Barn Find: A 1968 Dodge Charger Hidden For 43 Years

This is a 1968 Dodge Charger that remains in the hands of its second owner, who bought it in 1974 as a teenager. He drove the car through high school and college, then left it in his in-laws barn in 1981 when he moved away for work.

Amazingly, the car remains in the exact spot where he parked it 43 years ago. It’s intact and original, with the matching numbers engine still in place. The owner had dreamed of restoring it but due to health reasons he’s now offering it for sale in the hopes that someone else will get it back on the road.

Fast Facts – A Barn Find 1968 Dodge Charger

• A 1968 Dodge Charger, owned by its second owner since 1974, has been sitting untouched in a barn in Kentucky for 43 years. The owner, who drove the car during high school and college, is selling it due to health issues, despite once hoping to restore the vehicle himself.
• The Charger remains in original condition, retaining its factory-matching numbers engine, automatic transmission, bucket seats, and center console. Although the car doesn’t run, it has stayed intact over the years. It will need a complete restoration to get back on the road.
• The Dodge Charger debuted in 1966, aiming to rival cars like the Ford Mustang. The second-generation model, introduced in 1968, is particularly famous for its sleek design and role in the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, where it became known as the “General Lee” and gained iconic status.
• This 1968 Dodge Charger is now listed for sale on eBay. With an estimated 80,000 miles on the odometer, the car comes with its original title and keys. The buyer will need a flatbed truck to collect it from Kentucky, and a full restoration is likely necessary to return it to running condition.

The Dodge Charger

It’s been largely forgotten today, but the first Charger was actually a concept car developed and shown to the public for the first time in 1964. It was an open-topped roadster with jet age styling, under the hood you would find a 7 liter V8 taken from the Chrysler NASCAR program.

The Charger concept car had been built to take some attention away from the wildly-popular Pontiac GTO, though it would never make it into production work was already underway behind the scenes on the 1966 Dodge Charger – and this car would make it into production.

When the 1966 Charger appeared it was clear that it was aimed at the Ford Mustang, but perhaps as a more upscale competitor with more in common with the likes of the Mercury Cougar, Oldsmobile Toronado, and Ford Thunderbird.

The first generation Charger was based on the Chrysler B-body platform, sharing many of its components with the Dodge Coronet. It featured a fastback roofline, independent front suspension, a live axle rear, and a front mounted engine sending power to the rear wheels. Inside you would find four opulent bucket seats, a center console that ran between the front and rear seats, and hideaway headlights up front.

The second generation appeared in 1968, it was a complete redesign with styling that was arguably more aggressive and more modern than its forebear. It was also based on the Chrysler B-body platform and it would become a common sight on NASCAR grids across the country, eventually winning the majority of NASCAR races in 1970 with Bobby Isaac winning the championship that year.

It’s probably safe to say that the second generation Charger is the most famous to wear the nameplate, a significant reason for this is that the wildly-popular television series The Dukes of Hazzard used second generation Chargers as General Lee, the hero car from the series.

The Charger would remain in production over eight generations and counting, with a gap from 1987 to 2006 of course, and from 2024 onwards it will be offered in both gas-powered and electric variants.

The 1968 Dodge Charger Barn Find Shown Here

The car you see here is a true barn find, having been resident in a Kentucky barn for 43 years, and not having moved an inch in 43 years. The story behind this car will be relatable for anyone who has had a car sitting in storage for any length of time, essentially the owner kept it all these years in the hopes of one day restoring it.

As noted above, he bought the car in 1974 from a Dodge dealer in Indianapolis, Indiana as a high school student. He then drove it through the final years of high school and through college. After graduation he had to move away for work, ending up in South Carolina.

He stored the car in his in-laws barn on a Kentucky farm and as often happens, life got in the way and the car simply remained where it had been parked. He’s now had to confront the reality that he’s not going to be able to restore it due to issues including declining health.

As a result of all this he’s offering it for sale on eBay along with the last title he has for the car from 1981 and a set of keys. He notes that the car has the original matching-numbers engine and the original automatic transmission, bucket seats, and the center console.

He estimates the mileage to be about 80,000 and he notes that it does not run and will need new tires, though the buyer would be wise to simply factor in a full restoration. It will need to be collected from the barn in Kentucky by the buyer and a flatbed truck will be required.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual barn find Charger or place a bid you can visit the listing on eBay here.

Images courtesy of eBay Motors