Check Out the 1966 Dodge Charger "Lawman," One of the First 426 HEMI Mopars Ever Built

Forced by NASCAR regulations to offer the 426 in street-legal vehicles, Chrysler made it available in four midsize automobiles in 1966. The list included the Dodge Coronet, Charger, Plymouth Belvedere, and Satellite. The Plymouth GTX also got it on the options list in 1967.

One year later, the HEMI lineup expanded to include Mopar's then-new affordable muscle cars, the Dodge Super Bee and Plymouth Road Runner. The 426 also made it into a series of factory-built dragsters based on the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda. The Charger Daytona and Superbird "winged warriors" also became available with the HEMI in 1969 and 1970.

Finally, Chrysler debuted the new Dodge Challenger and third-generation Plymouth 'Cuda with the 426 HEMI in 1970. Production ended in 1971 with only around 9,000 street-spec engines made. More than 50 years later, the HEMI is so rare and desirable that the cars fitted with a 426 usually change hands for $200,000 to more than $3 million. The 1966 Charger you see here is one of the very first production cars fitted with the big-block, 2x4-barrel carburetor powerplant.

Recently spotted at the National Auto & Truck Museum in Auburn, Indiana, this Charger is actually more than just an early first-gen Charger that left the assembly line with a 426 HEMI under the hood. Finished in March 1966, it was Dodge's pre-announcement press car. And after it was showcased to the media for a few weeks, it was presented to Chrysler drag racer Al "Lawman" Eckstrand for overseas driving demonstrations at US Military bases.

The campaign's main goal was to convince service members to order new cars from abroad, but it was also part of Chrysler's strategy to turn Dodge into a global brand. Eckstrand, on the other hand, focused on introducing safe driving to civilians and soldiers using his experience as a drag racer. The program eventually extended beyond European borders, reaching Vietnam and other countries from the Southeast Asian war theater. Word has it that Eckstrand gave demonstrations to around 250,000 soldiers.

But the "Lawman" Charger didn't make it to Asia. After six weeks of touring in the UK, the car was left in England after Chrysler management determined that shipping it back to the US wasn't financially feasible. Eckstrand left the vehicle to a mechanic named Ian Frankland, who took care of it for over 30 years.

Eckstrand eventually refreshed and returned the Charger to the US in late 1998. Shipped to Naples, Florida, the muscle car was unloaded at the Naples Dodge dealership in February 1999. And it was the first time the Charger appeared at a dealer because the car was never sold through a dealer and had yet to be formally titled at the time.

The white-striped turquoise car was then auctioned off for $23,650 in 2000, which is about $42,830 in 2023 dollars, adjusted according to inflation. For reference, 1966 HEMI Chargers in pristine condition are worth more than $100,000 today.

Come 2023, this historically significant Charger is still alive and kicking and looking just as good as it did when Eckstrand campaigned it in 1966. Too bad we can't hear it flexing its HEMI V8, but this Mopar is so beautiful it's worth checking out even when it's stationary.