With new styling and some help from the movie Bullitt, the 1968 Dodge Charger would be the car’s best- selling year until 1973. The second-generation Chargers were built on the same B-body platform of Chrysler’s other mid-size automobiles, but the Charger was focused on flair and performance, not necessarily together. This nice survivor was a one family car for most of its life that was a prize won at an Oakland A’s ball game in 1968. Available in Redding, California and here on eBay, the bidding is already up to $45,000.
For those of you who don’t get the Bullitt reference, it was a cop movie where Steve McQueen was chased by a bad guy who was driving a Charger R/T. Regarded as having one of the best car chase scenes in movie history, the Charger’s popularization in the film may have helped sales. Dodge sold 96,000 Chargers in 1968, substantially higher than the 1966-67 first generation models. About three-quarters of all Chargers built that year had a vinyl top, including the seller’s car which it no longer wears.
This ’68 Charger was built more for looks than speed given that it was powered by a 318 cubic inch V8 and a TorqueFlite automatic. It’s a numbers-matching car, so that drivetrain is still in place at 88,000 miles on the odometer. It’s not mechanically perfect as the seller indicates the exhaust makes some noise and the wrist pins are getting squeaky. But those are easy fixes. Since no other references to problems are made, we assume the car runs as it should.
The dark green paint looks quite nice, the vinyl top it came with is gone and the roof has been repainted in a matching color. However, for a car that is generally rust-free, it seems that corrosion has targeted the trunk floor which might suggest there was rust under the vinyl and water leaked into the trunk, thus leading to the damage there now that should be corrected before getting worse. The interior generally looks good with a split in both the dash pad and steering wheel.
As a side note, the party that won the car at a ball game was a well-known drag racer at the Fremont Drag Strip. He kept the car for a long, long time and it was never raced. The Dodge is currently in the possession of one of that owner’s racing friends. Hagerty says a Concours quality version of the ’68 Charger tops out at $45,000. This one will require a little work and money to qualify for Excellent, which is about $10,000 less.
Looks to be a pretty nice 1968 Charger but $45k for a 318 auto w no ac that needs work Is nuts. There are tons of nice cars of all makes for sale that are betters deals for somewhat less money. And McQueen drove a green 1968 Mustang GT with a 390/4 speed in “Bullitt.” He was bring chased by two hitmen in a black 1968 Dodge Charger with a 440.
Updated. Got the reference backwards after only seeing the movie 10 times!
did you count how many hubcaps the dodge lost in during the chase ?? something like eleven… i worked in a movie theatre in bygone days. probably saw this movie 20 times. projectionists have to watch everything.. this one was memoriable….
McQueen (the cop) was chasing the 2 hitmen, not being chased by them
And he was driving a VW Beetle, at least in The Mad Magazine version.
Love seeing one of these somewhere other than sitting in a field rusting away. Nice example.
?? “squeaky” wrist pins” ??
“Easy fix”
WD 40 can cure that!
Apparently someone doesn’t know what wrist pins are! Maybe they’re talking about door hinges?
Squeaky wrist pins ??? Never heard of that. If so, not an easy fix, LOL !
How would they even know it’s the wrist pins, much less that it’s a pretty big undertaking to repair, i.e., pulling the engine, tearing it apart, etc.?!! They’re basically belittling a ‘rod knock’, which has the potential for serious consequences, be it either end of the rod. 45K….🤔…no.
Nice car (overpriced for me) and great back-story. I am personally shocked that Charley-O ever willingly offered a free car to anyone, they chose and named the A’s mascot for a reason. And my Dad was a frequent guest at the Fremont drags in the day, unfortunately I was a little too young but did get to go with him to Antioch Fairgrounds Speedway and Vallejo Speedway. Good times.
In the early-70’s the A’s always had Chrysler products parked in the outfield before warm ups. I always remembered a white wagon with wood grain, they would drive through the gate and under the centerfield bleachers before most fans arrived. It makes sense he gave away a Chrysler product, they probably gave it to the team for promotional purposes of heavily discounted it.
