Photo: Mecum
We all love a good story, it’s in our nature. Even more so, we as car enthusiasts love hearing about the past, about the times long-gone, the glory days. We love nostalgia, we love mystery, we love a legend.
There are a lot of these stories running around, like the mystery of the black Volga or the Little Bastard. Some are more true than others, but we still like them all. That said, I have a good one for you today, born in the heart of American muscle, Detroit - the Black Ghost.
With a name like that, you can already expect the story to be juicy. So, cue the projector light, grab yourself a drink and a snack, and let's see what this is all about.
It all started half a century ago with a man named Godfrey Qualls. Mister Qualls was a Detroit police officer and a retired veteran, having served with the 82nd Airborne Division. That was by day, as when night fell, things got a little different.
You see, mister Qualls was the owner of a 1970 Dodge HEMI Challenger R/T SE, and that helped make him a myth among car enthusiasts and especially street racers. Despite being a police officer, Qualls would pop up at local meets, ready to take on any contender. He would then demolish said contender in a race, then disappear into the night. Also, his Challenger was black, hence the nickname Black Ghost.
Often times after these night escapades, Qualls and his Challenger would vanish for weeks or even months, before returning to terrorize other brave souls who had the courage to take on him.
So, what was the monstrosity he used to make street racers so afraid? The answer is pretty simple: the 1970 Dodge HEMI Challenger R/T SE. In stock form, the car came with the mighty 426 HEMI under the hood, producing 425 hp (431 ps) and mated to a 4-speed manual transmission. The police officer's car was finished in black and came with the so-called Gator Grain roof and a white tail stripe - so it looked as menacing as you’d expect from such a beast.
The Black Ghost terrorized racers and got numerous wins under its belt up until 1975, when it kind of disappeared from the racing scene. It now returns, albeit in an unexpected way: the HEMI Challenger will head to auction this spring in Indiana, during a Mecum event there. We don’t know the asking price yet, or if it'll go with no reserve, but with such a history behind it we wouldn't be surprised to see it to go for record sums.
The car is so iconic, in fact, that Dodge itself decided to get inspiration from it. In honor of the 1970s racer, it decided to make a special edition of the 2023 Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody branded Black Ghost and part of the Last Call releases.
With a name like that, you can already expect the story to be juicy. So, cue the projector light, grab yourself a drink and a snack, and let's see what this is all about.
It all started half a century ago with a man named Godfrey Qualls. Mister Qualls was a Detroit police officer and a retired veteran, having served with the 82nd Airborne Division. That was by day, as when night fell, things got a little different.
You see, mister Qualls was the owner of a 1970 Dodge HEMI Challenger R/T SE, and that helped make him a myth among car enthusiasts and especially street racers. Despite being a police officer, Qualls would pop up at local meets, ready to take on any contender. He would then demolish said contender in a race, then disappear into the night. Also, his Challenger was black, hence the nickname Black Ghost.
Often times after these night escapades, Qualls and his Challenger would vanish for weeks or even months, before returning to terrorize other brave souls who had the courage to take on him.
So, what was the monstrosity he used to make street racers so afraid? The answer is pretty simple: the 1970 Dodge HEMI Challenger R/T SE. In stock form, the car came with the mighty 426 HEMI under the hood, producing 425 hp (431 ps) and mated to a 4-speed manual transmission. The police officer's car was finished in black and came with the so-called Gator Grain roof and a white tail stripe - so it looked as menacing as you’d expect from such a beast.
The Black Ghost terrorized racers and got numerous wins under its belt up until 1975, when it kind of disappeared from the racing scene. It now returns, albeit in an unexpected way: the HEMI Challenger will head to auction this spring in Indiana, during a Mecum event there. We don’t know the asking price yet, or if it'll go with no reserve, but with such a history behind it we wouldn't be surprised to see it to go for record sums.
The car is so iconic, in fact, that Dodge itself decided to get inspiration from it. In honor of the 1970s racer, it decided to make a special edition of the 2023 Challenger Hellcat Redeye Widebody branded Black Ghost and part of the Last Call releases.
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