Photo: Mecum
I personally am not a big fan of wacky colors spread on the bodies of cars, especially when we're talking about high-performance ones. Yet even I don't remain untouched by how delicious early-gen Dodge Challengers look in that powerful shade of violet called Plum Crazy.
The color is in some circles perhaps as famous as the cars themselves, and when the two come together in a single package, and are sprinkled with a touch of rarity, their combined values go through the roof.
How much so? Well, in the case of this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T that's $300,000 - the highest auction house Mecum believes the car can go for during its sale later this week in Monterey. And if you think that's a lot, just read on, as this car has a lot going for it.
First up we're talking about a 1970 Challenger, and that's right from when the model first entered the market. Then, it's a convertible in R/T guise, meaning it was the best in terms of performance the breed had to offer back then. And it comes in Plum Crazy, and with a not-often-seen stripe delete.
The car is powered by a V-Code 440ci monster of an engine, the largest that was offered decades ago by Dodge. It develops 390 hp, all of them handled through a 4-speed manual transmission. As far as we can tell, whereas the tranny is a matching numbers one, the engine does not appear to be the original one, but still a period-correct unit.
The above may not sound all that extraordinary, but only 61 V-Code cars in this exact configuration were ever made, and that rarity only turns into value when such a machine is about to be sold. And if that's not enough, consider that just 99 convertibles were made that year, and this one is, of course, part of that lot.
The 53-year-old car looks in pristine condition thanks to restoration work performed on it at an unspecified time. It shows over 61,000 miles (98,000 km) of use on the odometer, but a quick look at the black bucket seats, woodgrain center console, or the steering wheel, would have you believe it's brand new.
As said, the Plum Crazy 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T will spin its Rallye wheels and Goodyear Polyglass tires in new ownership from later this week, provided someone finds enough resources to pay a third of a million dollars for it. To convince people to do that, an inspection report is thrown into the deal.
If the crowd in Monterey is right, the car going for $300k could be a breeze. We'll of course come back on the story to tell you how it all went down for the Dodge.
How much so? Well, in the case of this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T that's $300,000 - the highest auction house Mecum believes the car can go for during its sale later this week in Monterey. And if you think that's a lot, just read on, as this car has a lot going for it.
First up we're talking about a 1970 Challenger, and that's right from when the model first entered the market. Then, it's a convertible in R/T guise, meaning it was the best in terms of performance the breed had to offer back then. And it comes in Plum Crazy, and with a not-often-seen stripe delete.
The car is powered by a V-Code 440ci monster of an engine, the largest that was offered decades ago by Dodge. It develops 390 hp, all of them handled through a 4-speed manual transmission. As far as we can tell, whereas the tranny is a matching numbers one, the engine does not appear to be the original one, but still a period-correct unit.
The above may not sound all that extraordinary, but only 61 V-Code cars in this exact configuration were ever made, and that rarity only turns into value when such a machine is about to be sold. And if that's not enough, consider that just 99 convertibles were made that year, and this one is, of course, part of that lot.
The 53-year-old car looks in pristine condition thanks to restoration work performed on it at an unspecified time. It shows over 61,000 miles (98,000 km) of use on the odometer, but a quick look at the black bucket seats, woodgrain center console, or the steering wheel, would have you believe it's brand new.
As said, the Plum Crazy 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T will spin its Rallye wheels and Goodyear Polyglass tires in new ownership from later this week, provided someone finds enough resources to pay a third of a million dollars for it. To convince people to do that, an inspection report is thrown into the deal.
If the crowd in Monterey is right, the car going for $300k could be a breeze. We'll of course come back on the story to tell you how it all went down for the Dodge.
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