This is a nice car, but I’d be wary of the area around the rear window. There was a lot of water penetration into the trunk and one picture shows signs of rust on the window channel, factor in the removal of the vinyl top and it points to potential problems. Probably nothing major, but at its current price there shouldn’t be any hidden surprises.
Steve R
Charley Finley had a young bat boy working for him named Stanley Burrell. Thought he resembled Hank Aaron, so he nicknamed him Hammer. Hammer would go on to fame as the MC of You Can’t Touch This.
RussT, I never heard that story before. I found this article about it, very interesting.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/j5a5md/remember-when-mc-hammer-was-a-bat-boy-for-the-oakland-as
The trunk mat should have come out & stayed out when the car was new if the car was left out/used in the rain – to keep an eye out for leaks – in most ’60s & ’70s cars.
I would imagine seeing a tachometer & even aux gages in a 318 v8 charger is quite rare, & probably unheard of(if even available) on slant 6 cars. A 140 mph speedo is odd here too. Would have been nice to be able to get the tach w/o the distracting clock “inside it”.
Are the hidden headlite covers inoperative here? Can you at least easily close(& open) them manually by hand?
Recommending 26 lbs of air pressure in tires seems ridiculous to me, unless i guess 1 was planning to cruise the cross bronx xpressway? lol
Every 1968 Charger came with the same instrument cluster regardless of the engine selection. My 69 R/T had the clock but not the tach. The Tic-Toc-Tach was optional. The headlight covers on these are operated by engine vacuum and they were designed to fail in the open position if engine vacuum was lost.
Bias ply tires of the era were sensitive to tire pressure as it affected the size of the contact patch much easier than the rare radials of the time. Radials really didn’t come into vogue until the first Arab oil embargo.
I hope I can sell a car at the Hagerty estimated value just once in my life.
Finley’s hockey team also wore green. And white skates. They players were not big fans of the skates.
I cannot believe someone hasn’t turned this thing into a clone or restomod somehow!!!!! PLEASE leave them alone when they’re this original, rare as Hell..
Make mine a year older and 1/3 of the price and I’m in!
My first car in 1972 was a hamms blue charger.no r/t till 1969.never seen a 140 spedo or ever heard of one.nice car price to me is up to what you will pay.seen a lot worse deals.i do not know about rest of the world but I would never buy a car not seeing it,I look at these sites but just for nostalgia. And a great deal sometime hopefully.
Same here, thinking what the neck don’t I know that wrist pins are squeaky. I was trying to think what that would sound like but could only rationalize a knocking sound, not a squeak.
1968 engines do not have “HARDENED VALVE SEATS” so you might have head work ahead of you and possibly valve stem seal replacement. To: PRA4SNW: If you grant your wish a year older gets you a 1967 Charger. If you mean “A year younger it gets you a 1969 Charger which is a prettier car with the grille modification and improved rear tail lights.
George, I meant the ’67, which I like better. Plus they go for about 1/3 the price of a ’68.
Nice car,I would just clean it up,fix rust,new exhaust, dual of course and put some nice wheels on it and cruise,by the way in bulleit McQueen had the advantage of a lighter car with wide radials,the charger more weight, and skinny ass bias ply tires but still love that chase scene! Steve was the man.
My nef had one 68 white one 318 3 0n the tree
My Dad bought a brand new 68 charger the same color that had the black vinyl top. It had a 383 2bbl. He paid around $3800.00 at the time. He offered it to me his son in 1973 for $600.00. Me like a dumb s—- turned it down and bought a station wagon for $400.00 because it was easier for camping at the time. 20-20 hindsight is a bi—. I always preferred the 68 over the 69 because of the round side lights and the tail lights I felt were more classy. Who would have ever believed these cars would bring this kind of money now. It was a common occurrence for the rust problem as ours had rust already at 5 years old in the trunk area. My brother also bought a 68 charger 2 weeks after my Dad. His had a 4bbl that walked all over my Dad’s. It was not a real good cold weather starter.
