Regardless of the highly-advanced technologies used in modern cars, and all the talk about their futuristic designs and advantages, there’s something too charming and unbelievably mesmerizing about older classic cars which still attracts people to them. Nonetheless, while the classic automotive industry is diverse and full of knowledgeable people, there’s no one like Wayne Carini from “Chasing Classic Cars” to show us the inside of the business, from the chasing of every car to its restoration and subsequent sale.
Though there are still too many classic cars waiting for someone to bring them back to their golden days, so far Wayne Carini has done an exceptional job at finding the best of them, starting with those rare, almost disappeared autos up to some very expensive, luxury-filled cars.
So what are the most remarkable finds ever seen in “Chasing Classic Cars”? Stay here to remember them!
Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura made history back in 1966 by arguably becoming the first supercar ever made, marking the start of an era both for Lamborghini and the industry. Even though the Miura became a standard in the industry both design and function-wise, less than 1,000 were made in seven years of production, making it almost a miracle to find one these days.
For his part, Wayne Carini is the luckiest man in the business for having found not one but two Lamborghini Miuras hidden in barns. The first was uncovered in a small garage in the Midwest, where the owner had stored it for over 30 years. While anyone else would have been discouraged by the sight of a dusty covered, likely disfunctional red Miura in that garage, Wayne was ecstatic to open its door and see what it was like inside and described it to be in ‘unbelievable great shape’.
The second Miura was shown in the episode “Just a Little Patience”, in which Wayne traveled to Florida to find another dusty-covered 1968 Miura, that had been sitting in a garage for several decades. The story of this car is what is expected of any good Miura lover, as its late owner couldn’t afford it back in 1983, thus taking the risky decision of mortgaging his family’s home to make his dream come true.
1965 Shelby GT
In the 14th season episode “Hurray for Jollywood!”, Wayne uncovered a 1965 Shelby Cobra in excellent condition and preserved some of its original parts. While the Cobra was lacking in the dusty aspect that Wayne enjoys so much, and had been renovated a couple of decades before, he was nonetheless ecstatic to find it and test it.
Considering how rare it is to find a classic race car with such low mileage is a miracle in itself, this is not the first Shelby Cobra unearthed by Wayne in the show. Knowing the high value this specific model has, due to its importance in the race and car industries, Wayne has made good deals out of all the Shelbys which have entered his garage, including another 1965 Shelby Cobra he sold in 2015 for an impressive $1.45 million on Barrett-Jackson.
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1964 Griffith 200
The rare sight of this 1964 Griffth 200 in the show surely brought joy to more than a couple of motorheads. Barely over 192 of Griffith 200s were made during its one-year-long production run, created with the intent of challenging the Shelby Cobra series in durability and performance.
While Jack Griffith’s intention of outperforming Carroll Shelby’s creation might sound too ambitious for some, the Griffth 200 series and those which followed are still very much appreciated by car lovers. In the 2020’s episode “A Griffith Restoration”, Wayne shows off a 1964 Griffith he had uncovered in a Virginia garage not long before, inspecting if things under the hood were alright before signing the check.
Although the Griffith didn’t sell at the episode’s auction, it was a good sight to see such a rare gem coming back to life.
1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder
The discovery of a Ferrari Daytona Spyder in the fifth episode of “Chasing Classic Cars” first season, was one of those moments which helped lift the show’s reputation from good to iconic.
Despite being unconvinced by the Ferrari’s dark-green paint job, the revelation of its involvement in a car accident made Wayne suspicious of having found the same car which once belonged to Herb Chambers, a good friend of his who had unfortunately lost the car to insurance costs after a collision in 1972.
After comparing plates and details about the accident, Wayne and Herb flew to Denver to find the 1972 Daytona Spyder in seemingly good condition. The price wasn’t too attractive, but spending $1 million on a supercar from the 1970s is a luxury that the now-billionaire Herb was more than willing to afford. Wayne on his part did a good job at restoring it to its glory with a new interior, fixing details under the hood, and turning it back to its original gold color.
1955 Manta Ray
In the category of rare, the 1955 Manta Ray is a vehicle which fits the description just right. Besides the unusual-looking and futuristic design which marked this concept car as one of the most original of its age, the Manta Ray is also special because no one had seen one of them in over 60 years.
