The Magnum XL 400 is a Forgotten Gem

A Rare Appearance

Between the amazing muscle car era vehicles and modern Mopar products, we rarely see mentions of cars like the 1978 Dodge Magnum. But an eBay listing for this relatively low-mile Magnum GT earlier in the month caught the attention of our colleagues at Hot Rod, who pondered the possibility of driving the classic.

Loaded With Options

The Magnum in question showed about 89,000 miles on the odometer, which doesn't necessarily make it a time capsule. But 89,000 miles over 43 years is still quite low. And the vehicle seems to be in decent shape, judging by the photos. And it is loaded with the most desirable options of the time, including the line-topping 400 ci V8 motor.

>>Join the conversation about this Magnum XL 400 right here in the Dodge Forum!

Meant for NASCAR

Designed with an eye toward NASCAR glory, Chrysler designers and engineers had made an effort to improve the '78 Magnum's aerodynamics. This meant slightly softer lines and volumes than most early '70s muscle cars. And since NASCAR used to use actual production cars back in those days, the smallest aero advantage made a difference.

>>Join the conversation about this Magnum XL 400 right here in the Dodge Forum!

High-Speed Adventures

For a period of time, renowned driver Richard Petty drove one of these. And while he didn't find amazing success in the Magnum, it was no slouch around the oval. If it weren't for bad luck, he would have won the Daytona 500. He did remark, though, that the car's high-speed handling was less than optimal. Only 2 examples of those NASCAR competitors are known to have survived today. 

>>Join the conversation about this Magnum XL 400 right here in the Dodge Forum!

End of an Era

The base price for the Magnum in '78 was $5,448. The long list of bells and whistles, including the awesome T-top, brought the price tag for the example found on eBay to $7,736. 1978 also marked the final year that the 400 ci mill was used. For the '79 model year, the largest displacement available was the 195-horsepower 360 ci V8. 

>>Join the conversation about this Magnum XL 400 right here in the Dodge Forum!

Sold

The asking price was set at $17,000, which many would consider a bit steep for this mostly-forgotten piece of Mopar history. But the listing has since closed and marked as sold. So at least one enthusiast considered the Magnum a worthwhile investment. 

>>Join the conversation about this Magnum XL 400 right here in the Dodge Forum!

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