Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Original Everything: 1968 Dodge Coronet R/T

The 1960s were a wonderful time to be a young driver just starting out. Muscle cars were plentiful and Chrysler had their share, notably with hot products like the Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Super Bee. But some forget that the Dodge Coronet, largely thought of as a family car, could play in that arena, too. Enter the 1968 Coronet R/T. This beautiful example has managed to stay original in almost every way and has had just two owners across its 55 years. From Glendale, Arizona, this powerhouse is available here on craigslist, but the cost of acquisition is not for the faint of heart at $125,000. Our thanks to Rocco B. for the cool Mopar tip!

Like its corporate sibling, the Plymouth Belvedere, the Dodge Coronet was mostly a family car. But it could also be had as a performance machine, especially with the 1968-70 redesign to the Chrysler B-bodied intermediates. With R/T badging (short for Road/Track), the Coronet would gain a beefier handling package and a 440 cubic inch V8 engine that produced 375 horses. So, while Dodge would assemble north of 200,000 Coronets in 1968, barely over 10,000 would come equipped with R/T hardware.

Which gets us to the seller’s car. At under 20,000 miles, this Dodge has original everything. That includes the paint, glass, interior, vinyl top, and documentation. Even the keys and spare tire are from Day One. And the engine and automatic transmission are numbers matching. While most muscle cars of the late 1960s were purchased and then beat to death, someone decided to treat this one with kid gloves and eventually sold it to someone else who apparently felt the same way.

This automobile presents quite well although the photos provided could do a better job of showcasing a survivor of this apparent caliber. Though the car is in Arizona now, it was originally purchased in Pennsylvania in 1968. The Dodge has not stayed in the shadows even though it was driven little – it has appeared in no less than three old car/muscle car magazines over the years. If it wasn’t for the double Bumblebee stripes, you could mistake this Coronet for a “sleeper” with its dog dish hub caps. Will the next owner decide to keep it under wraps or start putting some miles on it?

Comments

  1. Roland

    Beautiful car, however, there are a lot of other nice Mopars out there for this kind of money. I would have liked to see this one with disk brakes – the power booster and master cylinder look to be for drum brakes. As an R/T it should have 11×3 drums all around.

    Like 14
  2. Grant

    These were a beautiful design. I wish you could find a standard 318 car that is restored as nice as this so it would be more affordable, but as most of those that still survive have been gussied up to big blocks, those prices are also too much in my opinion.

    Like 13
  3. Jim L

    Nice original car, with just a tad of patina, don’t see these often unrestored. And ordered right with a stunning red interior to set off the white exterior. So many came with black interiors.

    Like 6
  4. T

    $125,000.00? Good luck with that.

    Like 26
  5. bw

    Agree with ‘T’. This is grossly overpriced. Maybe 75k

    Like 14
    • Joe

      And that’s a BIG maybe!

      Like 3
  6. Big Bear 🇺🇸

    Wow beautiful R/T and it’s a 68 which it hard to find in this shape. This may have power disc brakes which was a option. Instead of drums. They had 4 pistons calipers. The price may be very high but it’s a R/T . I seen 69 A12 (440-6) go for this price. It’s the mileage your paying for also. It’s amazing this car wasn’t driven more. Unfortunately this will always be a trailer Queen. 🐻🇺🇸

    Like 6
  7. Dan

    I know this car……it was owned by Joe Ciaramella in Pittsburgh. He did drive it very sparingly but it did come out.

    Like 7
    • sg

      I owned the twin to this car about 20 years ago. Same stripe, interior, vinyl top etc. It wasn’t numbers matching though and had roof rust from the vinyl top…I sold it to put a down payment on a house.

      Saw the featured car a couple times in magazines and at shows. It’s not a common color combo for the muscle car but that’s what appealed to me back then.

      Like 3
  8. Joe

    So this guy wants $125k……out of his mind…..he’s asking Hemicar pricing…..I’m hoping interested parties run from this one…..outrageous price…..

    Like 9
    • FrankD Member

      Exactly, is he fishing?

      Like 2
    • Ffred

      I’ll sell my ’68 Hemi roadrunner for 80K.. 40,000 miles.

      Like 0
  9. Dan C.

