Only eight of these supercars were ever made and a guy found one in most unlikely barn find
- Sam of ‘Hard Up Garage’ finally got his hands on a supercar
- The abandoned vehicle sat idle for 13 years
- Now he plans to reunite Ultima Sports with the OG owner’s son
Published on Sep 17, 2024 at 4:27 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Sep 17, 2024 at 9:22 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Most of us dream of owning a supercar, and Sam Hard – from Hard Up Garage – is no different, but even he probably never expected to acquire one from a barn find.
The abandoned vehicle has sat idle for 13 years.
However, this isn’t any old supercar.
The Ultima Sports is one of only eight in the world – and its yellow finish makes it even more rare.
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The supercar barn find
Fans of HardUp Garage will know all about Sam’s lifelong dream of owning a supercar.
After several kit cars and replicas, he finally managed to get his hands on an abandoned supercar that was untouched for 13 years.
Sam discovers the car in a neglected state and, despite originally mistaking it for a kit car, its real carbon fiber components help him realize that it’s a genuine supercar – the Ultima Sports.
After verifying the car’s VIN number, Sam confirms it’s in good shape financially and structurally and has been off the road for 13 years.
However, rather than keeping it for himself, he’s hoping for a heartwarming reunion with the original owner’s son before Christmas.
Speaking of reunions, this man managed to track down his granddad’s lost Lamborghini Countach and got emotional recounting the story.
Meanwhile, this 85-year-old driver tracked down his old 1967 Chevrolet Camaro after 40 years and things got emotional.
Last, but not least, this dad who sold his beloved Chevy Impala 20 years ago to make ends meet receives the surprise of his life.
The Ultima Sports
This Ultima Sports (not its better-known successor, the Ultima GTR, as initially thought) is a rare and high-performance vehicle – and not what you’d expect from a barn find.
It was produced between the years of 1992-2000.
While it’s no longer in production – luckily for Sam – spare parts are still available.
The Ultima Sports can trace its roots back to the original Ultima Mk3 of 1989.
Per the website: “The Sports took what was previously a track-focused race car and completely redeveloped it.
“The result was a car that was far easier to assemble, benefitted from vastly improved fit and finish, and was redesigned under the skin to create a machine that, while still hugely effective on track, could now be used with ease on the road. It was the start of the Ultima story as we know it.”
Only eight were ever made – some of these came with a V6 and some with a Chevrolet 5.7 liter V8 355HP 405lb-ft of torque.
However, it’s thought that there are only two in the UK – and no yellow examples like this one are actually recorded.
Sam plans to restore its engine, brakes, and aesthetics while keeping it true to its supercar origins.
The extensive cleaning and mechanical work required includes replacing brakes, fluids, and other parts.
He estimates the car’s value at around $60-95,000 (£50,000 to £80,000).
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
