Superbirds in barns are the stuff dreams are made of. Well, quit dreaming, this one has a Hemi with 10,000 original miles and only one-owner. Roland Cassidy, owner of Carroll Street Auto in New Hampshire, was the treasure hunter who found the Plymouth stored in a Massachusetts' barn.
Roland found his Hemi, but the buy was not an easy one, so often the case with original owners (there's a reason they've owned their cars so long). In this case, it was 34 years.
Cars in barns have come a long way. Gone are the days when a stranger buys a '32 Deuce coupe for twenty bucks from an unsuspecting farmer. Roland thought the story sounded too good to be true. The owner built up the Superbird as "10,000 mile, original, untouched . . . you should see this thing." The price, however, was not negotiable and not cheap. The seller might have bought the car brand-new, but he still knew about collector prices from watching the Barrett-Jackson classic car auction on television.
Roland remembers challenging him on the high price, "It sounds beautiful and all, but sitting all that time, I'm sure it needs some work." Roland didn't want to pay the big price, but he agreed to go see the Superbird and give his honest opinion. He was in the business and did appraisals. The car was in a barn that was old, but structurally sound with a wooden floor, good for absorbing moisture.
Just the sight of an original Hemi Superbird in a barn is enough to make a Mopar person's heart skip a beat. The barn was clean, but cluttered with engines and parts. The 'Bird has been parked since 1990 and not started since. The owner explained the Hemi is just too expensive to even think about putting on the road and driving. He'd rather cash out now.
Roland made several offers, but the owner had a firm price. He kept saying, "I won't sell it for any less." Roland finally agreed to the terms, but got the owner to throw in a couple of parts that were laying around in the barn: a '69 Road Runner lift-off hood and a NASCAR cross-ram intake from the mid-'60s.
The car had one flat tire on the driver side. They were original F60x14 raised white letter Goodyear Polyglas tires.
The owner had every piece of paper since the car was brand-new. Roland even received the 20-day plate and the registration from the 20-day tag when the owner took delivery of it. The car also came with the contract, the insurance, the bill of sale, and the title. The original owner bought the car on February 21, 1971. It had sat unsold on a dealership lot in Maine for about a year.
The B5 Blue Bird looked great in the light of day. In addition to the 426 Hemi, the car came with the Performance axle package, tachometer, AM radio, automatic transmission, Rallye wheels, and the raised white letter tires. It sold brand-new for $5,263.60.
That's your Hemi Superbird in a barn story. Top it if you can.
Rare
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