Since so many car people are vehemently brand loyal, it’s nearly impossible to ask a question such as this: “What was the best-looking muscle car from the original muscle car era?” Let’s say 1964 to 1974. Many people agree, me included, that General Motors had the best batting average when their body of work as a whole is taken into account. But we’re not talking about the entire line, just muscle cars, and just one, the best-looking. I (not a long limb to walk on) think it’s the 1968 Dodge Charger. Of course, beauty is subjective, and it’s hard to argue that the ’68 Charger was an original design. As all design departments did, Chrysler “borrowed” elements from others, but they borrowed well, and this particular Charger has those famous good looks, originality, documentation, AND the most famous engine: the 426 Hemi. Now offered on eBay in upstate New York, bidding sits at $75,600 with over a week to go.
When you’re selling a Hemi car, the exterior design is almost irrelevant; a basic ’66 Satellite will immediately become a car that flirts with a six-figure sale price. The Charger, on the other hand, is a big-ticket item even if it has a 318 under the hood. When one considers that only 475 Hemi Chargers were produced in 1968, it’s a combination that stretches the wallet of mere mortals. Everyone knows the stats by now: 425 horsepower at 5000 rpm, 490 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm, and the horsepower number was probably taken at 5000 rpm to keep the insurance companies in the dark about its rating at 6000 rpm. This Charger is backed by a 727 Torqueflite and a 3.23:1 rear end (automatics got the 8 3/4″ Chrysler, four-speeds the Dana 60).
The color combination is an interesting one, AA1 Metallic Silver paint with a C6B Blue interior. This is a well-optioned car with a Galen Govier certificate (are there any Hemi cars without it?). It has power front disc brakes, power steering, tachometer, and much more (even factory undercoating). The seller says that all indications point to this being an original car that hasn’t been taken apart or restored, and the 17,182 miles showing on the odometer might even be original. Since that’s difficult to verify, the seller stops short of making a definite assertion.
There are several undercarriage pictures that lead me to believe that some refreshing and detailing has been done (the K-Member and lower control arms look especially good), but that’s not a bad thing. Replacing almost 60-year-old suspension bushings and cleaning things up just makes sense on a car this nice.
It’s clear that this Charger will be well out of the budget of many, if not most, of us here on Barn Finds, but just as it’s enriching to wander through an art museum, it’s uplifting to observe beauty in its automotive form. Chrysler’s styling department deserves a lot of credit for the second-generation Charger, and the public’s response when they see one shows they’ve gotten it. With its “double-diamond” styling motif that meets near the A-pillar, muscular quarter panels, and a big, macho grille, the Charger’s a beauty.
Column shift Hemi Charger. Fascinatingly intriguing
It’s had some restoration….the seat cover you can see is not orginal and look at the vin plate on the dash…..see the blue overspray there at the window edge…..shouldn’t see that…..really nice car though.
As I recall from reading a smuggled-in magazine (Popular Mechanics?) during a HS “study hall” class a stock 426 HEMI produced 497 HP @6000RPM!
No wonder MoPar kept it quiet..
What an impressive Charger! Good choice, Aaron, though Mitchell G.’s observation is a good point and would be interesting to investigate further.
Ok, first off…… Let’s be honest here folks…… Is there a color that a ’68 or ’69 Charger DOESN’T look good in?? That being said, the silver/black stripe/ blue interior is pretty unique, and looks nice together as a package. I’m with Nevada and Mitchell above about the unique column shift for the Torqueflite trans. If I was ordering one of these, I’d be “In for a penny In for a Pound” and would’ve gone for a console, but hey, thats just me. I know if I walked past it and saw the column shifter, I’d be like, “Yeah, its probably a 318 “. This is a very nice one. Great find Aaron.
Not sure why everyone seems fascinated by the column shift. Perhaps less common for supercars, it is hardly unique. As it was familiar in the sixties, some people simply preferred a column shift and or a bench seat and ordered their car based upon their predilection.
What I do find distinctive about this Charger is the color combination. I cannot imagine there being another spec’d exactly like this ’68 on the planet. Quite a good looking car.
A very nice Charger. The column shifter is big talk here. I’m 52 years old but have heard from the older generation and read a lot of cars could be special ordered back then!!
The column shifter was popular across all kinds of cars that one would not normally expect it. A friend had a Superbird with a 440-6 and a bench with a column auto. The one of these I ever saw live also had a column auto. So more anecdotal data. I always preferred a console with a 4-speed, but to each their own.
All automatics were column shift unless a console was specified on the build sheet.
If I were in the market, this color combo would be a big selling point.
Provided a galaxy of uppers downers and vile of pure human adrenalin were included in the trunk! I’ll defer to my attorney for consel on the salt shaker of cocain in the glove box.
The Elephant in the room!
