Equipment
VIN JS23R0B204037 426/425hp Hemi, 4-speed with pistol grip shifter, A34 Super Track Pack, Rallye wheels, Goodyear Polyglas GT tires, hood pins, tinted windshield, Musicmaster AM radio, Dave Wise report, window sticker, broadcast sheet documented.
Condition
Unrestored and showing 6,346 miles that are represented as original. A dealer demonstrator (a 4-speed Hemi dealer demonstrator but with the appropriate Y13 options code and loaded with options?) that reportedly sat in a barn in Iowa from 1972 to 2021. Dirt and oxidation underneath but recently detailed and looking quite great. Nothing to pick on, and a real gem. Surely one of the great Mopar barn finds.
Market commentary
An interesting challenge, the preservation of this ’70 Challenger Hemi is remarkable but at least the dirt and surface rust underneath substantiates the story it sat in a barn for almost 50 years. The observed mileage also is appropriate to the story. Now: value? Taking the story at face value (and we always do, right? Uh huh) it’s worth a major bump over an otherwise comparable R/T Hemi. And the amount offered for it in the reported high bid isn’t much more than it would bring as a freshly restored car. The pre-sale estimate, however, is looking for 1/3 more than freshly restored, comprehensively documented and perfect, which is a stretch. This is a first-time impression auction car and strikes me more as a “price-discovery” auction trial than as a serious attempt to move it on. It won’t be a surprise to see it at auction again in the near future with a more modest estimate, like $400,000-$450,000.