Too rich for my blood, I wouldn’t pay that much for 68 with 318 and rusty trunk. There something going on with this 68 and seller not giving it up.
“the Charger’s popularization in the film may have helped sales” –
George Louis says it best, the ’68-’69 Chargers are among the best designs ever. No wonder they sold more than the awkward originals, no offense PRA4SNW.
De gustibus non disputans.
To: ccrvtt: Thank you for agreeing with me on 68/69 Chargers. When I was growing up in 1966 our neighbor came back from a Florida vacation on Jan 1. 1966 and he had a White 1966 Dodge Charger with red interior. I have no idea as to how he found out about the new Chargers as he did not work for Chrysler but got out of a 1958 Oldsmobile with all the chrome on the side. Also. a guy I went to college with his brother had a 1969 Triple Green the dark green paint Charger R/T with automatic transmission , console, buckets , the works. Not only was this a GOOD LOOKING CAR it was a FAST car. 1969 Chargers are one of my FAVORITES!!!!!!
It is nice seeing a Charger that isn’t either a restomod or a driveway stain with a title. They’re apparently out of my price range though. I think I’d rather spend the money on an extremely nice high option Coronet hardtop.
Coronets are nice cars,and is the basis for the charger which arrived in 1966.
To; Brian Z: Let’s put things into perspective How much would your $400.00 station wagon be worth today?.
Stephen Jornov
Had a 68 triple green charger with a 383 hp 4bbl. Had a 4 speed with a full center console. 150 MPH speedometer. Buried the needle on it once. Would love to still have it
68 Charger 383 4 bbl 4-speed wouldn’t go 150 mph falling out of an airplane
68 Charger 383 4 bbl 4-speed wouldn’t go 150 mph falling out of an airplane
No. It would go 250 MPH want to try it?
68 Charger with 383 4-bbl & 4- speed wouldn’t go 150 mph falling out of a airplane.
I think the 383-4, 4 speed would top out at 132 mph.
Probably the best looking Charger of all of them, even today’s. I remember in middle school the PE teacher bought a brand new ’68, red with black vinyl top. I thought it was a very cool car, and he was no doubt proud of it too.
I had a 68 Dodge Charger and it had 318 motor when I got it and we put a 383 in it. and put high rase with two Holley 4 out of hood.sold it to guy in New York. He gave me a 1937 Chevrolet Truck that was frame painted and $10k to.
Richie
The explanation:
For those who care I bought this car. I actually bid 65k! But it sold for 55k! Why? You might ask?
This car was my neighbors car. When I was 12 or so riding my bike I saw it, parked outside, along with a 32 roadster, 55 Chevy, 71 vette, and a 41 Willy’s gasser. That’s when I first met a childhood “big brother” Pat Stewart. He was a heating and air mechanic and a super cool guy who cultured my taste for muscle cars and drag racing in the mid 1970s.
When he died in the early 2000s his estate was liquidated, and I asked”what happened to the charger?” I have restored many cars over the past 30 years and this was THE one of the cars I admired as a kid!
To me, the money didn’t matter. It’s not for sale, never will be it’s the one I’ll keep forever. This car has all original Metal panels, the trunk pan for me won’t be hard at all. There is zero rust anywhere else.
I quit medical school in the middle of my 3rd year at UCSF . Pat talked me into going back, and I’ve had a long a extremely successful career and have delivered nearly 10,000 children.
I’m not worried about a valuation of the car. To me it is priceless. I can’t describe having my childhood friends car, as original now as it was in the mid 1970s!
Congrats on the find, Stephen!
What a great story, thanks for sharing it with us.
So far, I replaced the dash pad and had the wood wheel restored, replaced the console base (cracked) and now lids shuts well. Repaired clock(now working) and replaced 4 tires with whitewalls. Powder coated black all 5 wheels and the air cleaner . Replaced exhaust completely with an “accurate exhaust” single exhaust. No weird engine noises at all, all engine noises were bad muffler. It’s runs well and is super smooth driving now. I will continue to make improvements over the years….and replace the trunk pan at some point