Some say the golden era of barn finds is way behind us. But while they may be right when it comes to million-dollar Ferraris and Bugattis, many US barns are still home to valuable muscle cars from the golden era. The one you'll see below hides a very rare Dodge Super Bee.
Documented by YouTube's "Auto Archaeology," this Wisconsin barn houses a 1971 Dodge Super Bee that hasn't seen daylight in a very long time. And we're looking at a rare car based on model year alone. That's because Dodge moved only 5,054 units that year, which was the final season for the iconic nameplate.
Introduced in 1968 as an entry-level muscle car based on the Coronet, the Super Bee sold 7,842 units in its first year in showrooms and a whopping 27,800 examples in 1969. In 1970, about 15,500 customers took one home.
The 1971 version, on the other hand, wasn't very popular due to high insurance rates for high-performance cars and increased demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles. It's also notably different than its predecessors, mainly because Dodge moved the Super Bee model to the Charger lineup.
The nameplate retains all of Chrysler's beefed-up engines, including the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI and the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB. The 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) big-block also remained on offer, but Dodge added a 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) small-block to the lineup.
The 383 was the most common choice for power. Of the 4,325 cars sold in the US that year, nearly 3,900 left the assembly line with the smallest big-block mill. All told, Super Bees equipped with any other engine available in 1971 are pretty rare. And this derelict example is one of them.
No, it's not one of those super scarce and expensive HEMI rigs, of which only 22 were made. But the V-code, 440 Six-Pack under the hood also grants it legendary status. That's because it's one of only 99 V-code Super Bees sold. Moreover, it also has a four-speed manual gearbox, so it's one of only 30 built like this.
But wait, there's more! According to our host, this Super Bee is a true-blue Mr. Norm's car. If you're not familiar with the name, it stands for the Grand Spaulding Dodge dealership that Norm Kraus established in Chicago in 1962.
What makes a Mr. Norm's muscle car special? Well, this dealership became one of Dodge's biggest showrooms in the US due to its focus on high performance. Cars often left the dealership with upgrades, much like the Yenko Chevrolets and Royal Pontiacs of the era. And they are rare and highly sought-after nowadays. This Super Bee is also a well-optioned vehicle.
Unfortunately, it's also in pretty bad shape. Parked for over 30 years, the Mopar spent a lot of time outside, and it's very rusty. It also lost its original front clip and now sports a grille and fenders from a 1973 Charger. It was also hot-rodded by a previous owner, and it's unclear how many of the original parts are still on the car.
But even though it may be a bit too far gone for a nut-and-bolt restoration that makes sense financially, it definitely deserves to be rescued.
The Super Bee also shares the barn with a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette convertible. The 'Vette is a factory 427 / 4-speed car with a replacement engine and displays various modifications, but it's in far better shape than the Dodge.
Finally, the building also houses a 1976 Buick Century Free Spirit, a factory replica of the Pace Car used at the Indianapolis 500 that year. The Buick still sports its original paint and Indy 500 decals, and it's one of only 1,290 units made. Check them all out in the video below.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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