The ‘Black Ghost’ Dodge Challenger Sells for $975,000
By: By Wesley Wren - Autoweek
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The ‘Black Ghost’ Dodge Challenger Sells for $975,000
This Motown missile hammers for big bucks at Mecum’s Indy sale.
Photos Courtesy of Mecum Auctions, Inc.
- The 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE “Black Ghost” hammers for $975,000 at the Mecum sale in Indianapolis, and $1,072,500 after fees.
- The “Black Ghost” joined the National Historic Vehicle Register, along with the likes of the Ford Mustang from Bullitt .
- This special Mopar inspired one of the final editions of the current Dodge Challenger .
The highly anticipated day has finally come for the legendary 1970 Dodge Challenger dubbed “ Black Ghost. ” This legendary Mopar was street-raced in its day and flexed its Hemi around Detroit’s streets. Though, after being stored away by Godfrey Qualls, this potent Mopar became a sought-after myth among collectors and muscle car enthusiasts alike. Since its return to the public eye, this Challenger has been enshrined in the National Historic Vehicle Register, won awards at concours around the country, and, now, has a new owner.
Before his death, Godfrey Qualls passed along this piece of muscle-car history to his son, Gregory, who went on a mission to get this Challenger back on the road and share his father’s prized Mopar with the world. This oddly ordered Mopar became a hit at concourses and muscle-car enthusiast shows after its minor mechanical restoration, but now it’s time for a new life.
For those out of the loop, the “Black Ghost” Challenger commands such lore because of how it was built, and what it did under Godfrey’s stewardship. Already rare, this 426-Hemi-powered Challenger is backed by a sought-after four-speed manual transmission. Ordered as an R/T SE, this Challenger was optioned with the luxury appointments you’d find with a special edition and the hi-po parts for the R/T. Topping off the mix, the “gator-grain” vinyl roof was a factory accident but adds to the car’s lore.
After leaving the factory, Godfrey used the Challenger as you’d expect: he enjoyed it. This muscle machine did double duty as regular transportation and helped Godfrey haul his Norton motorcycles, while flexing its muscles on the Detroit streets.
If you’re wondering if Gregory will miss the car, well, that’s obvious. “I will miss the car, but I realize I don’t need the car,” Gregory says. “At some point in time, when I first got the car out of the garage, I really needed the car. After losing my dad, you know—it was a thing for me to do to remember him. But then, as people started hearing the stories and I started learning things about the stories and about the car, I realized my dad’s always with me. I don’t necessarily need the car anymore—I can finally let it go. That’s where I’m at with it now.”
While the Black Ghost might be moving underneath a new roof, the Qualls family will always be attached to the car. Gregory says, “The car will always be known, and my dad’s story will always be told. I think, for me, that’s the biggest honor of the things that could happen with this car story, is that the car story will live forever.”
The latest chapter in this legend’s story happened at the Mecum Spring Classic, where it hammered for $975,000. It’s hard to predict the future, but we think this piece of history will be celebrated for a long time .
Did the “Black Ghost” go for what you expected? Tell us your thoughts below.
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Some more images of The Black Ghost
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Impressive set of wheels
Yep, a million bucks worth. I never knew anything about "muscle cars" until I opened this group and started posting articles.
I took my buddy top pick up one of those Purple Chargers with the White swath stripe `guessing 15 years now past. Fun car to drive qas he got the manual trans one. Cool car
I never knew much about them-- but I remember hearing about them.
A nephew of mine in California collects exotic cars.
His business is owning a bridal shoppe. One day he decided to combine his business and his hobby. He had a clever idea for a "special"-- if he gets to outfit for the entire wedding party, he supplies cars and drivers to drive them from the wedding venue (church, temple, etc ) to the reception & dinner at the restaurant or country club.
I once did an emulation of his concept. A couple of friends of mine who were folksingers (he was a draft dodger from the Vietnam war and she was the daughter of a couple who ran a folk festival in upstate New York) got married, and I borrowed the vintage yellow Rolls Royce limousine that belonged to a restauranteur client of mine (like the one you see in this group's avatar) and wearing my Greek fisherman's cap to look like a chauffeur I picked them up to take them to their wedding and then after it I drove them on a slow drive around downtown Toronto to the wonder and staring of the pedestrians It was a lot of fun for them and me. .
If someone owns, or otherwise has access to, a car like that-- why not use it for special occasions-- and drive it around and have some fun!
Of course, why not? I no longer drive anyway, nor do I have a car anymore, but I've got the memories.
A famous car from back in the good days of cars
My Charger will be ready by Spring, I told them not to hurry because I would just keep it in the garage until nice weather
Good idea
It went for far more than I expected. I've had offers close to 6 figures for my '71 RT. This is kind of impressive it went for this much.
Seemed like a lot of money for an old car, but it seems to have been considered a special one.
If it's 100 % "numbers matching" (every part is original) then they do pull a lot of money with collectors. For a 50+ year old car, "numbers matching" is rare.
Except for my tonsils and some teeth I've got all my original parts but I'm sure as hell not worth as much I once was.
You are, we all are to somebody.
Okay, perhaps you're right. in fact, I guess we're all valued to the extent that we're individually irreplaceable even if some of our parts could be replaced.