Between 1969 and 1970, there was a war between Chrysler Corporation and Ford Motor Company (FoMoCo) on the tracks of NASCAR. The fierce battle brought some of the most aerodynamic vehicles to the forefront of the automotive world at the time.
After a failed attempt to reel in FoMoCo’s entries in 1969 with the Dodge Charger 500, Chrysler designers went to work on building the ultimate “aero warrior”: the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona. The car proved to be a success on the NASCAR superspeedways for the automaker and even spawn another Chrysler entry: the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird the following year.
Deemed “ugly” by many at the time due to its lengthened nose cone and massively tall “towel rack” spoiler, the Dodge Charger Daytona is one of the most coveted Mopar muscle cars out there. Only 503 units were ever produced to allow the Daytona to be homologated for NASCAR duty and when survivors come up for sale, they go for BIG money.
One of these examples is due to cross the Mecum Las Vegas auction block this weekend.
This stunning 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona is being offered in a very rare color combination of (R4) Charger Red with a White wing and a Red interior. A complete restoration was done in 2016, to bring the car back to exactly how it looked when it left the factory floor. The exterior is set off by those beautiful five-spoke Rallye wheels, wrapped in Redline rubber.
Under the hood is the 7.2-liter (440 cubic inch) MAGNUM V8 engine producing 390 horsepower (291 kW) and 490 lb-ft (664 N⋅m) of torque. This particular model is even cooler thanks to its 4-speed manual transmission (A833) option. This means that the car was fitted with the (A33) Track Pak with a 3.54 rear axle ratio.
Inside, the Daytona is not only fitted with the rare Red interior but also features a pair of bucket seats and a center console with woodgrain applique. A solid-state AM radio can be found in the dash, and options like the popular (A01) Light Group and even a powered remote driver’s mirror was fitted from the factory.
Offered at no reserve, this Daytona could push reach the high six-figure range easily. We can’t wait to see what happens on Saturday when the car crosses the block.
As one of the stars of the auction, the Daytona was sold for a total of $418,000 (including fees). You can watch the video below to see the auction.
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