Climb aboard some serious auction action on Hemmings for almost the next two weeks as this extremely original and highly desirable Hemi 'Cuda continues to escalate past its early high bid of $100,000 on the nose. Even in an era when restomods have reached insane levels of popularity, the muscle car craze certainly hasn't left unmodified examples behind. Throw in a 1-of-fewer-than-48 build sheet, plenty of awards won, tons of restoration work, and over 100 photos plus a YouTube video, and there's no doubt that the Rallye Red paint, 426ci Street Hemi V8, and Torque Flite automatic of this 1971 Plymouth will bring all the bucks.
Fully Documented And Numbers Matching
In the YouTube video accompanying the Hemmings listing, Scott Smith of Harms Automotive explains all the reasons this Hemi 'Cuda fully deserves the eye-popping bids sure to come. The model year, 1971, represents the last time a factory 426 Street Hemi could be bought, and only 107 examples left the line headed for the domestic market in hardtop form. Only 48 of those came equipped with the three-speed, console-shifted 727 Torque Flite gearbox, while this car also employs a Sure-Grip limited-slip differential built with 3.55 gearing. And best of all, the entire drivetrain remains numbers-matching.
Rebuilt 426ci Street Hemi V8 And 727 Torque Flite Trans
That 426ci V8 looks ready for Concours judging but also benefits from a recent rebuild by Dick Landry Industries, as does the transmission, while the original unibody sheet metal was repainted in the single-stage FE5-coded Rallye Red 11 years ago during the rotisserie restoration. Even the glass remains all original with correct date codes. The only thing missing on the exterior would be the original protective side moldings, though a set of new-old-stock units will go with the car.
Fully Restored Classic Interior
The interior also received work, combining original and repro parts—the seat leather, door panels, kick panels, center console, and dash pad reportedly came with the car when new. Braking and suspension work brought this Hemi 'Cuda back to its original factory specs, while the listing stipulates that most of the bushings, shocks, and brakes have been driven almost zero miles since the work's completion. Perhaps the only flaw noted would be the fact that the trans might release a drip some fluid if the car isn't driven—the perfect excuse for the eventual winning bidder to take this pinnacle of period-correct muscle cars out for the regular driving it deserves.
Sources: hemmings.com and youtube.com.