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Written by Eric Becker and Barbara Toombs
Among the cars of the Las Vegas legends heading to the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction is this custom 1981 Mercedes-Benz (Lot #703) belonging to Wayne Newton.
The “king” of the Las Vegas “Rat Pack,” Frank Sinatra, in 1957.
The Entertainment Capital of the World started taking form in the 1950s as Las Vegas, a city of less than 50,000 people at the time, rapidly became the destination to see the top entertainers. Visitors could catch growing stars like Liberace, Elvis Presley, Shecky Greene and Don Rickles in the lounges for as little as $5. At the Fremont Hotel and Casino in 1958, the future “Mr. Las Vegas,” Wayne Newton, then a high school student, booked six shows a day, an engagement that stretched out for five years. He would perform more than 30,000 shows in his new hometown over the next decades. As Newton was growing in fame, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack – Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop – were turning the city onto its head, hitting on a vibe in the early-to-mid 1960s at the Sands’ Copa Room that’s still felt in Las Vegas today.
The 1990s brought new variety to Las Vegas, as magicians, circus performers and even a group of men painted blue captured imaginations. Considered by Las Vegas Weekly as one of the Top 5 headliners in the city’s history, Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn embodied the American dream: They emigrated from Germany and wound up with their own headlining magic show, their own zoo and their own (short-lived) cartoon series.
Siegfried & Roy
The pair met on a cruise ship in the late ’50s—Siegfried was a cabin steward and amateur magician; Roy was a waiter and animal lover. The two combined forces and began using animals in a magic act, combining Liberace’s flair with Doug Henning’s aura of wonder. They first performed in 1990 at The Mirage and proved to be the perfect Vegas combination: the magic of Siegfried & Roy, Masters of the Impossible. Although Roy passed away in May 2020 and Siegfried in January 2021, their legend lives on.
“Mr. Las Vegas” Wayne Newton with Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson at a recent Las Vegas Auction.
Since its inaugural Las Vegas Auction in 2008, Barrett-Jackson has been honored to showcase a wealth of vehicles belonging to the city’s top entertainers – including Elvis, Liberace and Dean Martin – and often welcomed Vegas superstars such as Wayne Newton, Siegfried & Roy and Penn Gillette to the auction stage. At the 2021 Las Vegas Auction, Barrett-Jackson will be offering an incredible selection of vehicles from a number of Vegas icons.
First up are a pair of highly collectible cars from the Siegfried & Roy estate: A 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing and a 1994 Rolls-Royce Corniche.
Lot #771 – Siegfried & Roy’s 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing Coupe.
The limited-edition Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing Coupe (Lot #771) from the inaugural 2011 model year naturally caught the eye of Siegfried Fischbacher, and his longtime partner Roy Horn purchased the car for him at the 2019 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction. Bristling with cutting-edge technologies and visually recalling the revered 300SL of the 1950s, with its radical “gullwing” doors, the car’s motivation comes from AMG’s 563-horsepower, 6.2-liter M159 V8 mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. The “Silver Arrow” can reach a top speed in excess of 200 mph, surges to 60 mph in as little as 3.5 seconds and sprints through the quarter-mile in just a tick over 11 seconds. While already striking in Iridium Silver Metallic paint over Classic Red leather upholstery, the vehicle was subsequently fitted with a full chrome body wrap for greater exclusivity.
Lot #772 – Siegfried & Roy’s 1994 Rolls-Royce Corniche.
Presented as a gift to Roy Horn on the occasion of his 50th birthday, the 1994 Rolls-Royce Corniche IV (Lot #772) is one of only 219 examples produced from 1993 to 1996. As Britain’s most expensive automobiles at launch, these coach-built beauties were given their own unique identity in 1971 and named “Corniche” after the exotic roads that wind along the French Cote d’Azur. Power comes from a 6.75-liter V8 engine that propels the Corniche from rest to 60 mph in less than 10 seconds, with a top speed nearing 130 mph. Luxuriously equipped and trimmed in leather upholstery, this Corniche IV comes to market with an enchanting selection of images depicting Siegfried & Roy with the vehicle, and some of the beautiful animal co-stars of the duo’s world-famous shows.
Lot #703 – Wayne Newton’s 1981 Mercedes-Benz
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By: Barrett-Jackson
Title: FABULOUS ICONS: The stars of Las Vegas and the wheels that carried them
Sourced From: www.barrett-jackson.com/Media/Home/Reader/cars-from-las-vegas-icons-wayne-newton-siegfried-and-roy-frank-sinatra-for-sale-no-reserve-2021-las-vegas-auction/
Published Date: Wed, 26 May 2021 17:40:11 +0000
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