However, the long wait came to an end when Wayne Carini showed the 1955 Manta Ray in “Chasing Classic Cars”, having traveled to Kansas just for it. As the current owner D.E. Lacer affirmed, his father bought this car in the 1950s and never got rid of it, preserving it in the same condition he bought it. While the car was not-for-sale, and the owner planned on leaving it unrestored for the time being, Wayne could attest to how great of an experience it was to be behind its wheel.
1930 Minerva
The season nine episode “Road to Minerva” showcases one of the most interesting and charming car stories ever seen in “Chasing Classic Cars”. Besides being as dusty and rare as Wayne loves when searching for cars, this 1930 Minerva had an interesting and surprising story which even included Wayne’s father.
The previous owner, John “Hawkeye” Hawkinson, was one of the biggest car collectors in New York, though his methods were far from conventional. He bought the Minerva in 1959 and paid for it over 15 years, taking the car part by part home every time he made a payment. The car had sat unmoved in his backyard since 1974, eventually moved out in 2016 following Hawkeye’s unfortunate death, as his possessions were sold one by one by his will’s executor.
After hearing about the sale, Wayne remembered that Hawkeye was a good friend of his father whom he’d met when the man visited the Carini household decades ago. Wayne won the 1930 Minerva auction, and restored it to its glory, auctioning it for $484,000 in 2017.
1967 Lamborghini 400 GT
In the 13th season episode “Chevy Surprise”, Wayne Carini traveled to New Jersey in search of a red 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT. The car had remained unmoved in a garage for over 20 years, and had some of Wayne’s favorite things in a car, such as an original, intact engine, and one single name on its list of previous owners.
While the less exciting and highly worrying part of this Lamborghini was that it was missing some difficult parts to find, such as the windshields and side mirrors, it was by all means an incredible discovery.
1921 Stutz Bearcat
Wayne Carini's 1921 Stutz Series K Bearcat barn find sells at @bonhams1793 #MontereyCarWeek auction for $594,000! pic.twitter.com/a8x19OE88e
— Hagerty (@Hagerty) August 19, 2016
Another moment in the list of iconic car discoveries in “Chasing Classic Cars” history was added to by a 1921 Stutz Bearcat shown in the episode “The Find of a Lifetime!”. The car is well-deserving of the episode’s title, as it’s not only one of the rarest and finest finds of Wayne’s career, but also was quite worthy on the money aspect.
The 1921 Stutz Bearcat had an undeniably interesting story, as it had remained stored in a backyard for 83 years before Wayne bought it in 2015. Its single owner was an Army Officer who bought it brand new in 1921 in Boston, where he lived for a decade more before moving to Georgia, leaving it unused in his garage for the next decades.
Finding an almost century-old car in such a condition was a dream come true for Wayne, who immediately sent it to his friend Evan Ide, who restored it to function without adding any rebuilt or new parts. The resulting rusty-looking Stutz Bearcat was a sight to behold by anyone who crossed paths with it at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which it won in 2015.
The car was reportedly auctioned for a winning price of $594,000, finding its new home in Los Angeles.
1915 Harley-Davidson
It’s no secret that Wayne Carini is always on the chase of some rare, four-wheeled autos, but that doesn’t mean there’s no place in his schedule to take a look at a couple of nice bikes. As seen in an episode from “Chasing Classic Cars” 13th season, Wayne traveled to Boston just to take a look at a motorcycle which had been sitting in a basement for several decades.
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Despite not being in its greatest condition, and missing some rear parts, the 1915 Harley-Davidson discovered by Wayne was everything he was looking for. Besides the fact that it was preserved in its original paint, and existent parts, this Harley-Davidson was very rare, both for its design and old age. In 2019 this century-old bike was listed as a 1916 Harley-Davidson, and sold for $34,500, apparently a bargain to a shrewd collector
Overall, it doesn’t matter if it’s a supercar, a bike, a hot rod, or a classic coupe, it’s undeniable that when it comes to finding and selling the best autos out there, Wayne Carini’s decades-long expertise has no competitors.
