$975,000 for Black Ghost

[WileE]

Here's mine, back in the day. Broadcast sheet called for dog dish, on a 440 GTX that stickered for nearly $5000, with factory A/C, and power windows. Original window sticker has $85 for chrome road wheels added to the total by the dealer (his personal car.) He never intended to run those things. I am maintaining his legacy, and I'm waiting to get picked apart at Carlisle this summer because the wheels don't match the broadcast sheet and window sticker.
Not that I really care.
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Beautiful car. Your story is indicative of our mindset back then. And why the OE's started to get on the "mag" wheel bandwagon, such as the magnum and rallye styles. The "thought" was, hubcaps were for taxicabs and grandma.

 

[SlingLow]

What hurts about this is that dad wanted the car to stay in the family. At that request I would hold on to what dad wanted me to keep, no matter the price. I couldn't sell it come hell or high water.

That is an awesome sentiment and one most of us would share. The problem I see with this is that it only lasts for one generation. The next generation won't have that original connection to the car unless the child instills the same sentiment in his/her son or daughter.

I have a brother-in-law who recently retired who plans to leave his high-school car, a 845 HP 68 Dart GTS to his only son. Junior is not a car guy at all. If dad says don't sell it, he probably won't, but his son isn't even born yet. When he is, he will either be thrilled to inherit it, or could care less and will convert it to cash when the time comes.

In my opinion, if you want to manage from the grave, set up a trust and find a trustee who will manage it in your stead. I would not choose to place the burden on a child and turn my car, or whatever, into a burden instead of an asset.

 

[68BabyBlue]

That is an awesome sentiment and one most of us would share. The problem I see with this is that it only lasts for one generation. The next generation won't have that original connection to the car unless the child instills the same sentiment in his/her son or daughter.

I have a brother-in-law who recently retired who plans to leave his high-school car, a 845 HP 68 Dart GTS to his only son. Junior is not a car guy at all. If dad says don't sell it, he probably won't, but his son isn't even born yet. When he is, he will either be thrilled to inherit it, or could care less and will convert it to cash when the time comes.

In my opinion, if you want to manage from the grave, set up a trust and find a trustee who will manage it in your stead. I would not choose to place the burden on a child and turn my car, or whatever, into a burden instead of an asset.

As an attorney, I'm all too aware of how legacies can go south. Having finally acquired the one car I will not sell in my lifetime, I have set up a close friend with the car savvy and financial means to be the next custodian.

 

[Runcharger]

I want my son to remember me for my integrity, work ethic and other attributes, what you own is just an interest or a hobby.

 

[DeltaV]

I've been singing that song for a long time. NOBODY left taxicab wheels and hubcaps on their cars. We threw them in the garbage as fast as we could. Aftermarket wheels were put on as fast as possible.

Yes, except those of us that bought auctioned police cars.

 

[dadsbee]

I still have the full wheel covers for my Bee, just wish I'd kept the steel wheels they were on...

 

[WileE]

Yes, except those of us that bought auctioned police cars.

Eeek ! Something I never wanted to see, especially in my rearview mirror ! A four-door ? Now, that's another thing nobody wanted back then.

 

[68BabyBlue]

Eeek ! Something I never wanted to see, especially in my rearview mirror ! A four-door ? Now, that's another thing nobody wanted back then.

There is no accounting for taste. In the late 60s, early 70s, my dad drove four door Valiants, with dog dish caps. The second one, he special ordered that way, and unlike the dealer, didn't switch them out. I started buying GTXs with magnum 500s as an antidote when I started working and left home.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

Yeah, around here in Virginia in the early 1970s, the MOST FEARED Mopars were the unmarked black 69 to 73 Plymouth Furys of the Va. State Police! (They only had lights behind the grilles, the marked cars always had the red bubble on top, and were easier to spot...)

 

[DeltaV]

Yeah, around here in Virginia in the early 1970s, the MOST FEARED Mopars were the unmarked black 69 to 73 Plymouth Furys of the Va. State Police! (They only had lights behind the grilles, the marked cars always had the red bubble on top, and were easier to spot...)

And they sold them via sealed bid auction at HQ on Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond after they were 2 or 3 years old. Smoking hot deals!

 

[68BabyBlue]

Yeah, around here in Virginia in the early 1970s, the MOST FEARED Mopars were the unmarked black 69 to 73 Plymouth Furys of the Va. State Police! (They only had lights behind the grilles, the marked cars always had the red bubble on top, and were easier to spot...)

Same here in PA during that era. In 1972 the State College locals got a fleet of the 440 Cruisers, and got in consistent trouble with them. Every time my dad was at the dealership for service, another one would be sitting outside the body shop. The town fathers changed to Chevy in 1973.

 

[DeltaV]

So all the hype and the wild stories didn't align with the drop of the hammer?

Used car salesmen

Provenance?

 

[Black_Sheep]

I saw the Black Ghost at MCACN, it was a little rough around the edges but not horrible. Any legit and well optioned HEMI ‘Cuda certainly commands a premium, but a million dollars? An identical car without all the hype would’ve sold for hundreds of thousands less…

 

[4406bbl]

Well you have to admit the sale timing was perfection. Dodge built a hemi black ghost tribute car, the last year for the hemi challenger and hyped the whole deal in a way that will never happen again. I know the car has no street cred but boy did the stars align for him and I am happy for the family.

