According to WANEIn June 1983, 75-year-old Gary Dodane spent $500 — or more than $1,500 today in inflation terms — to buy a 13-year-old used car that he considered a bit expensive. “I thought [at the time]”This is a huge amount of money for a used car,” Dodane told WANE, which is certainly relative value for money. The car he bought was a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda with a Hemi V8 engine and a 4-speed manual transmission, one of 284 such cars. This was apparently also the first Hemi’ Cuda to go on sale, bearing the serial number BS23ROB100003 – the first two were disassembled. Its for sale for 2.2 million USD.
Dodane seems to be aware that that’s a lot of money for a car that’s over half a century old but you know, he knows what he’s got. From WANE:
“I decided after 40 years it was time to put it in another collection somewhere,” Dodane said.
[…]
“This is the first one, and that’s why I put my price on it,” says Dodane. “This is the first ‘Hemi Cuda’, and this is the holy grail of muscle cars.”
Dodane said he had previously tried to sell the car at auction with a pre-sale of $3.2 million.
Although the auction failed to reach Dodane’s asking price, he said the auction reached $2 million.
“I put down $3.2 million and said ‘if I’m okay with it, if it’s not, we’ll put it back in the museum,'” Dodane said. “I had an attack (discovery).”
It’s unclear if Dodane has a “shit” or “damn” attack or some other type of attack, but he’s dropped the $3.2 million figure to $2.2 million now. Car most recently been on the market for many monthsthis suggests that the covetousness for the car is probably not $2.2 million, although let’s say that to someone who thinks their car is worth $2.2 million.
Before, Autoweek catch up with Dodane and ‘Cuda in 2005when we were all young:
According to the Chrysler Registry, the pilot car was the first of 652 1970 Plymouth 426 Hemi’ Cuda two-door hardtops built and one of 284 to be equipped with a manual transmission.
After the timing research was complete, the finished ‘Cuda’ was shipped to a dealer in Fort Wayne, where it sold for $4,525. Options on the $3,164 base car include a Hemi 426 cid engine equipped with a dual four-barrel carburetor ($871), a 4-speed manual transmission ($195) and an AM stereo. /FM with 8-track tape player ($196). Given the car’s incredible power — the Hemi was rated (by SAE Gross standards at the time) at 425 hp and was said to have run a quarter mile in 13.1 seconds at 107 mph. now — someone with a survivability mindset probably checked out the electric disc box in front of the brakes, adding $71 to the sticker price.
The original owner bought the ‘Cuda as a daily driver, but he was ill and couldn’t push the muscle car’s heavy clutch pedal, so the car only ran for 15,000 miles in the first decade. first. By the time Dodane bought it in 1983, the odometer had recorded just under 17,700 miles. In the 22 years since, Dodane has added just 30 miles.
Dodane said: “I stopped driving it as soon as I found out it was a very rare car. “I know I am a safe driver, but what about the others out there?”
Dodane told WANE he doesn’t care if the car sells for its current price, as he’s happy to keep it at the National Automobile & Truck Museum in Auburn, Indiana, while also doing the job. his daily job, which is barber.
Another 284 1970 Hemi ‘Cudas with 4-speed manual transmission on sale in May on Mang A Trailer for $266,000 but Dodane’s are just a few more multiples. Some things you can’t value, but old cars you certainly can.
