Immaculate 1970 Dodge Challenger 426 Hemi Is a Street Racing Legend
This incredibly rare Dodge Challenger became a legend in the streets of Detroit by beating everything it lined up against.
While we arguably live in the golden age of powerful muscle cars today, there’s no denying that the ’60s and early ’70s were an amazing time to be around. Automakers were doing battle in the showrooms and on the track in a constant case of one-upmanship, and we were the winners. This era produced some amazing cars that have since become iconic, including the 1970 Dodge Challenger.
This particular ’70 Dodge Challenger, a 426 Hemi-powered R/T SE, is a bit of a legend within the legend, as this very cool video from the Historic Vehicle Association explains. “This car was called the Black Ghost on the west side of Detroit,” Gregory Qualls, the son of the original owner, Godfrey Qualls, said. “He would come out, win a lot of races, and then disappear. It was beating everything – Chevelles, 396/375 – those were nothing for this car.”
On top of its highly decorated street racing career, this Dodge Challenger is also an incredibly rare car – one of just 22 1970 Hemi Challenger R/T SEs produced with the four-speed, and it’s triple-black to boot. As the owner explains, his dad ordered the car because he always wanted the “best” and the “baddest” car on the planet, and at the time, this was it.
However, after many wins on the street, the Black Ghost once again disappeared – but this time for good. No one really knew why, except for Qualls and his best friend Curtis Neal, who would ride along as he was racking up win after win. Turns out, Qualls was actually a Detroit police officer, as well as an Army veteran who had received a Purple Heart after he was wounded in service.
Qualls certainly knew how to order a car, and wound up with a Challenger that any Mopar collector would love to have today. He optioned it with the R/T and SE packages, the iconic 426 Hemi, Super Track Pack with the four-speed manual and Hurst pistol-grip shifter, and Sure-Grip Dana 60 rear with 4.10 gears. It also has a bumblebee white stripe and Gator Grain black vinyl top, making it possibly a one-of-one car with all of these options.
Qualls rejoined the military in 1977 and left his Challenger and street racing days behind him. Three years later, he returned home and got the car running again. Sadly, by the end of 2015, Qualls was succumbing to cancer and gave the car to his son, telling him in no uncertain terms to never sell it to anyone else. Gregory then vowed to get the car running again and plans to honor his father’s wishes by passing it down to his own son one day. So, thankfully, it seems that the Black Ghost won’t be disappearing again anytime soon.
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