Iconic sports car worth £100,000 left untouched in a barn for 43 years sells on EBAY for bargain price
AN ICONIC sports car that was left untouched in a barn for 43 years has been sold for a very reasonable price on eBay.
The classic motor was snapped up after the owner revealed his “family, career and declining health” stopped him from getting it out of the barn and restoring it to its former glory.
A Dodge Charger, which, to many is the quintessential American muscle car, was left gathering dust for nearly half-a-century before being sold for just £24,000.
The 1968 motor, which is similar to the one driven by Vin Diesel in the Fast and Furious franchise, is heading to a new home after being sold on the popular auction website.
Speaking to Luxury Auto News, Barry, 67, revealed why he left the old motor locked away in Owensboro, Kentucky, having purchased it in the 1970s as a teenager.
He said: “I purchased this car from a Dodge dealer in Indianapolis, Indiana as a teenager in 1974.
“I recall that I was the second owner, I drove the car through high school and college.
“In 1981, I moved to South Carolina and left my car behind for career reasons.
“I parked the car in a barn on my in-law’s farm outside Owensboro – it is still in the same spot where I parked it in 1981.”
The sports car, which Barry originally bought for £2,200, comes equipped with its original engine and a 383 4-barrel V8 engine with an automatic transmission.
It comes kitted out with bucket seats and a centre console, and has around 80,000 miles on the clock.
Barry admits that he had planned to restore his beloved set of wheels, but his life, career and later health issues meant he was unable to do so.
He said: “My intention was to get the car out of the barn and restore it one day, but family, career and finally my declining health got in the way.”
While there’s no information on the Charger’s condition, it will clearly need to be fully restored after being left unused for multiple decades.
Issues such as a seized components, hardened hoses, damaged electrics and mould can all become problematic on classic cars left abandoned – and might explain why it was sold at such a low price.
According to Classic, which follows listings and saleprices of classic cars, the average price for a 1968 Dodge Charger is just over £82,000 – with some selling for £100,000 or more.
The Charger nameplate has existed in various guises since 1966, with eight generations of car produced by Dodge since – including the most recent model unveiled in March 2024.
Many different forms of Charger have existed as well, from mid-sized cars to luxury coupes, and even a small hatchback iteration was made in 1981.
This comes as an up-and-coming US brand revealed a Tesla-rivalling EV with “advanced battery tech” that could allow it to travel further for cheaper.
Elsewhere, a classic British sports car was found by an urban explorer inside an abandoned barn that could be worth £40,000.