Just like the Plymouth Belvedere, the Dodge Coronet started life as a full-size car and became an intermediate in the mid-1960s. It also famously spawned two of Dodge's most iconic muscle cars: the Charger and the Super Bee. But while it was Dodge's bread-and-butter midsize car, that's not to say it wasn't a performer.
Sure, the Coronet was available in nearly every body style out there, including a four-door sedan and a station wagon, but the two-door versions were available with Chrysler's top-tier V8 engines. The lineup included the mighty 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI.
In fact, the Coronet got the latter way before the Charger did. It happened in 1965 when Dodge built a limited run of factory Super Stock racers. I'm talking about the Coronet A990. Stuffed with a race-spec HEMI unit and acid-dipped for a lighter shell, it saw daylight in 105 units. Plymouth also built an identical Belvedere. The Street HEMI did not arrive in showrooms until the 1966 model year.
The Coronet was also the first Dodge offered with the iconic R/T package. Introduced in 1967, it was a Coronet-exclusive option (priced at $908) until the company decided to share the badge with the Charger in 1968. The top performance trim, the Coronet R/T came standard with the 440-cubic-inch RB. The four-barrel lump generated 375 horsepower. The 426 HEMI was the only optional engine.
Dodge sold nearly 185,000 Coronets in 1967, but only 5.5% of the buyers went with the range-topping R/T model. That's 10,181 cars. The HEMI rigs are the rarest at only 283 built, followed by the convertible with only 628 sold. This leaves us with more than 9,000 hardtops with the 440 V8.
That's a big number for enthusiasts looking for rare Mopars. However, this triple-black example is proof that a Coronet doesn't need a HEMI to stand out. Not only is it plenty powerful at 375 horsepower, but this Coronet R/T is also a stunningly beautiful rig.
Part of the Gause Garage collection, this hardtop has been in the same family for a very long time. As it usually happens with heirloom vehicles, it also spent quite a few years in storage. Some two decades ago, this R/T was a bit rusty, and its black paint had faded. Fortunately, it got a complete restoration in 2012, and it soldiered on as a museum piece.
This Coronet R/T is the very definition of a flawless classic. It looks the part inside and out, rocks a scarce color combo, and is all numbers-matching under the hood. It's the next best thing to an unrestored survivor and the type of vehicle that could win Concours awards. These Coronets are also still affordable because non-HEMI examples rarely exceed the $60,000 mark.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News