    I owned a 1968 Dodge RT Cornet, the tail light were different. Just a question

    Like 1
    • Michael Berkemeier

      Then there are one of two possibilities…either; A) Your R/T was not a 1968 or, B) Your taillights and tail panel in your 1968 R/T were not 1968.

      Like 2
    • Shuttle Guy Shuttle Guy Member

      68’s were the same ’69 RT’s had 3 tail lights.

      Like 1
      • Big Bear 🇺🇸

        The 68 and 69 are two different Coronets. The 69 are 3 long tail lights same size while the 68 start large then goes small. I hope this helps..🐻🇺🇸

        Like 0
  10. Shuttle Guy Shuttle Guy Member

    This is a Great example of “You can always go down.”

    Like 3
  11. Michael Berkemeier

    Totally badass car, and if was a 4-Speed/Dana car it would be worth every penny of the $125K…but, since it’s an automatic 8 3/4 car, it is not. It, however, is worth just south of six figures.

    Like 0
  12. FrankD Member

    The worst thing that ever happened to the car collector or hobbyist is Mecum and Barrett Jackson. Today its just like real estate and machine guns. If you deal in the machine guns market which I have for 30 years. Prices are maxed out and have leveled off. There are no deals unless its an Estate sale or bankruptcy. Todays Buyer are going to get disappointed a few year down the road. Auction house add another 25% plus. Can you recover after purchasing a vehicle at $100K?

    Like 7
    • John L.

      FrankD, I think you’re on to something here. As for Mecum, and Barrett-Jackson, I think that the fact these auctions are telecast, is the reason that prices have gotten out of hand. The bidders want to see themselves bidding up these cars, so they can show who has the biggest male reproductive organ. Without TV, I think we would be seeing prices at 50-75% less. Just thinking out loud.

      Like 10
      • Grant

        Without the chance to show off your wallet, the ultra rich wouldn’t even care about old cars…at least not nearly this much. Now, many who would really appreciate some of these cars, are horribly priced out of the market. Just another example of how out of whack this country has gotten, too unbalanced.

        Like 5
    • PRA4SNW

      You can’t just blame the televised auctions for the price craziness.

      Have you ever seen what money is spent at the biggest auction place around for classic cars? That would be Bring A Trailer.

      Like 1
  13. Scooter

    Nice original example of the 68RT for sure. I would think it would have to have the 4 speed and the Dana to bring the money he is asking. Beautiful car! But you never know in this crazy market! Good luck!

    Like 1
  14. Frankie Sinclair

    Hey fellas check out Hemmings.com for the 68 R/T for sale for about 57,500 I think. Its green with the white top and a heck of a lot nicer than the one you see here. It looks like it has never been driven. Don’t care for the white interior. Wish I could find one with the baby blue with blk top. My little brother borrowed it and totaled it.
    See ya

    Like 0
  15. Hawaiian Treasures 🗿🌋🏝️🏦💎🔑🍻🍺🍻🍺🥥🍍🥭🥩

    Wow beautiful wish it had a 4-spd. Dana, in the mid 80s I found a well stripped White hardtop 69 with only the shell , Dana sitting on the backing plates so I took what I could because it was sitting at the front of the metal scrap yard waiting to be scrap metal I was a teenager broke no money I wish I had a flatbed truck and a forklift to take it home but I did get the power bulge hood and all the R/T emblems was still there so I pulled it off just in time before the security guard came to work early in the morning as we drove off with the parts he was looking at us leave but I felt sorry for not taking the rest of the car that day, it had a black dash and nothing else no interior but had the 4-spd. hump on the tunnel bare metal nothing else left and no dings and no rust, Coronets took a long time to rust compared to Chargers back in the day, just one story of many fond memories of finding old muscle cars before, people didn’t want them they just junked them at the most only paid a $150 or free in the mid 80s no rust, never again would have those good deals again 😢😩💚🍻🍻

    Like 0
    • Gary

      My dad’s buddy was into tri five Chevys and whenever someone had one to get rid of they called him. He said 75% of them were given to him just to get rid of them. This was back in 75-77 and he had about thirty of them, coupes, sedans, convertibles, wagons, sedan deliveries. All were rust free, most just had blown motors or trannys. I never saw so many in one spot before or since except in Arizona back in 77, a wrecking yard had about fifty just along the front fence, no telling how many more in the lot.

      Like 0

Leave A Comment

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.