Of all the cars Kurt Cobain could have owned, he drove a ’65 Dodge Dart – Jalopnik

Kurt Cobain, born in 1967, was a musician best known as the frontman of the Seattle-born grunge band Nirvana. The band quickly became entrenched in American pop culture, and singles like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” are as moving today as they were when they were released in the 1990s.

While some rock stars found suitable companions in powerful muscle cars or screaming Exotica, Cobain decided on much more modest choices. According to the story of an NFT (remember that one?) from his sister, Kim Cobain, a friend of Kurt’s came across a gem of a Dodge Dart in a Seattle car lot, and Kurt decided to select that easily overlooked sedan as his wheels of choice. He only paid $2,500.

The Dart, a 1965 example finished in a charming pastel shade of blue, was affectionately nicknamed “Baby Blue” by Kim, and in Kurt’s hands it joined a similar company: a Plymouth Valiant and a Ford Falcon. Obviously, due to the size of his (and Nirvana’s) following, these cars would be prized possessions for any fan. However, the Valiant and Falcon are no longer on the road, leaving the Dart as the only known Cobain car for collectors to fight over. And they fought when the Dart went up for auction in 2022.

The Dart was Kim Cobain’s prized possession for 28 years before it was put up for sale, and she acquired it directly from Kurt Cobain’s widow, Courtney Love, so its provenance is impeccable. Before we get to the sales price, it’s important to consider what such a car would be worth in a normal sale.

Since Kurt bought it, the Dart has become something of a classic, even if it never reached the ranks of heroes like the Mustang or Charger. The Hagerty The rating tool does not cover the Dart 170 four-door sedan, Kurt’s model, but does provide values ​​for traditionally more desirable specifications. For example, the 225ci-powered two-door coupe has a value of $10,600 in good condition, while the eight-cylinder or Hemi-powered Dodge Darts command a slight premium. Hagerty would likely suggest a lower valuation for a typical Dart in Cobain’s spec, as two-door and V8 models typically command higher prices.

Yet this is no ordinary Dart, and the very first Dodge Viper, owned by Lee Iacocca, sold for $285,000 in 2020. But the Cobain connection carries even more weight, as the little Dart – with NFT attached – sold for a mind-boggling $375,000. That was actually slightly lower than the estimate of $400,000 to $600,000 Julien’s auctionswhich made the sale, but still a more than pleasant return on Kurt’s $2,500 investment. That’s the power of a celebrity connection when it comes to classic cars.