For many car enthusiasts, barn-finds hold an alluring appeal. All great cars should be kept and stored with the utmost care, but such an ideal world does not exist. Over the years, it's not been uncommon to find and unearth cars that have been neglected and left to rot.
These barn finds often come in all sizes and shapes, but the effort and countless hours of searching almost always prove worthwhile. Whether it's the unraveling of their complex histories, the years of snooping, or the thick layers of dust, it's still captivating to restore a forgotten classic car to its former glory. Here is a rundown of the greatest classic car barn finds of all time.
10 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk II Coupe
According to records, only 15 or 16 known examples of the Aston Martin DB2/MK II were built, making this car one of the most extremely rare classics of all time. With only six of these Aston Martins marked for export, one particular car belonged to Marvin Biren of Massachusetts. Biren's Aston Martin was unique for being the only production model rocking a Tickford coach built in England's Newport Pagnell.
Despite lying dormant since 1977, the Aston Martin DB2 featured an owner's manual, grease gun, tire jack, spark plug holder, and an original Avon spare wheel. When this unique model finally went into auction in 2018, it sold for an impressive $293,300.
9 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL
Tom Welmers received a Mercedes-Benz 300SL gullwing coupe as a college graduation gift in 1955. He drove the classic until the early 1970s until, unfortunately, it developed transmission complications. After partial disassembling to fix the car, Tom gave up on it and let it sit under a tarp for four decades. Rudi Koniczek eventually discovered the vehicle after a California-based friend tipped him off.
This 300SL model was unique because it was the only model missing from the original 29 alloy-bodied competition examples built by Stuttgart. This limited edition model featured a high-lift camshaft, knockoff Ridge wheels, lowered suspension, Plexiglas windows, and alloy doors, trunk lid, and hood.
8 1981 BMW M1
The BMW M1 prides itself on being the very first German supercar. Initially, the M1 was built as a Silhouette car before the automotive market swung back to purebred prototype sports cars. BMW records indicate that only 453 examples of the M1 were made; therefore, discovering one at an Italian garage was a rare find. With only 4,593 miles recorded on its odometer, this car had been untouched for 34 years.
The BMW M1 featured a 3.5-liter inline-six twin-cam engine that generated 273bhp. This model also featured tubular spaceframes, fiber-glass bodywork, 5-speed manual gearbox, double-wishbone front and rear suspension, anti-roll bars, leather dashboard, three-spoked steering wheel, air conditioning, and electric doors and windows.
7 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS
In 1978, a Ferrari Dino 246 GTS was unearthed unexpectedly from the front yard of a suburban house in the West Athens section of Los Angeles. Discovered by two kids playing, detectives traced this Ferrari Dino model back to Rosendo Cruz of Alhambra, who had reported it missing in 1974. Eventually declared a righteous theft case, the culprit had mummified the car in plastic sheets and stuffed towels into its intakes to keep off worms.
The Ferrari Dino 246 GTS featured a Targa top, 22 layers of paint, a Pininfarina body, elegant leather interior, twin exhausts, rear-wheel-drive system, four-wheel disc brakes, fully independent suspension, and Campagnolo alloy wheels. Under the hood, the Dino featured a 65-degree 2.4-liter V6 that generated 197bhp.
6 Three Citroen 2CV Prototypes
Introduced in 1948, the 2CV was one of Citroën's most popular cars of all time. In 1995, three prototype cars were discovered under a haystack in a barn at the Bureau d'Études in France. Contrasting stories indicate that the vehicles were hidden during World War II to save them from the Nazis, or a group of disgruntled Citroën employees took it upon themselves to preserve these prototypes.
These Citroën prototypes featured a single headlamp, torsion bar springs, 6-volt electric system, starting handle in place of a starter, front-wheel-drive, mechanical parking brake with a hand-operated lever, rack and pinion steering, fully independent suspension, front and rear drum brakes, and a fabric roof.
5 1957 Corvette AIRBOX Racer
Bill Connell and Joel Lauman were lucky to get a lead on a rare 1957 Corvette parked on Bill Howe's pig farm in Trenton, Ohio. The Corvette was the first AIRBOX produced by Chevrolet, and it boasted an illustrious racing history under Howe. This particular AIRBOX was the original pilot car from which a limited 43 units got produced.
The Corvette AIRBOX Racer featured a tachometer clamped on the steering column, heavy-duty shocks, indestructible front coils, five-leaf rear springs, internal fan, brake drums with metallic linings, and a four-speed manual gearbox. The AIRBOX models were unique for their fiber-glass intake plenums that channeled cooler, denser outside air to the fuel-injection unit to generate extra power.
4 1969 Dodge Daytona Charger
In 1972, one of 503 Dodge Daytona Chargers ever built was discovered in a barn in mid-Alabama. After sitting for over forty years, the only significantly notable damage was a dent on the nose. The owner reported that the car got bumped after a spring break in Florida, but plans to fix the damage on the $1800 priced car did not materialize in the end.
Developed for NASCAR racing, the Daytona Charger was unique for its aerodynamic model. The Daytona featured a sloped nose, a wild rear wing, and pop-up headlights, power front disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension, dual-breaker distributor, and a tachometer with a clock. The Daytona also boasted a 440-inch Magnum V8 engine.
3 60 Extremely Rare Cars
In 2014, one of the most remarkable car treasures was discovered on a local farm in western France. Several children had inherited an estate after their father deceased, but unknown to them was a collection of vintage cars that had seemingly been untouched for close to half a century. Dubbed as the automotive equivalent of Tutankhamun's tomb, the collection belonged to Roger Baillon, the children's grandfather.
Roger owned a truck manufacturing and transport business, making such a vast fortune that he collected many pre-war automobiles to display in a personal museum. This enormous collection featured ex-King Farouk's Talbot Lago T6, Hispano Suiza H6B, Maserati A6G, Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux, a few Ferraris, Porches, Renaults, Citroëns, and many more.
2 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’
With only 1,200 units ever built, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is a rare model. Of these, only five boasted the 24 Hours of Daytona race lightweight alloy specifications. However, Ferrari constructed only one street version of this unique Daytona coupe, complete with a Sergio Scaglietti-designed all-aluminum body. The car was missing for over 40 years before it was eventually discovered in Japan.
The Daytona remained unmodified all those years, as evidenced by its authentic interiors and unused original spare tire. The odometer indicated only 22,611 miles, making this car a real once-in-a-lifetime find. Currently, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is valued between $1.6 and $2 million.
1 1968 Ford Mustang ‘Bullitt’
The Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT stood out in the Bullitt movie where Steve McQueen starred as a driver in one of the most fantastic chase scenes of all time. Two Ford Mustangs were initially built for the film, boasting a 390-inch V8 under the hood and the complete GT package.
After the movie, the stunt car got shipped to Mexico while the other GT was sold to the Kiernan family. Eventually, through a twist of fate, Kiernan contacted Ford, and the Bullitt car finally made a dramatic appearance at the Detroit Auto Show in 2019 after being hidden away in a garage for 28 years.