I’m a sucker for a car with a great story. This 1968 Dodge Charger is a one-owner example that racked up an incredible 212K miles traveling all over the United States and Europe as it belonged to a service member. The seller is the son-in-law, and he has a ton of great anecdotal information about this forgotten Charger that was parked in 1985 and still running well at the time. It has a 318 under the hood that was rebuilt with 150,000 miles. While there is rust to repair, it’s not as bad as it could be for a car left in the woods in Maine since 1985. Find it here on craigslist in North Berwick for $19,950.
You really need to check out the ad to see all of the photos showing just how extensively this Charger was used. From camping on the beach to pulling a camper trailer in Europe, this is a car with an incredible life story. Here, we see it on a ferry, which could have been in its retirement home of Maine or from another point in its history when it was living somewhere else in the United States. The Charger now rides on your usual rally wheels but all of the photos show it riding on factory polished hubcaps, which I hope are still in the car somewhere. The best detail in the listing? The seller’s claim that his father-in-law used the Charger on the Autobahn where it nudged 130 miles per hour.
I honestly have no idea if a 318 with a Torqueflite could reach those speeds, but the details in this listing are so great that I’m going to choose to believe it anyway. The interior features bucket seats, a console, floor-shift automatic, factory air conditioning, and a Tik-Tock-Tach. While the cabin looks pretty awful, I’m convinced a good cleaning would make this cockpit look far better than it does here. No attempt has been made to start or run the car, but the seller claims the transmission isn’t locked up but doesn’t specify whether the engine is locked up. While it’s always good to know it was a healthy car when it was parked, that history begins to matter less when a car has been parked as long as this one has.
What’s curious is why it was put out to pasture in the first place with no attempt made to use it on occasion. The Charger was parked over stone dust and covered with a heavy tarp (that has likely done more harm than good.) It seems it would have been possible to run it around the street every now and again. Regardless, it does have rust that will need to be addressed at some point, including rot in the rear quarters, rear pan, rear rails, trunk floor, and possibly some front floor work. This is a complete Charger with a remarkable history that is still reasonably solid despite being left outside in Maine since 1985, so fingers crossed that the next owner brings this classic muscle car inside before the Maine winter sets in.
There ought to be public service announcements reminding folks not to use tarps to cover vehicles or other property they want to stay dry. The moisture build up is counter productive and damage is certain. Use a car cover because they breathe.
I suppose the thinking being, a tarp will last many, many years but how often will I need to replace the car cover?
When the wind starts beating that car cover, goodby paint. If you have to leave a vehicle outside it’s best not to cover it and try to park it on a hard surface. Mositure loves to eat up from the ground.
It’s gonna need a lot!
“I’m convinced a good cleaning would make this cockpit look far better than it does here.” That interior needs to be completely disassembled to be cleaned. the rodents have taken oven.
The standard speedometer only read to 120, and I think that is the top end of a 318 auto, maybe a bit less. Still, the autobahn must be a fun place. Not so fun, paying the local petrol prices for a gas hungry 318. Did American servicemen get the US prices for fuel if they filled up on base with their own cars?
These Chargers had 150 mph speedos.
Would that be an extra large Speedo???
@Gary Haas
You are correct, Gary. I had a friend whose parents bought him a new ’68 Charger and it had a 318 engine but it definitely did have a 150 MPH speedometer. I know because I rode many, many miles in that car.
I was in the Army in Kitzingen Germany from 1967 to 1970. As a young lieutenant I got to ship my 1967, 427 Corvette POV (privately owned vehicle) to Europe. Gas was very expensive for the local Germans. But those in the military got to buy gas at $.26 a gallon. Each month we got a ration coupon book for 100 gallons which cost $26. That was enough to feed my Corvette for about two weeks and each month I was often buying other servicemen‘s coupons. As a 22-year-old fearless armor platoon leader, I drove over 80,000 miles, no accidents, and was never passed. When I first arrived in Germany my fellow officers set up a pool betting when I would crash. They called me the “blue streak”. I sold that car in 1970 in Germany and got it back 10 years ago. It sits here in my garage in Tucson.
