Automotive

Four "million-dollar barnfinds" go to auction this week

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From top left clockwise: 1957 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera Coupe, 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy, 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra, 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra
1957 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera Coupe | Estimate: $600,000 to $700,000 | Gooding & Co (Lot 066, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Gooding & Co
1957 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera Coupe | Estimate: $600,000 to $700,000 | Gooding & Co (Lot 066, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Gooding & Co
The as-found photo of the Ferrari and Cobra nesting together.
Photos by Mathieu Heurtault
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy | Estimate: $2,500,000 to $3,250,000 | Has just 13,207 original kilometers (8,206 miles) on the odometer | Gooding & Co (Lot 015, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Photos by Mathieu Heurtault, Gooding & Co
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy | Estimate: $2,500,000 to $3,250,000 | Has just 13,207 original kilometers (8,206 miles) on the odometer | Gooding & Co (Lot 015, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Photos by Mathieu Heurtault
1967 Shelby Cobra 427 | Estimate $1.0 to $1.3 million | Gooding & Co (Lot 016, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Photos by Mathieu Heurtault, Gooding & Co
The beginning of the story: the Cobra in the barn
Tom Cotter
1963 Shelby Cobra 289 | Estimate $1.0 to $1.2 million | RM-Sothebys (Lot 164, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
The fully-restored, much-loved, indeed, fabled Cobra in the Barn
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
The Shelby Cobra 289 from Tom Cotter's book
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
The fully-restored, much-loved, indeed, fabled Cobra in the Barn
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
THE red leather, white duco, Cobra in the Barn
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
There aren't too many cars that come with their own book. It will be interesting to see how much value being the subject of "The Cobra in the Barn" will add to the car's value.
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
From top left clockwise: 1957 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera Coupe, 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy, 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra, 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra
The Shelby Cobra 289 from Tom Cotter's book
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
1967 Shelby Cobra 427 | Estimate $1.0 to $1.3 million | Gooding & Co (Lot 016, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Photos by Mathieu Heurtault, Gooding & Co
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There's something about a "barn find" that tickles the public's imagination. Hence, it was very exciting to find that there are not one, but three, or maybe even four, million dollar barnfinds going to auction this week, and one of them is the barnfind made famous by Tom Cotter's first book, The Cobra in the Barn.

THE Cobra in the barn

There aren't too many cars that come with their own book. It will be interesting to see how much value being the subject of "The Cobra in the Barn" will add to the car's value.
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

This car was featured on the cover of The Cobra in the Barn (inset bottom center), as well as being the focus of a chapter within the book detailing its history, retrieval and subsequent restoration, a process undertaken by Cotter and his partner Jim Maxwell that returned it to its original white over red color combination, while retaining as much of its originality as possible.

The Shelby Cobra 289 from Tom Cotter's book
Erik Fuller ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

Prior to being found in the barn, the 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra was the property of Scottish chemist Dr. Bryan B. Molloy, one of the team that developed Prozac.

The car will be sold by RM-Sothebys at the official Amelia Island auction on March 10, 2018 and is estimated to sell for between US$1,000,000 to $1,200,000

RM-Sothebys (Lot 164, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy | Estimate: $2,500,000 to $3,250,000 | Has just 13,207 original kilometers (8,206 miles) on the odometer | Gooding & Co (Lot 015, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Photos by Mathieu Heurtault

Estimate: $2,500,000 to $3,250,000

Ferrari built just 453 examples of the 275 GTB, of which 205 were built with the more desirable (aka expensive) revised long-nose body style. Of the long-nose bodies, only 80 cars were built with lightweight aluminum coachwork. Purchased second hand in 1982, the car was used sparingly until the owner's friend and mechanic, the only person he trusted to work on his prized sports cars, passed away unexpectedly.

The owner placed an advert in the newspaper for this car which read: "Classic silver with blue interior. Fresh engine and clutch. Engine compartment and mechanicals all gone through. A beautiful driving car. Early paint and interior very clean. $665,000."

It didn't sell, and has remained parked ever since. It has just 13,207 original kilometers (8,206 mi) on the odometer. The full story can be found in the auction description.

Gooding & Co (Lot 015, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description

1967 Shelby 427 Cobra

1967 Shelby Cobra 427 | Estimate $1.0 to $1.3 million | Gooding & Co (Lot 016, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Photos by Mathieu Heurtault, Gooding & Co

Estimate: $1,000,000 to $1,300,000

This Cobra was purchased in 1980 with 13,000 miles (20,921 km) on it for $55,000. In 1991, after just 4,000 further miles (6,437 km), the owner's mechanic died, and rather than entrust the car to someone else, he advertised the car thus: "Fresh, original engine, drivetrain w/ scattershield; wheels beaded; nice Wingfoots; original paint, leather, top, side curtains, tonneau; 17K miles; $425,000." Without solid interest, he decided to keep both cars (see Ferrari above), however they remained parked and unused until earlier this year. The entire story can be found in the official auction description.

Gooding & Co (Lot 016, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description

1957 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera Coupe

1957 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera Coupe | Estimate: $600,000 to $700,000 | Gooding & Co (Lot 066, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description
Gooding & Co

Estimate: $600,000 to $700,000

The only one of the four barn finds that may not sell for more than a million dollars, though it is certainly as original as the other three, being sold with the matching-numbers engine in pieces and everything intact and seemingly undamaged.

Gooding & Co (Lot 066, Amelia Island) Official Auction Description

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