Don Williams, an esteemed skilled and collector who co-founded the Blackhawk Assortment within the northern California hamlet of Danville, has handed away.
Whereas in his early twenties, Williams labored at Outdated Time Automobiles in Los Angeles. His expertise and keenness led to him working his personal traditional automobile dealership, which then led to the public sale aspect of the enterprise, the place he produced California’s first collector automobile public sale. Then, in 1979, he moved to Arizona the place he met Tom Barrett and Russ Jackson and have become a part of the Barrett-Jackson household.
However then alternative knocked once more when actual property tycoon Ken Behring requested Williams’ help in constructing the best traditional automobile assortment doable. Their affiliation led to the 1981 creation of the Blackhawk Assortment to amass and promote traditional autos. Behring informed the Los Angeles Occasions that their modus operandi was “huge highly effective vehicles with a number of aptitude, a number of design … and due to that we’re fairly heavy with European creations, the Hispanos, the Delahayes, the Bugattis, the Bentleys,” contrasting with the Invoice Harrahs, Briggs Cunninghams and Jack Nethercutts of the time. These have been the vehicles that Williams knew and beloved. Their seek for one of the best wasn’t restricted to that straight and slim, nevertheless, as additionally they sought “items of artwork, sculptured vehicles … and that’s many of the French and Italian vehicles, the Delages, Buccialis and Ferraris, plus Rolls-Royce and Mercedeses.”
Inside three years, Williams grew to become the primary particular person ever to promote a automobile for greater than $1 million, a 1931 Figoni-bodied boattail Duesenberg. Williams grew to become a pacesetter in brokering traditional vehicles, particularly coach-built pre-war autos. But, via this thrilling time, Williams remained near the Barrett-Jackson household, serving to create the Barrett-Jackson Salon Assortment in 2012.
“I spent many a day restoring vehicles for Don, in addition to for Tom Barrett and my father,” Craig Jackson reminisces. “I thought-about Don a valued useful resource and trusted advisor, and never a day will go by that I gained’t miss his affect and friendship.”
The Blackhawk Museum, the umbrella group that housed Blackhawk’s Basic Automobile Assortment in addition to that includes collections on Chinese language historical past, wild nature, African artwork, Outdated West artifacts and extra, opened in 1988.
In 2021, Williams celebrated 50 years at Pebble Seaside — an unprecedented displaying for an unprecedented present.
Craig Jackson posted on Fb, “All of us at Barrett-Jackson are saddened to study of the passing of Don Williams, an absolute legend within the collector automobile world and a cherished member of our founding household. We prolong our heartfelt sympathy to his family members at this tough time. Don’s affect on the collector automobile pastime and on our firm will all the time be celebrated.”