The mystery of barn finds: abandonment syndrome or the joy of rebirth

Hidden, forgotten, abandoned? It’s almost impossible to find the answer to the questions that arise when an important and valuable car is rediscovered in a heart-breaking state of decay. All theories are valid, as in the case of a plumber who, in 1974, marked his wedding anniversary with the purchase of a Dino 246 GTS. The car, painted in a rare and highly sought-after shade of green, covered only a few hundred miles after being bought before it vanished, stolen without a trace.

Dino chassis 07862 was nowhere to be found. The search was abandoned. Well insured, it turned into cash for the spouses who would preserve only the memories of it.

The magnificent effect of metallic green on the harmonious Dino 246.

But what eluded the police became an astonishing revelation for a group of children who, while digging in the garden, came across something green. Something big and special. They dig deeper, and out came the Dino! Four years had passed, the insurance company reclaimed it, and sent it to auction. But the questions lingered: how and why did it end up in that obscure hiding place? What thief could be so foolish as to hide it so “deeply”, to compromise its value? Every hypothesis remains viable, even the possibility that those children, now adults, might assert their rightful claim to it, given the model’s substantial value.

Still in good condition despite 4 years of long burial.

No less mysterious was the discovery of one of the 500 – 503 to be precise – 1970 Dodge Charger Daytonas. The original buyer was a judge who bought it for... his wife! Looking at the car with its conspicuous rear wing and all the boldness of a model produced in 500 units for NASCAR homologation, it seems little extravagant as a gift for a lady to go shopping with. Four years later, it changed hands, disguised with decorations, in the best Hot Rod style, with flames on the bodywork, and forgotten after covering a total of 20,553 miles.

1969 Dodge Daytona: $99,000 in a barn. Sold at Mecum Kissimee auction in 2016.

Unearthed by its current owner and a classic Alabama barn find, it proved to be a remarkable surprise. Despite requiring an undoubtedly costly restoration, the model is highly sought after by collectors, and the satisfaction of seeing it come back to life is indisputably an additional bonus for the finder.

The wreck hints at the addition of the typical hot rod flames on the Dodge Daytona.

A Mercedes 300 SL was found in more or less the same condition in a garage some 53 years after being abandoned. The forty-third unit produced of the famous German sports car, this Gullwing was in Jacksonville, Florida. The car was originally blue, but it seems to have ended up in that garage to be repainted: it was in fact being prepared for repainting. Then silence.

What a surprise! But 53 years to notice a 300 SL is certainly not a few.

When it was brought to the Mercedes Classic Center in Irvine five years ago, the decision was made to leave it in its current state of preservation. Consequently, it made an appearance at the Amelia Island concours, but persistent rumours suggest that it may be undergoing a perfect restoration. A way to let it to relive its youth, a destiny it had inexplicably been denied.

The Mercedes 300 SL taken into care by Mercedes Classic Center in Irvine, Calif. It was displayed intact for its perfect originality at Amelia Island.