Best Father’s Day present ever?
An ultra-rare 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible is set to cross the block at the Mecum Auctions event in Seattle on June 14th, just in time for pop’s special day that Sunday.
One of only two built for the U.S. that year with a 4-speed manual transmission and Mopar’s legendary 426/425 hp V8 engine, the immaculately restored drop-top has a numbers-matching motor and nearly all of its original bodywork intact.
The car also features a Shaker hood, Dana 60 rear end with 4.10 Super Track Pak, 26-inch radiator, power brakes and a backstory almost as colorful as its Bright Blue paint.
According to Mecum, it was purchased new by a “famous cartoonist” who later sold it to someone in Oregon. Some years later, however, it was confiscated in a drug bust and ended up at a police auction in 1999, where it went for a then astonishing record price of $410,000.
Since then, Hemi Cuda values have skyrocketed, with one going for a reported $3 million in 2004 and the same seller passing on a $4 million for a second car.
Things cooled down a bit after the financial crisis of 2008, but not much. Another 1971 convertible sold for $1.3 million at a Barrett-Jackson event in January 2013.
According to the Hagerty price guide, a perfect 426/425 hp convertible is worth $1.95 million today, but classic car values are on a tear this year, and things can get especially crazy at today’s televised auctions, especially for a car as unique as this one.