In an ideal world, every gearhead who owns a remarkable vehicle would take good care of it. They'd drive it carefully, service it regularly, and keep it in a safe, climate-controlled facility so that it can remain in excellent condition for many decades. Sadly, this is not always the case. Some owners don't take good care of their cars, regardless of how special or expensive they are. In fact, some people forget about their cars completely, leaving them rotting in barns for years.
Thankfully, there's a large group of automotive enthusiasts that are dedicated to finding these forgotten rides and giving them a new life. Barn finds, as they're commonly referred to as, can range from old classics worth close to nothing in the modern market to classic cars so valuable that it's hard to believe they were abandoned. In this list, we explore some of the best barn finds of the last five years.
10 Ferrari Daytona
In the 1960s, Ferrari built five special aluminum-bodied Daytonas to participate in the fabled 24 Hours of Daytona. Of the five cars, only one was road legal, and a Japanese collector eventually purchased it and hid it away for almost four decades.
In 2017, the Daytona resurfaced in Japan. To everyone's surprise, the car was in excellent condition and had matching numbers, paperwork, an unused spare tire, and just 22,611 miles on the odometer. The Daytona eventually sold for a whopping $2.2 million at an RM Sotheby's auction, making it one of the most expensive Ferraris ever.
9 Lamborghini Miura
In 2018, auctioneer Henri Adam was shocked when he stumbled upon 81 fantastic classic cars hidden in a large barn on a French farm. The cars — many of which were barely used — belonged to a compulsive buyer known as Henry Ruggieri.
One of the best cars found in the barn was a Lamborghini Miura P400. It was rusty, muck-covered, and only had 49,000 miles on the odometer. After restoration, the Miura was sold for €560,000 at an auction.
8 BMW M1
BMW has a long history of making fantastic cars, but only a few of them are as revered as the incredible M1. Considered to be the first German supercar, the M1 is a gorgeous sports car that has become a highly sought-after collectible today.
In 2016, a 1981 M1 was discovered in a southern Italian garage where it had been collecting dust since 1982. The M1 had been driven for just one year, during which it racked up just 4,554 miles. Following that, the M1 went through a comprehensive restoration to bring it back to showroom condition.
7 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena
If you're a fan of classic cars, you've probably heard of Tom Cotter. For decades, Cotter has been going around America looking for old forgotten cars in barns, some of which are included in this list. One of the best cars Cotter ever found is this Ferrari 250 GT Ellena.
Cotter uncovered this incredibly rare Ferrari in an American garage where it had been stored for almost five decades. The 250 GT Ellena had been driven scarcely and had all original components intact.
6 Shelby Cobra 427
In most cases, barn finds are solitary cars. On occasion, however, they're part of a bigger collection of cars in various states of disarray. In the case of this Shelby Cobra 427, it was discovered after almost three decades of collecting dust beside a Ferrari 275 GTB.
The two rare cars belonged to a man who trusted one mechanic to take care of them. Unfortunately, the mechanic died in a motorcycle accident, and the two cars were left in a barn for years.
5 Ferrari 275 GTB
This Ferrari 275 GTB was discovered next to the Shelby Cobra 427 above. Built in 1966, the car is one of only 80 aluminum-bodied long-nose 275 GTBs, and what a beauty it is. The 275 GTB was discovered in great condition and had original components and matching numbers. Under the hood, it had a 3.3-liter V12 rated at 280 hp.
After discovery, the Ferrari 275 GTB headed to a Gooding & Company auction where it sold for a crazy $2.5 million, making it one of the most expensive sports cars sold at auction.
4 Jaguar E-Type
The Jaguar E-Type is one of the first cars that come to mind when any gearhead is asked to name the most beautiful sports cars of all time. However, that didn't stop one owner from leaving his E-Type rotting in a barn for four decades.
The E-Type — a 1964 example with a 3.8-liter inline-six — looked pretty good initially but had multiple issues after inspection. Thankfully, restoration company E-Type UK stepped in and brought it back to life.
3 Mercedes-Benz 190SL
In 2018, car enthusiast Michael Potiker was walking through his neighborhood alongside his father when something caught his eye. One of his neighbors had left his garage door open, and inside, there was a car under a cover. Intrigued, Potiker approached the home and learned that the car was a Mercedes-Benz 190SL.
The 190SL belonged to a man who was in palliative care and therefore couldn't speak. Potiker got in touch with the trustee of the owner's estate and purchased the car. Since then, he has transformed the car into one of the most beautiful Barchetta cruisers.
2 1957 Porsche 356 A Speedster
Another fantastic car discovered by Tom Cotter is this 1957 Porsche 356 A Speedster. The Speedster was found in Texas in a garage where it had been stored for half a century. The Speedster originally belonged to a man who passed away decades ago, leaving it under the care of his wife.
Unfortunately, the wife couldn't take care of it due to financial problems, so she just let it sit in the garage. The Speedster headed to auction a few months after discovery, where it sold for a handsome sum.
1 Dodge Charger Daytona
The Charger Daytona is one of those muscle cars that almost every gearhead can instantly recognize. Developed in 1969 to participate in NASCAR races, the Charger Daytona is undoubtedly one of the best cars Dodge has ever built and also one of the rarest, with just 503 examples made. This is exactly why the automotive world was excited when one was discovered in an Alabama barn where it had stayed for decades.
The car still had the original 440 Magnum engine paired with an automatic transmission, but it couldn't be driven as it was in terrible condition.