The Dodge Charger 500 was a fancier trim edition of the car in 1970 and 1971. But in 1969, it was a limited-edition car with styling adjustments to be more aerodynamic for NASCAR purposes. Only 392 were built in 1969, while 59% of 1970 Charger production was the 500, returning to the same styling as the rest of the line. Located in Persia, Iowa, this 1970 Charger 500 is very rough and incomplete, yet it retains its build sheet and fender tag. Perhaps that’s why a reserve has been set for this automobile, with the bidding currently at $1,211 here on eBay.
To perform better on the race track, the 1969 Charger 500 had a flush grille and a rear window treatment like that of the Coronet (no tunnelback). Whether the car’s name was a nod to the Daytona 500 or the number intended for public consumption, the number built never reached 400 units. Apparently, Dodge didn’t get the results it wanted in competition, so the 500 became a regular Charger with a snappier trim package in 1970.
This woeful Charger’s VIN decodes as a 500 that came with a 318 cubic inch V8 when it left the factory (long gone now). It was one of more than 27,000 copies assembled, so it wasn’t anything special. If you are interested in the car for its fender tag or build sheet, you won’t find much rare here, either. The car once wore green metallic paint, but it appears to have been sitting so long in a field that there’s not a lot left of it. And many of its pieces have already been liberated.
Dodge’s Charger 500 was only a three-year effort, including the limited run in 1969. It carried over when the B-bodies were redesigned in 1971 but was no longer in the mix when the 1972 models were released. In 1970, most Charger 500s came with a V8 engine, yet 182 left the factory with a Slant-Six (why?). If you were to meet the seller’s reserve and take this Charger home, what would you do with it?
Looks like this rusty mess has already been used as a parts car. Unfortunately it’s not surprising to see a reserve on the auction.
This will be a repeat of every other 68-70 Charger featured on this site. There will be a lot of reaching about greed and the inevitable collapse of the car hobby while the car will either sell or get bid to a surprisingly high price.
Steve R