Whether it’s details about a travel destination, stock market advice, or even wondering who won the first World Series, it’s a rare occurrence when this old kid can’t find more than enough information on the internet to satisfy whatever my curiosity is craving at any given sitting. However, digging up any specific information on this 1974 Dodge Challenger has proven beyond my online sleuthing skills, so if anybody recognizes it, please share the details with us! If you’re an E-Body and a Richard Petty fan, this one’s located in Los Angeles, California, and can be viewed here on Facebook Marketplace. So far, the asking price of $15,500 hasn’t attracted a buyer. Rocco B., thanks for your fun tip here!
Based on the listing plus what little I could locate from Google, this one is said to have been previously owned by the president of the Richard Petty Fan Club. In 1974, search results indicate it may have been a man named David Carter, who married his fiancée at Pocono International Raceway in August of that year, with Richard Petty serving as best man. This Challenger is claimed to have been on display at the Daytona Firecracker 400 NASCAR race a month earlier, a memorable event where Petty took second place after being passed unexpectedly by David Pearson during the final lap.
The seller is also including a photo of Richard posing with the car, but either the exterior received a new paint job after the picture was taken, or at the very least, the decals have been changed, as they don’t match those currently on the driver’s side fender and door. Few details about the vehicle are provided, and even though the finish is now somewhat faded, the body appears to still be solid and nicely preserved. Interestingly, Petty never raced a first-generation Challenger in NASCAR and was driving a Charger in ’74, so it’s a bit odd that this tribute was based on an E-Body instead of a B-Body.
By this time, all big-block availability had been eliminated for the Challenger, with a 360 being the largest powerplant that could be had. However, this one’s equipped with a 318 and an automatic transmission, and while that’s not a bad combo, I would have expected the top of the food chain for this period. Fortunately, this one’s said to still run and drive, though there’s no additional information about its mechanical condition.
While the dash is cracked and the front buckets need recovering, it’s nice to see this one’s still got the factory radio intact, plus there’s also air conditioning, a comforting feature that wouldn’t have been found on any of Richard Petty’s vintage race cars. I’m not sure if this one should be left as a historical artifact, or if a complete restoration back to factory specs or a Restomod is the better option here. I’m curious if anyone here remembers this 1974 Dodge Challenger, and if so, what additional details can you share with our readers about it?
Could’ve pretended to be Petty w a 318 and 4sp. combo. 🏁 🤴
Never really a hardcore NASCAR fan, but who wasn’t a RP 43 fan? The car seems to be in decent shape for restoration.
With no indication of how it rolled off the line, I would think restoring it to the original build would be best. Being as 43 never competed in a Challenger it seems the story would add no more value than your local supermarket promo.
I agree with Matt, but time marches on, and the great Petty name will fade. Normally, I’m not a fan of ANY tribute car, the less authentic even worse, however, in the future, many won’t know( or care) what kind of cars Petty raced, and a reminder on any vehicle, no matter how silly it may seem to folks who were there, deserves merit for such an iconic name to be remembered. You can see over spray, so clearly repainted, but that number on any Mopar immediately conjures up “THE KING”,,,for now.
The very distant future, maybe. That was an Era in American history that won’t soon be forgotten. They are still running on gasoline, so maybe we are still in it!
And……It’s Sold…..No surprise there folks
Yeah, I’m not really that knowledgeable about NASCAR but I think everyone that has been alive in the 70s has heard of the name Richard Petty. I think it’s a pretty cool little piece of memorabilia. But being that I’m in the northeast I don’t know how recognizable the car would be to people. Maybe down on the south? Really cool that he has a picture with Richard Petty and the car in the background.
Don’t necessarily know if this car has any significant value being that the president of the Richard Petty fan club owned it. It seems to be a base model challenger, not even a Rallye version. 318 is a nice engine and will get you lots of miles. Paint is pretty faded and don’t know if somebody would want to restore the current paint job to its former glory or leave it with all its faded patina? If it’s in running shape, 15 K might be a little bit high, given the cosmetic attention it needs, but if the frame is solid, it might be worth it to get a running first generation Dodge Challenger, especially if you’re a Richard Petty fan. Or as Matt D said, restore/repaint to original. Maybe there’s a fender tag under the hood that may reveal some history
Go, Silver Fox!
Still waiting to see a Dirty Mary Crazy Larry tribute Charger, & tribute Gone in 60 Sec mustang as seen in the 1974 movie.
I have my suspicions about this little project, and I’ll tell you why.
In the early 1990’s at a Richard Petty Fan Club event, at the race shop in Level Cross, there was a little car show and I spent time with the owner of a beautiful street legal Pontiac Aero Coupe that was the spitting image of the one Richard raced. I have pictures of this vehicle, showing the Virginia license plate “200 WINS”.
I asked him how he got the paint colors and decals right, and he showed me the contract he signed with Petty Enterprises, giving him permission to do it and providing him with the paint codes to use. In that contract it was noted that, not only could he not profit from showing the car, but he had to get permission from Petty Enterprises if he were to sell it, and the new owner had to sign the same contract.
Of course, that was over 30 years ago, so maybe things aren’t the same anymore.