A rare 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible attracted a bid of $4.8 million at Mecum Auctions’ Indy sales event last week but not even that was enough for it to sell.
Pre-auction estimates had indicated that the car would likely sell for between $5.75 million and $6.5 million but that lower estimate was not reached.
Now you may be asking yourself, just why someone would be willing to pay so much for a ‘Cuda? Well, there are a few reasons for it, the listing reveals.
This is one of just 12 Hemi Cuda Convertibles that were produced for the 1971 model year and of these, just 7 were built for the U.S. market. It is also just one of 3 equipped with the factory four-speed manual transmission and is the only one painted in Winchester Gray.
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The car was originally exported to France and in 1993, was purchased and imported back to the U.S. where it was later sold to the present owner where it has remained in their collection for 20 years. What’s more, this Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible is a numbers-matching example and retains its original 426 Hemi V8 and has 98,553 km (~60,000 miles) under its belt.
Contrasting the Winchester Gray paint work are various chrome accents as well as a set of Rallye wheels with Goodyear Polyglas GT F60-15 tires. Found in the cabin is black upholstery, a Hurst Piston grip shifter, three-spoke sport steering wheel, and various woodgrain accents.
If Mecum is able to negotiate a higher price for the car, it will probably be sold. If not, we may see it appear at a different auction in the future.