Infamous 1970 Dodge Challenger "Black Ghost" Shows Up at Car Show, Flexes 426 HEMI

And not because it's a one-of-one classic with a special drivetrain layout or a unique color. This seemingly mundane Challenger is an infamous drag car that terrorized the street of Detroit in the 1970s. With a police officer behind the steering wheel.

The man in question is Godfrey Qualls, who purchased the highly optioned Challenger R/T SE new in 1969. And the story goes that every few months, he showed up out of the blue at street races, winning and then taking off before anyone discovered who he was.

It didn't take long for the 1970 Challenger and its anonymous driver to gain urban legend status as the "Black Ghost." Qualls reportedly retired the Dodge toward the end of the 1970s, but the story doesn't end here.

It turns out he kept both the car and his street racing outings a secret from his family. The cat didn't come out of the bag until 2015, after Qualls death, when his son Gregory discovered the Challenger in a garage.

Worthy of a Hollywood movie, the story prompted the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) to include it in the Historic Vehicle Registry. Come 2022, and the "Black Ghost" soldiers on as an unrestored gem with less than 45,000 miles on the clock.

Given its historic status and preserved originality, it's safe to say that the "Black Ghost" doesn't go out much, so many of us will never see it in the metal. However, the Challenger recently made an appearance at the 2022 Eyes On Design car show. If you missed the event, you can see and hear the "Black Ghost" flexing its HEMI V8 in the video below.