AC would be nice, but I had a 66 Satellite with the Hemi and a 727 and the dealer told me that AC was not an option with the Hemi. Said the compressor could not stand the RPM….always wondered if that was true. Warranty was 12 mo. / 12,000 mi. Instead of the normal 5yr. / 50,000 mi. A street pounder with a kid at the wheel was a bad combo.
It will be bid into the stratosphere shortly, so I’m not even discussing value or price. It’s all way out of my league, anyway.
All that aside, as much as I liked the styling when they came out, I actually preferred the new for ’71 wedge styling. It was claimed to be more aerodynamic on the speedway, and I find it more visually pleasing. Mind you, a clean ’70 would be a close second choice.
PL,
I’ve got a 440 71’ I’m about to part with if you’re interested.
I seen a new 1973 z28 with a column shirt and bench seat at the dealer. I hated it but I had bought a new four speed. Not for me but I’m sure it sold or maybe was ordered that way. That is as bad as getting a six cylinder in the 70’s era muscle cars.
John
Neither the belts (as in, flying off) nor the compressor would stand the potential rpms (for long)!
I remember being in a Dodge dealers used lot after the second gas crisis. There along the back row sat a hemi Charger similar to this. Not as nice, but still pretty good. Salesmen came out to bother us and he said the car was a trade in. The guy wanted a whole lot of money and they told him that it would be a hard sale due to the uncertainty of future gas prices. The guy traded it in a a new but leftover Aspen from the year before. Didn’t say what the arrangement was but the salesman hinted he had to come up with some cash too to make the deal. Plus he was upset that there were no high MPG Omnis available, but in the end he wanted something that didn’t sting his wallet at the pump so much. I was asked by the salesman if I wanted to make an offer on it and said, “Who knows, might be collectible someday.” I laughed and said its place far back in the lot spoke volumes, also that I was a family man and what would I do with it. If I actually had gotten it, where would I have kept it for 40 years? That’s the lament of so many of my age, we had such opportunities but at the time it just wasn’t practical.
Worked at Chrysler in 1962 when these big boys first came out.4.4 million square feet of factory space where me and a few others got lost trying to find our work station. The “good old days”.
A little sleuthing on the internet shows that the car is located in Liverpool, NY. It is listed on Classic Cars for $230,000.
That explains the Ebay listing as just another form of advertising.
Is this a near quarter-million dollar car? I’m not a Charger guy, but I doubt it.
$230K is Graveyard Cars money!
I don’t agree that GM was the winner in the body department. While I bought a Firebird Formula 400, it was a close-run thing between Dodge, Plymouth, and Ford rides. However, I do prefer the boxier styles but each to his own.
I have been a Mopar man my whole life, very fast cars. The Chevrolet have some very fast cars as well and they all did but in 1970 I got to ride in a Buick GSX 455 4 speed car that my cousin got when he got out of the service. Now I have rode in Hemi cars and 454 Chevy cars but that Buick was the fast car I had ever rode in and the looks of it was so amazing it was silver gray I don’t remember the name of the color. It 500 wheels with red line tires. That car was so scary just to ride with him it truly was very wicked car.
Mark. Column shift not a special order. Even at GM. A console was optional on almost every car back then. I am 70 years young and bought a perfect 1970 GTO in Los Angeles in 1986. Column shift Turbo 400 with factory buckets. No console. I paid $5,500 for it. Was a magazine cover car. It recently sold for $68,000. The price on this beautiful Charger seems light to me if it indeed is a true Hemi with the indicat3d mileage. Junker 318 68s sell fir north of 25K needing EVERY panel replaced.
I agree Dean… My brother ordered a NEW 1970 GS 455/4 speed console delete Stage I car with AC, and after two years of killer insurance sold it to me for 2K as a junior in high school. Lots of OOHs and AHH’s in the parking lot. GM bought two new short blocks and a new M22 for me under warranty. Car ran 13.90s religiously at US30 in Dyer Indiana, best at 13:89 with the AC on of all things! After having owned about 10 GS’s over the decades, Im down to a 1972 GSX/455 loaded with 65K on the clock.
Not a console delete, but a car that was not optioned with a console. They were an extra cost option. But yes, the GS455 and especially the Stage 1 cars honked!!!
It’s at 86K now and that’s not enough
Owned a few Chargers in my day and sorry to see Galen inspected this car and the list says…built in “Hamtrack” Where the hell is that???? It’s Hamtramck!
Green is a color that doesn’t look good on a ’68-’69 Charger. I’ve been told that another reason why no A/C with the Hemi, the compressor and the air cleaner needed the same real estate under the hood
A car like this used to attract an old blow hard named Joe Machado. He’d go on and about having every high end Mopar ever made, sometimes 2 or 3 at a time. He had them all by his bragging remarks. “Cool Joe” ain’t been around!?
That’s not so bad 😆😂