he hundreds of thousands of people who flock to Barrett-Jackson’s annual collector car auction under the massive white tents at WestWorld of Scottsdale each January have no reason to know their names. They’re far away from the auctioneer’s staccato urgings as dream vehicles roll across the stage under the bright lights, racking up bids that stretch into the millions of dollars.

But behind the scenes, the contributions of two company executives equipped with a dose of ASU business pedigree are not to be denied.

Call them “the generals,” as in Barrett-Jackson General Manager and Executive Vice President Nick Cardinale (MBA ’14), and General Counsel Matt Ohre (BS Finance ’99). Together, these two Sun Devil colleagues help make sure the mega-event successfully crosses the finish line.

“I tell everybody that I help the CEO oversee everything except the cars,” says Cardinale. “People say, ‘But Barrett-Jackson is a car auction.’ That’s true, but it’s so much more.”

Ohre says he mostly does his heavy lifting before and after the actual event, working on contracts and offering his counsel to others in the company on the issues of the day.

Nick Cardinale
(MBA ’14)

Matt Ohre
(BS Finance ’99)

Once the gates opened on Jan. 11, it was all hands on deck for the 325,000 people who attended the 49th annual Barrett-Jackson Auction, a nine-day event that now encompasses 73 acres and over 1 million square feet under cover. More than 5,400 bidders registered for the opportunity to buy any of the more than 1,900 vehicles offered at the event.

“We just continue to grow and grow,” says Cardinale, who moved to the company in 2013 after 10 years as a Harlem Globetrotters executive. “The hobby seems to be getting bigger each year.”

Redefining classic
Cardinale, 41, says those driving the growth are ever younger, replacing the baby boomers who once dominated the business. Millennials and Gen Xers now seem to rule the garage.

“Cars that people never in a million years thought were collectible are now,” says Cardinale, who sold his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle and 1991 Land Rover Defender at the 2020 Scottsdale auction. “The new generations are changing things.”

Among those drawing high interest in the auction marketplace are sport-utility vehicles such as Chevrolet K5 Blazers, Ford Broncos, and Japanese cars. Also popular among the buying public are “resto-mods,” classic cars with the look of the old fixed up with all the comforts of new models, such as air conditioning and power steering and brakes.

Cardinale says the high-end, pre-war classics that used to be the stars of the show are now joined by modern supercars, like the 2017 Ford GT that sold for nearly $1.5 million.

“We like to play right in the middle, and I think the middle part of the market is thriving,” says Cardinale, who credits his MBA at W. P. Carey with helping with networking and team-building skills needed in this competitive industry. “That’s what we have been seeing.”

Ohre, a self-acknowledged “car guy” who joined Barrett-Jackson in 2014 after a stint as outside counsel, says the nostalgia — the chance to step back in time to those high school or college days — helps drive the business.

Ohre, 42, says the auction attracts the kind of bidders that one might expect at these affairs, but one characteristic seems to stand out. “Most of them are entrepreneurs no matter what industry they are in. Do we have lawyers and doctors? Of course we do. But I would say that most of the people have their own businesses and are entrepreneurs who have done well.”

He says his time at W. P. Carey helped provide him with the business foundation and discipline needed to work successfully at the growing company.

Numbers behind the wheel
Barrett-Jackson is one of seven auctions held in the Phoenix area, a gathering that turns a week or more in January into a mecca for car enthusiasts from across the world, generating a potent economic punch.

This year, the seven companies sold a combined 2,660 vehicles and rang up total sales of $251 million in Arizona, according to Michigan-based classic car insurer Hagerty. Of that figure, Barrett-Jackson led the pack by a large margin, selling more than 1,925 vehicles for a total of $141 million and raising $7.625 million for charities.

Ohre and Cardinale say that company executives continue to look to the future with high hopes. Barrett-Jackson continues to explore expansion opportunities that complement the company’s lineup, which already includes events in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Florida, Las Vegas, and Connecticut.

Cardinale says the company also is keeping its eye on the rise of autonomous and driverless vehicles. “One day you will see that — and it will be pretty cool when that happens, too. But I hope right in front of that you’ll still see a ’63 Corvette split-window and 1970 Chevelle. You can’t fight change, you have to be part of it. And we will.”