Was on the autobahn extensively in a Mercedes Benz Tour bus. That thing was cruising at 100 mph on the autobahn and it was like we were standing still at times….when some of the German luxo cars whizzed past us..
I would estimate some of the were going over 130 mph.
The highway is in such perfect shape, and the cars/tires are built for those speeds, it’s not like in America, where it would be reckless driving.
AAFES [Army & Air Force Exchange System] had an arrangement with ESSO where service members could buy fuel coupons that were about half the pump price.
When I was stationed there in the mid 1970s, most of the Autobahn system outside the major cities was unlimited, and yes, when driving in the left lane, the adrenaline was like being on illegal drugs [in my opinion anyway!]
But the rule was if another car was coming up behind you at higher speeds and flashed their car’s headlights, you quickly pulled into the right lane. My 2 cars over there were a 1956 Chrysler Imperial sedan for everyday driving, and a 1963 Ferrari 250 2+2 for fun. While I did drive the Imperial at high speed when the traffic was light, I had lots of left lane driving experience in the Ferrari. The few cars that flashed lights from behind the Ferrari were other Ferraris, Lambos and a few Porsches. More than a few Porsches were dark green with a rotating blue light on top, the sides marked “Polizei”.
Here’s my last AAFES fuel coupon from 1974-75. I found it in the glove box of the ’56 Imperial once it was in the USA.
US Service people received a gas ration using coupons that could be redeemed at the px service station. I worked at one for a year as a civilian in Germany, 5,10, 20 liter coupons, rank, and marital situation also mattered.
Too bad the owner didn’t care about it.
Funny how the ad first opened at 19500 and it’s now showing 22500.
And yes it’s not an auction lol
Same color combo as my 68 R/T. Kick my own ass every day for selling her.
Nice one for a complete restoration I personally don’t have them kind of funds but I’m sure there another restorer out there to take up the challenges on this charger.
More rot than meets the eye . Buyer beware …
Absolutely right.
The car is in bad shape.. For the way over price of Barret Jackson. Its gonna take a good bit of time and money to get it restored. I got alot of laughs on the autobahn. They bragged how fast the cars in Germany were. The funny part was when one would see the American muscle car would blow the doors clear off the porches and other so called fast europe cars. I,ll bet this car ,s owner done his share. ha ha
Come on man…..a BMW M3 or M5 or 7 or 8 series is a highly engineered car, compared to the Detroit cars.
Any of those cars would traverse the autobahn much faster(and I’m not talking about a 1/4 mile, lol) and more importantly, much safer than anything coming out of Detroit.
In the late 60s?
Neat history & equally neat car … but personally I think they are dreaming on the price. But you can’t blame a guy for trying ….
Running good in 1985 and they just parked it? Outside? Yeah, sure.
probably parked it because the gas tank was starting to fall down
Looks like a beehive or a giant hornets nest was built in the space between the rear window, the pillar and the trunk lid in the Craigslist photos.
But this isn’t a Super Bee. (couldn’t resist) lol
Oh wow, also on the Craigslist photos is the original purchaser’s receipt &
the window sticker from a Dodge dealership on Baum Blvd in Pittsburgh.
We use to drive by that dealership at least a couple times a week when I was a kid & teen and when I drove to college at Pitt in my Charger.
My mom even worked at Chrysler Pittsburgh which was on Baum Blvd
as well, right next to this Dodge dealership.
Crazy !
If this wasn’t in Maine….I would have to go look at this car.
This car isn’t even worth half the asking price. Shame they hung onto it until it reached this sorry state.
These Chargers are going for nose-bleed prices nowadays. Prime examples are often selling for > $100,000 lately and are unaffected by the economy. So this basket case is not overpriced.