Photo: Mecum Auctions
Few road-going cars inspire as much get-up-and-go as the Daytona, a special edition of the Dodge Charger with aero know-how from NASCAR. The sharp-styled muscle car evolved from the racing failure of the Charger 500, underpinned by the Chrysler B platform that soldiered on through 1979.
The Daytona won its first race, broke the 200-mph top speed record in NASCAR, and was produced in extremely limited numbers. The Plymouth Superbird followed suit in 1970, winning eight races to the Dodge’s two. Turning out attention back to the road-going model, a Daytona with the 426 HEMI costs close to a million bucks in this day and age, depending on the condition and history.
440-powered models are a bit more affordable, but nevertheless, an example such as this fellow here will set you back closer to $350,000. Mecum Auctions will try to find a new owner for VIN XX29L98390018 in January at the Kissimmee 2020 auction, and the specification is nothing short of exquisite.
“One of only two 440 automatic Daytonas in white with a red wing and red interior” is how Mecum Auctions described the winged warrior. Owned by the same person for 15 years and counting, the old-school Dodge comes with a broadcast sheet, NOS parts, and plenty of best-in-class titles at various events and concourses. This bad boy has also been featured in Mopar Muscle, Mopar Action, Mopar Colletor’s Guide, and a few enthusiast books to boot.
Presented in pristine condition thanks to a full-fledged restoration, the Daytona further sweetens the deal with an ownership history dating back to 1972. For reference, that’s the year the Watergate scandal came to be.
The Magnum V8 with 440 cubic centimeters is pretty much the same engine as the powerplant in the Charger R/T, and the 150-mph speedometer isn’t there only for showboating. Dodge made a particularly fast car, much to the detriment of handling. The 14-inch rubber on all four corners isn’t exactly the perfect recipe for handling, but hey, muscle cars belong at the drag strip.
If this multiple-award winner is too expensive for your budget, then fret not. Dodge has brought back the Daytona as a special-edition Charger for 2020, based on the Hellcat with the Widebody option. In other words, the modern iteration has 717 horsepower on deck.
440-powered models are a bit more affordable, but nevertheless, an example such as this fellow here will set you back closer to $350,000. Mecum Auctions will try to find a new owner for VIN XX29L98390018 in January at the Kissimmee 2020 auction, and the specification is nothing short of exquisite.
“One of only two 440 automatic Daytonas in white with a red wing and red interior” is how Mecum Auctions described the winged warrior. Owned by the same person for 15 years and counting, the old-school Dodge comes with a broadcast sheet, NOS parts, and plenty of best-in-class titles at various events and concourses. This bad boy has also been featured in Mopar Muscle, Mopar Action, Mopar Colletor’s Guide, and a few enthusiast books to boot.
Presented in pristine condition thanks to a full-fledged restoration, the Daytona further sweetens the deal with an ownership history dating back to 1972. For reference, that’s the year the Watergate scandal came to be.
The Magnum V8 with 440 cubic centimeters is pretty much the same engine as the powerplant in the Charger R/T, and the 150-mph speedometer isn’t there only for showboating. Dodge made a particularly fast car, much to the detriment of handling. The 14-inch rubber on all four corners isn’t exactly the perfect recipe for handling, but hey, muscle cars belong at the drag strip.
If this multiple-award winner is too expensive for your budget, then fret not. Dodge has brought back the Daytona as a special-edition Charger for 2020, based on the Hellcat with the Widebody option. In other words, the modern iteration has 717 horsepower on deck.
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