats, doors, and a rear waterfall, as well as power windows, a Vintage Air system, and suicide doors with power locks. This baby sold for $66,000.

The next vehicle that caught my eye was a 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible. It had a full older restoration and features power windows, front power seat, a power top, power steering, power brakes power antenna, trunk release, and an AM radio.

The data sheet claims that only 7,149 Starfire convertibles were produced for 1962. But these are the cars of my youth. It sold for $30,800.

Now, this is really a car from my younger days — a custom 1957 Ford Thunderbird convertible finished in Turquoise Pearl over a Lime Gold base. You don't see many turquoise cars these days and fewer T-birds of any kind since Ford discontinued them in 2005. The original Thunderbird was a two-seater convertible (as is this one) — and that's the model that captured my heart.

This vehicle received a professional frame-off rotisserie restoration and has been built to Pro-Touring standards. What's that you ask? I sure did and had to look it up. They use a scaled-up version of a BBQ rotisserie so they can rotate the car 360 degrees for easy access to all its parts.

It only has 850 miles since completion, and the sale includes a car cover, hardtop carrier and build receipts, spec sheets, and the dyno sheet. You could have had it for "only" $53,900. Maybe add a $100 since you would have had to outbid the actual winner.

Another Ford, a custom black 1932 Dearborn deuce. A lot of customization went into this vehicle — including a fuel-injected 396ci small-block Chevy V8 engine. It was built by WW Hot Rods in West Linn, OR, and has sat in a heated garage ever since. This fun machine sold for $110,000.

Next up was a 1967 Pontiac GTO — another vehicle from my younger years — at a time when I was in college. I found a YouTube video of Jay Leno displaying one owned by a friend. He said (and his friend agreed) that this was the first "muscle car". My friends and I agreed it was so cool. This one sold for $51,700 — not a bad price.

This model was so popular it inspired a popular song "G.T.O." by Ronny & the Daytons.

Little GTO
You're really lookin' fine
Three deuces and a four-speed
And a three-eighty-nine
Listen to her tachin' up now
Listen to her whine
C'mon and turn it on, wind it up, blow it out, GTO

The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other branded automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., from 1909 until 1954. In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors Corporation. The Hudson name was continued through the 1957 model year, after which it was discontinued.

Introduced in December 1947, the Hudson Commodore was one of the first new-design postwar cars made. This 1950 Hudson Commodore 8 is powered by a 254/128hp Straight-8 engine mated to an exclusive column-shifted SuperMatic transmission. It is equipped with a radio and clock, power windows, a weather control heater, front and rear bumper guards, fender skirts, full wheel covers with trim rings, and BFGoodrich 760-15 Silvertown wide whitewall tires.

This finely restored convertible sold for only $49,500 — it seems like a modest price for a piece of automotive history.