A Pennsylvania man named Larry Brown died late last year on his birthday, leaving behind no next of kin, no will and no heirs. A sad story indeed, but one that led to this amazing discovery: Brown had a 1969 Mustang Shelby GT500 in his house, one that he had purchased himself in May, 1969 for the sum of $5,245.97. He stopped driving the car in 1973, putting it in his garage with 8,531 on the clock. From that day on, he maintained the car but never washed it – weary of damaging the paint.

With no heirs to claim the car, the GT500 will now be put up for public estate auction by Ron Gilligan Auctioneering. It comes with a 428 Cobra Jet engine and four-speed transmission, and Goodyear tires that seem to have been replaced in 1971 or 1972. According to the estate manager, Brown's neighbors also testified that in the years that he drove it, he refused to drive the Mustang in the rain for fear of rust. If this car has been hose washed, it probably occurred at the detail bay of the selling dealer before delivery."