1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Heads to Auction

One of the rarest 'muscle cars' of all time, a 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda is heading to the Mecum Auctions of Seattle on June 13-14. According to experts, this particular car should fetch record prices since it is a unique example in a pristine state.

The 1970 Plymouth Cuda was a commercial success for Chrysler, with more than 50,000 units sold. However, in 1971, federal regulations and rising insurance costs abruptly killed the muscle car market. Only 16,159 Cudas were produced that year. Of these, 108 coupes and 11 convertibles were equipped with the famous 426 Hemi engine.

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Any of those Hemi Cudas would likely sell for a lot of money. For example, in early 2000, one was sold for over a million dollars. But the car that will cross the auction block in Seattle is the rarest of them all: one of the two 1971 Hemi Cuda convertibles sold with a 4-speed manual transmission (and the only one still in existence)! The vehicle was restored a few years back, but it is still in pristine condition. Even better, all the important parts (engine, transmission differentials, chassis, body panels) are number-matching, meaning they were on the car when it came out of the factory 44 years ago.

This car is easily the most desirable Plymouth ever produced. However, we will have to wait until the final hits of the gavel to know just how much such a beautiful work of art is worth!