Legendary Black Ghost Dodge Challenger Headed to Auction

Back in December, we brought you the story of the Godfrey Qualls’ 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE, which was the inspiration for the limited-edition 2023 Dodge Challenger Last Call “Black Ghost” package. That car is currently owned by Godfrey’s son, Gregory, who provided all of the information on his father and his car for our original piece, but that is set to change when the legendary HEMI^® engine-powered muscle car rolls across the Mecum auction block.

Earlier this month, Mecum Magazine announced that the 1970 Dodge Challenger known as the Black Ghost had been consigned to their company. It will roll across the auction block at Dana Mecum’s 36th Original Spring Classic at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, which is being held May 12-20, 2023. With this car being so popular lately, this came as huge news in the online Dodge community, so we reached out to Gregory Qualls for more information. He confirmed that the car would go across the auction block in May, so we asked him a few questions about the upcoming sale of his family’s legendary Dodge Challenger R/T SE.

First off, we asked him why he had decided to send his 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE to auction and how his family felt about the decision.

“The reason for selling is the chance to help my family, to give them opportunities they may not have otherwise,” said Qualls. “My family supports me in whatever decision I want to make. They just want to make sure that I’m ok with that decision.”

There is certainly an incredible opportunity at hand for the Qualls family, as an all-original 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE with the 426 HEMI engine and the other options would bring big money at a collectors auction like Mecum. However, a car with a story behind it like the Black Ghost, coming up for auction at the same time that the Dodge Brand is introducing the limited-edition 2023 Challenger with the Black Ghost package, is guaranteed to draw a ton of bidder attention. In the past year, pristine examples of a 1970 Challenger with the 426 HEMI engine have sold for more than a half-million dollars. This car is all-original, including all of the little marks that have accumulated on the body over the past 50+ years, but considering the story behind it, the original Black Ghost Challenger could bring massive money in the event of a bidding war.

Next, we asked him if he had any preference in the type of buyer who wins the auction – whether he would prefer to see it go into a private collection or continue to be displayed. For those who don’t know, Gregory Qualls often takes the Challenger to events around Metro Detroit.

“Whoever buys it, I would hope they will continue to share it with the world,” said Qualls.

While this is a great opportunity for the Qualls family, this is also an incredible situation for Mopar_® collectors or muscle car collectors would want to own a unique piece of automotive history. The car was displayed at the Mecum Kissimmee auction alongside one of the 2023 Black Ghost models, and they make a great pair. For someone who buys one of the 300 Last Call Challengers with the Black Ghost package, it would be pretty impressive for it to live next to the original. With the money being paid for those 2023 models, there could be some buyers who have the financial resources to make a real run at this car at auction. We are excited to see who lays down the big bucks for this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE in May.