On Tuesday, May 15, the following appeared on the front page of the Scottsdale Republic: "Craig Jackson called off a formal negotiating session with the city and will meet one-on-one with Mayor Mary Manross on Wednesday." I have no further details but this is yet another in a bizarre series of news reports about Mr. Jackson. Also today, Sports Car Market magazine's legal analyst John Draneas outlined details of a response to a suit filed by Barrett-Jackson against Judge David Clabuesch, "the unhappy seller of the Ramchargers Hemi 'Cuda that brought $300,000 at the Scottsdale auction in January." The author writes "Judge Clabuesch has responded by emptying his own legal pistol, filing a five-count counterclaim against Barrett-Jackson and an accompanying Third Party Complaint against Thomas Kazamek, the purchaser of the Hemi 'Cuda."

Jackson has recently been in Las Vegas discussing the possibility of moving his grandiose auction to the Nevada gambling city; earlier reports had him being pursued by Glendale, California. In case you're not aware, he and Scottsdale are in dispute over what rights Barrett-Jackson should have in Westworld, where the auction currently takes place. On the basis that any publicity is good publicity this stuff may benefit BJ in the long run. Certainly those millions of people only vaguely aware of the auction will have their curiosities piqued sufficiently to start paying attention. But I wonder what would happen if the Barrett-Jackson January auction went elsewhere. What of the other Phoenix area auctions that take place the same week? Will the wealthy crowds that come to watch RM's costly classics go on the block still show up? Will the muscle car fans still attend Russo and Steele's auction? Will there be enough laid-back enthusiasts to populate Silver's laid-back Sunday auction?

In a way, Las Vegas is the perfect place for Barrett-Jackson. Collector car buying and selling is a gamble at best and those January high rollers might well abandon their roulette wheels in favor of a little automotive action. Where Scottsdale is casual and relaxed, the bright lights of Vegas offer atmosphere aplenty. Personally I'd choose Glendale because of California's car culture and the proximity of Los Angeles. January weather in all three cities is, however, a crap shoot, as we were reminded when it snowed in Arizona last January. A northerner seeking sun, I swore I'd never go back but the way this mess is shaping up, if I didn't return I'd miss the circus of the century.