Who doesn’t remember the impressive and perhaps anything aerodynamic Dodge Charger Daytona? If you does not sound see it in Nascar, sure that you remember the Disney “Cars” film (or that was a Superbird?). Well, HPP guys have not able to resist the temptation with the new Dodge Challenger, and have finished succumbing to manufacture a new Daytona which, incidentally, keeps enough of the original.
The 1960s is a decade known for radical change for an array of reasons ranging from civil rights to technology. Not wanting to be left out, American cars showed a fierce rejection of 1950s styling excess, and would instead take on a comparatively clean and boxy style for the entire decade. With the rise in popularity of NASCAR and the rapid building of superspeedways, the horsepower race reached its climax in the late 1960s, with ultra fast muscle cars being sold by all of The Big Three automakers.
Chrysler entered the muscle car game with the original Dodge Charger. Some would call the Charger a failure because although it sold in large numbers to the public, it never won a race. Chrysler started experimenting with aerodynamics in the 1920s, but it wasn’t until 1969 that they released the most aerodynamic car of its time. Identified by its tall rear wing and aerodynamic nosecone, the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona succeeded the 1969 Dodge Charger 500 as a muscle car inspired by NASCAR racing. Because of these added aerodynamic features, the Daytona ended up looking like a mix between an odd airplane and the original Charger.
Today, the Daytona is coveted as part of NASCAR history and this notion, coupled with the low production numbers, makes the muscle car extremely collectible. So, when our customer came across this rare example, he excitedly scooped it up. Not to mention, his father had one as a child, which made the car even more collectible and special in his eyes. This numbers matching, documented car maintains the factory standard heavy-duty suspension and brake setup. It also has the more “common” factory 440 CID Magnum engine. On a side note, the optional 426 CID Hemi V8 engine, came in only 70 of the approximately 500 Daytonas made.
