1970 Challenger R/T SE ‘Black Ghost’ Rakes in a Cool $1M!

Perhaps the most famous street racer of all time, bidders showed up in a big way for the chance to take the Black Ghost home.

These days, we routinely see special, rare, and ultra-valuable muscle cars hit the auction block and rake in big money on a seemingly daily basis, with millions of dollars and hundreds of cars changing hands at those mega events. The latest was Mecum Indy, which just took place this past weekend, and the action was quite a draw for Mopar fans. In fact, three Mopar models cracked the auction’s top 10 list in terms of overall sales price, and one of them was quite famous – the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE known as the “Black Ghost.”

Perhaps the most legendary street racer of all time, the Black Ghost was purchased new by Godfrey Qualls, an army veteran and Detroit police officer who famously moonlighted as a street racer. As the legend goes, Qualls never lost a single race, and he managed to keep his illicit activities a secret for years until he – and the car – disappeared one night, never to return to the streets of Detroit. When he passed, Qualls left his beloved Mopar machine to his son, who then learned of its incredible story.

After helping share that story years ago, the younger Qualls decided that the time was right to pass this piece of history on to someone that can take care of it for future generations, and that’s precisely what he did. But aside from being a famous street racer, this particular Challenger is also still highly original and quite rare as one of only 23 R/T SE Hemi coupes built with a four-speed transmission in 1970, as the only one with a Gator Grain top.

Those facts weren’t lost on bidders that showed up in Indianapolis for this chance of a lifetime sale, as the bids came in fast and furious. When the dust settled and the hammer fell, this famous Challenger sold for a whopping $1,072,500, proving that it does have a place in the annals of muscle car history – and rightfully so.

Photos: Mecum Auctions

Join the Dodge Forums now!

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.