Judge hits the brakes on auction for barn-find 1969 Plymouth GTX

Finally, a resolution. With a public auction for a thought-to-be abandoned 1969 Plymouth GTX convertible in northern Michigan scheduled to end June 18, the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office says an out-of-state resident provided proof of ownership, and the 13th Circuit Court issued a temporary restraining order to end the auction. Bidding had reached $58,600.

The online auction was already underway when Hagerty helped track down the GTX owner. He contacted Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Borkovich after the auction went live on June 6. The sale was scheduled to end today, but according to the auction website it was stopped June 16 at 1:16 p.m.

Court records list the owner as David Cook. Borkovich says the owner wishes to remain out of the spotlight, and the county has been working directly with his attorney, Wilson D. Brott.

Borkovich says Brott and the owner of the GTX “have done everything we asked them to do, and we responded to their court filing to stop the auction.” Brott did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We were hoping to end this before the auction reached its completion and someone else could claim they owned the car. That would have been a mess,” Borkovich says. “It looks like we’re right where we want to be.”

A 440 V-8-powered 1969 Plymouth GTX convertible in #3 (good) condition has an average value of $43,200. After examining the car, Hagerty valuation specialists estimated its worth at $30,000–$40,000, but bidding surpassed that on the second day, even though the GTX has been sitting in storage and hasn’t been started in at least five years.

“It’s been an interesting story,” Borkovich says. “The car certainly has gotten a lot of attention. Hopefully it has a new life now and can get back out on the road.”