 

[moparedtn]

Ed, you know my story with the Demonstrator. Don't know if it's worth anything to the market. But per your comments, I probably should get a set of steelies, paint them factory red, and throw them in the trunk, wearing a set of correct red line snow tires. Then the car would be correct to both the broadcast sheet, and it's actual use before being sold. Story line - Plymouth dealer, former WWII fighter pilot, specs high option muscle car, drives it daily in Pennsylvania winters. Add anything to the potential sale value? And I say it in jest, because this car has been something I could never put a price on, but my heirs might.

Heh, that's quite the tale you got spinnin' there.
No, you've obviously exaggerated what I said to make a point (of some sort, I dunno...).
People were breaking bad on cars being displayed/auctioned with hubcaps on and my counter was
that if they were spec'ed new with them on there, that was going to bring max dollar because of
the originality of it in that instance (history of auctions being what it is and all - the more original,
the more value).

That doesn't mean I have a problem with people running prettier wheels on these cars in daily life -
obviously I don't, look at Fred - but that they should keep the original stuff at least with the car
if other options are taken (like, on the shelf on the garage or whatever).
Exception to that opinion is - and here come the red X's again - I do not think these cars look right
with "hoopty" rims on them, meaning oversized wheels with rubber band sidewall tires.
It just throws off all the proportions of the cars to me...
A lot of modern cars are designed to integrate big diameter rims, so it looks more proportional.
These cars were not - so it doesn't, least to me.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

Heh, that's quite the tale you got spinnin' there.
No, you've obviously exaggerated what I said to make a point (of some sort, I dunno...).
People were breaking bad on cars being displayed/auctioned with hubcaps on and my counter was
that if they were spec'ed new with them on there, that was going to bring max dollar because of
the originality of it in that instance (history of auctions being what it is and all - the more original,
the more value).

That doesn't mean I have a problem with people running prettier wheels on these cars in daily life -
obviously I don't, look at Fred - but that they should keep the original stuff at least with the car
if other options are taken (like, on the shelf on the garage or whatever).
Exception to that opinion is - and here come the red X's again - I do not think these cars look right
with "hoopty" rims on them, meaning oversized wheels with rubber band sidewall tires.
It just throws off all the proportions of the cars to me...
A lot of modern cars are designed to integrate big diameter rims, so it looks more proportional.
These cars were not - so it doesn't, least to me.

X2 on not liking the big dia wheels and low profile tires. make them look like the "Hot Wheels" toys.

 

[chargervert]

I like Magnum wheels on 66 to 69 Mopars,Magnums or rallye wheels on 70 and up Mopars,or any period correct day two wheels,such as Cragars,torque thrusts,slots,Keystone,spyders etc.

 

[moparedtn]

I like Magnum wheels on 66 to 69 Mopars,Magnums or rallye wheels on 70 and up Mopars,or any period correct day two wheels,such as Cragars,torque thrusts,slots,Keystone,spyders etc.

 

[cosgig]

That's fine, I appreciate your thought. But I lived the era, and 50 years ago nobody left those on the car. Back in the garage, we would routinely replace stock wheels with Cragars, Fentons, Ansens, Keystones, etc.etc. and those would be trashed. People ordered cars with hubcaps to purposely install "mags", yes we would get brand new cars to scrap those for a set of wheels. ( Oh, by the way, look at the thread with pics of cars back in the day... ) Hey, that's a nice car you got, a 6-bbl car ?

Yep, V code. The story according to Jerry….. I was just out of Vietnam, and this was my first car. I wanted a 383 4 speed Roadrunner, and I went and sat in every Roadrunner on the lot thst day, but I couldn’t get my fat *** in those damn bucket seats. Then, all the way back at the back of the lot I saw this car, I sat down in that bench seat and grabbed that big shifter and said “where do I sign”? The salesman said “this car isn’t what you think it is and opened the hood”, when I saw that motor I said “I’ll take it”!

This car sat on the lot for almost 5 months before Jerry bought it, it had 14” whitewall tires, dog dish hubcaps, no striping of any kind, and it was not an ordered car. Nobody knew what it was, it even has the 383 callouts on the hood insert, and no 6bbl stickers on the hood, which were standard when the 6bbl was present. It was a factory sleeper car, and he left it just the way it was. He was a foreman at the Chevy spring plant in Livonia, and it was his daily driver. It’s a pretty unique car, and I love it just the way it is. And yes, those are the original dog dish, still in place after all these years.

 

[moparedtn]

Yep, V code. The story according to Jerry….. I was just out of Vietnam, and this was my first car. I wanted a 383 4 speed Roadrunner, and I went and sat in every Roadrunner on the lot thst day, but I couldn’t get my fat *** in those damn bucket seats. Then, all the way back at the back of the lot I saw this car, I sat down in that bench seat and grabbed that big shifter and said “where do I sign”? The salesman said “this car isn’t what you think it is and opened the hood”, when I saw that motor I said “I’ll take it”!

This car sat on the lot for almost 5 months before Jerry bought it, it had 14” whitewall tires, dog dish hubcaps, no striping of any kind, and it was not an ordered car. Nobody knew what it was, it even has the 383 callouts on the hood insert, and no 6bbl stickers on the hood, which were standard when the 6bbl was present. It was a factory sleeper car, and he left it just the way it was. He was a foreman at the Chevy spring plant in Livonia, and it was his daily driver. It’s a pretty unique car, and I love it just the way it is. And yes, those are the original dog dish, still in place after all these years.

Damn, I do so love the stories behind some of these cars...thanks for sharing!