The owner of the business had given me guff about some things (another story that I won't be able to share here), so I approached the owner's son. It is his dad's car. I'd estimate his dad to be between 60-70 years old. He has been approached many times with sale offers for this car, but he just laughs them off. Not for sale.At one time his dad was the owner of a car dealership in their town. He ordered this car new in 1967 and has owned it all this time. Apparently the car has just over 24,000 miles and has never been in an accident. It hasn't been driven for many years - just sitting there collecting dust. At the time I couldn't see it so well because the corner was dark, but looking at the pictures now it does appear to be in very good shape. It was originally yellow.
The son told me it was 1 of 120 1968 Hemi Coronet R/Ts made and that it was 1 of 6 survivors. I went online tonight to check it out and there were 230 Hemi Coronet R/Ts made that year. Of that, 94 were 4-speeds (manual) and 136 were automatic transmission cars. Pretty rare whichever way you look at it! I'm sure, though, that there are a lot more than six of those surviving today.On eBay there were not any cars like this one, but there was a 1968 Hemi Dodge Superbee. This is pretty much the same car, although slightly more rare. Bidding was at $48,000 with seven days left and the "Buy It Now" price is $129,000! I wonder what this guy was offered for his car.
It was really cool to find this rare and valuable car, but I probably would have been much more excited had it been a '70 or '71 Hemi 'Cuda - my favorite Mopar. These are even more rare. For example, in 1971 there were 118 'Cuda hardtops and 11 'Cuda convertibles made with the Hemi. Of course, the '71 Hemi 'Cuda convertibles are extremely collectible and have sold for millions of dollars each.I won't share where this car is or who the owner is. It's not that I'd want to keep it private for myself - I'd never be able to afford it! I look it at this way - if I owned this car and it wasn't for sale I generally wouldn't want people coming to me all the time and making offers/trying to buy it. I'm gonna guess this car is known in the Mopar community around here, but still.
Until later, everyone!
2 comments:
The guy should be roughed up for not having a car cover on that thing, and whoever was drawing smileys in the dust on the hood should be taken out and shot!
I saw Don Johnson's original Hemi Cuda (the one he used in Nash Bridges) sell at Barrett-Jackson two years ago. It fetched a pretty penny, more than his white Miami Vice Testarossa! I wonder if times are tough for Mr. Johnson...
Agree on both counts with the car cover and drawing on the car! I suppose it (the drawing) isn't quite so egregious since it isn't the original paint. Still. The car needs someone like me to baby it and take proper care of it.
About five years or so ago, my dad came along with us to a car show in Shakopee. MN. I think he got a little irritated because we would repeatedly remind him not to put his hands on the cars when he'd lean in to look inside or under the hood. Some of the cars have such beautiful paint jobs they are hard to resist touching.
Post a Comment