When it comes to barn finds, Tom Cotter basically wrote the book on it. In fact, he literally wrote several books about his adventures in people's barns. Cotter made it his mission to travel the length and breadth of the country to find some of the most amazing abandoned classic cars.
They were just sitting in people's barns being forgotten about, but Tom helped give them a new lease of life by shining a spotlight on them. The expert car finder discovered his first car when he was just a young boy, and since then, he has not stopped searching for dust-covered classics. Thousands of cars have been found over the years on his YouTube show, but some were more special than others.
Let's take a look at some of the neatest cars ever found on Tom Cotter's Barn Finds.
1959 Plymouth Fury
Tom Cotter kicked off his YouTube show by visiting a car collector's yard along the famous Route 66. There were many hidden gems on this patch of land, but the one that caught Cotter's eye the most was the 1959 Plymouth Fury. The '50s classic was made famous thanks to the Stephen King story 'Christine,' although this version was white rather than red.
This Fury's owner was keen to point out that the movie version was the '58, but he specifically wanted the '59. Not only was the Fury a beautiful car to look at, but it was setting trends well ahead of its time.
It was one of only a handful of cars that came with a push-button transmission to kickstart the Poly 318 into life. This discovery helped make Tom Cotter's Barn Finds start his show with a great discovery and helped it become the success it is today.
1957 Porsche 356 A Speedster
One of the stories that touched many people on Tom Cotter's Barn Finds was that of the the 1957 Porsche 356 A Speedster. This car had been in the family for over 50 years, and although it was loved for its connection to the family patriarch, it was never restored.
However, even though it was such an old car, there wasn't a spot of rust on it. Something that Cotter believes was the result of it being stored in the dry conditions of Texas for all those years. Upon further investigation, Cotter discovered that the Porsche's original color was white, but someone had chosen to repaint it red. With an original horizontally-posed air-cooled Porsche 356 motor, this vintage barn find was worth $341,000.
1957 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena
Most Italian sports cars were sold in Europe during the 1950s, but Cotter managed to find a fine vintage in a garage on American soil. This 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena had been stowed in a garage for 40 years after it was first shipped to the States by its original owner. The Ferrari had a practically complete V12 engine which was just as surprising as finding it in the first place. The beautiful grand tourer even came with a complete original factory tool kit.
Double Find - 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/2 and 1967 Shelby Cobra 427
Tom Cotter visits plenty of collections and yards that are filled with old cars. Not all of them are worth finding, but sometimes the YouTube host gets lucky. He found a garage in North Carolina that was scheduled for demolition with some great nuggets inside.
Cotter discovered a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/2 and a 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 inside the dilapidated unit. The silver Ferrari was one of only a handful built with an alloy body and the first available without wire wheels.
They had been gathering dust inside that garage since the 1980s, and the Shelby Cobra even had mice living inside. Together those cars were worth $4 million. There was a problem though. Cotter couldn't find a tow company willing to transport such expensive cargo. Cotter had to rescue those cars himself, but it was all worth it to preserve these beauties and save them from being demolished.
1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
As if to prove that he will travel far and wide to discover the country's best-hidden gems, Cotter found himself in Alaska. He was visiting a father-son duo who loved collecting American muscle. They had tons of muscle cars in their collection, but nothing was as impressive as the 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
The car had previously been owned by Jim Langers of Pontiac, and Cotter pointed out that he was the guy who brought the GTO into being. This Firebird Trans Am was in complete working order, and Tom even treated his viewers to a burnout from the classic muscle car.
1962 Ford Country Sedan Stationwagon
While there were many amazing sports cars hidden away under sheets and dust, perhaps the neatest of Tom Cotter's barn finds was more of an everyday classic. He found a yard in the desert, and on his quest for something exotic, Cotter walked past this 1962 Ford Country Sedan station wagon several times.
It was by chance that Cotter decided to finally overlook the dust that had settled on this car and give it a quick buff. Cotter took a rag and compound to give it a little shine, and to his amazement, the panel was gleaming in minutes.
It had been in the desert for 50 long years, but Cotter fell in love and bought it. He restored the Country Sedan to its former glory, leaving the rusted roof as a reminder of its history. Cotter then donated the restored classic to the Automotive Restoration Technology Program at McPherson College in Kansas to complete the feel-good story.