One of the joys of working at Barn Finds is that it allows me the opportunity and the privilege to write about some of the most amazing, beautiful, stunning, and brutal classic cars that have ever graced our roads. This 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible could be slotted neatly into any or all of those categories, and it is a vehicle that is sure to generate intense interest when its time arrives on the auction room floor. It is a classic guaranteed to generate a seven-figure sale price, such is its rarity and level of desirability. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, you will find the ‘Cuda listed for sale here at Mecum Auctions. It is set to go under the hammer on May 22nd, so you’d best have a healthy bank balance or an understanding bank manager if you want to bid on this stunning classic.

This ‘Cuda has so many claims to fame that it Is difficult to know where to start. It is 1-of-12 Hemi ‘Cuda Convertibles built by Plymouth during the 1971 model year. It is also 1-of-5 made by the company for the export market. It is 1-of-3 that Plymouth built with the A833 manual transmission, but it is also 1-of-1 that wears the Winchester Gray paint color. Given its history, it is probably also the only one to have been sold new in France. The car spent its early life in foreign climes, only finding its way back onto US soil in 1993. It isn’t clear whether the Plymouth has ever received any restoration work, but the listing gives the impression that the ‘Cuda is original and unmolested. The Gray paint provides the car with a striking appearance and makes it stand out against other examples produced in high-impact colors. The paint shines nicely, with no evidence of significant flaws or problems. The distinctive Black billboard graphics look crisp and clean, while the panels are laser straight and faultless. There are no signs of any rust problems, and none are mentioned in the listing. The ‘Cuda features a Black soft-top that is in excellent order, along with flawless chrome and glass. The original Rallye wheels have no damage or fading, and these are wrapped in a period-correct set of Goodyear Polyglass tires.

Apart from the fact that this is a ‘Cuda Convertible with a Hemi under the hood, the most crucial piece of news is that it is a numbers-matching classic. That 426ci monster should be pumping out 425hp, which finds its way to the Dana 60 Sure Grip rear end via an A833 4-speed manual transmission. Plymouth built the car with power steering and power brakes, which should make taming this beast slightly easier. There are people outside the US who will wonder what all of the fuss is about with this ‘Cuda, so we need to let the numbers do the talking to provide a clear insight. With 425hp at the driver’s command, the Convertible could blitz the ¼ mile in 13.9 seconds. Give this brute enough room, and it will eventually run out of breath at 134mph. In 1971, those sorts of figures made the owner the king of the kids and meant that this was not a car that begged to be respected. It commanded that respect. The seller purchased the car not long after it arrived back in the US, and it has been in his private collection ever since. It isn’t clear how healthy it is, but Mecum states that the owner drives the car on occasions. With that thought uppermost in my mind, I would have the ‘Cuda thoroughly inspected before I attempted any long journeys. The odometer shows a reading of 98,000 kilometers. That brings us to another little quirk with this car when it comes to the question of rarity. Given the fact that it was exported to Europe, its speedometer and odometer both read in metric. At most, that makes this 1-of-5 produced with that feature. Helping to verify this Plymouth’s originality and history is the original Broadcast Sheet, French Title, and importation paperwork.

When its original owner ordered this ‘Cuda, they chose an interesting mix of equipment. The high-back Black vinyl seats are no surprise, nor are the Rally gauges, tachometer, and the pistol-grip Hurst shifter. That is all as you might expect. The console adds a touch of luxury, but that the buyer chose power windows and no radio is a surprise to me. Still, to each their own in a car of this type. The interior presents well, with no issues or problems. I get the impression that it is unrestored, and if that is true, it is about as nice as you could hope to find in a survivor of this age. There have been no aftermarket additions, and the buyer won’t need to spend a dime on any interior refurbishment.

We have seen many rare cars over the years here at Barn Finds, but one thing that we have learned is that rarity doesn’t necessarily translate into huge potential values. However, you might need to sit down for this one because this 1971 Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible will probably knock your socks off. The rarity of these classics means that they don’t hit the market very often. The record sale price was set in 2014 at a cool $3,500,000! I’ve seen the vision of that auction, and it was one of the most intense and frantic nine minutes that you could ever imagine. Seven years have passed since that fateful day, and values certainly haven’t dropped in that time. Mecum has placed an auction estimate of between $5,750,000 and $6,500,000 for this car, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it achieved those sorts of figures. I’ve just checked my wallet, and I appear to be a few dollars short on this one. Quite a few dollars short! However, that will not stop me from watching this auction because it promises to be a good one.