We all have our favorite cars, but in the muscle car era, the second-generation Dodge Charger is arguably the most handsome of all. Don’t try to deny it, because we’ve sold hundreds of cars and I can say with confidence that nothing else built in the late 1960s and early 1970s has the presence of this incredible 1968 Dodge Charger R/T. It’s testosterone on wheels, a car that makes every male member of society trip over himself to get a closer look, and I don’t care what you park next to it, the crowd is going to form around this car 10 times out of 10. This is not sales hype, it’s a simple observation coming from having this extraordinary car in our showroom, which was already full of pretty impressive hardware.

Fortunately, this Charger only gets better the more you look. I’ll hit the highights for you here and you can read the details below, but you can’t help but be impressed. First, it’s a real-deal R/T 440. Second, it’s got just 38,792 original miles (not a misprint). Third, there’s a thumping 500-horsepower 440 under the hood, but the original, numbers-matching engine accompanies the car. Fourth, the interior is 100% original and 100% spectacular. Fifth, it’s nicely documented with a Chrysler Corporation Broadcast Sheet, window sticker, receipts dating back to 1971, and the original manuals. With any car, particularly a Chrysler muscle car, this stuff matters and this Charger has the right answers to all your critical questions.

Have a glance at the fender tag and you’ll note that it’s the original one, not a repro or a re-stamp, and it includes all the important facts:

CAR: Dodge Charger R/T 2-door sports hardtop
ENGINE: 440 cubic inch 4-barrel HP V8
TRANSMISSION: 3-speed automatic
TIRES: F70x14 res side wall, steel belted
BUILD DATE: March 18, 1968
AXLE: 3.23 rear axle ratio, Sure Grip
INTERIOR: Vinyl bucket seats, black Interior
PAINT: Monotone Racing Green Metallic paint
OTHER: Black racing stripe.

MOLDINGS:
25: Drip rail moldings
30: Body belt moldings
78: Wheel lip moldings

ABC OPTIONS:
P6: Rear seat speaker
R2: Music Master AM radio
T7: Tachometer
X1: Tinted glass (all)

abc OPTIONS:
a6: Console
b4: Bucket seats
u1: Sold car when built (somebody ordered it)

No surprises there, and it’s obvious that someone chose their options carefully to build this very potent street cruiser. Judging from the mileage and the overall condition, it’s obvious that this was never intended as a daily driver and was always treated as something very special. There’s a receipt dating to the early 1970s where the owner had a new cam, headers, and exhaust system installed, and that strongly suggests that it was always a toy, not a transportation appliance. The most recent owner has been caring for it for more than 15 years and in that time it has covered about 10,000 miles, again showing that it has always been cherished. It has been repainted at some point in the correct Charger Racing Green, a dark green with a hint of gold metallic underneath that’s understated and elegant, the perfect choice for the Charger’s sharp-edged look.

Underneath that paint is unmarked original sheetmetal that’s in spectacular condition. Sight down the flanks and you won’t see even a parking lot ding and given the car’s history, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see that the quarters, fenders, doors, and rockers are original to the car and in excellent condition. Panel gaps are remarkably good for a Hamtramck-built Mopar and the doors close with a solid precision that’s all but forgotten but a delightful surprise when you approach the car. The fender tag, build sheet, and window sticker all say that this car originally had a black bumblebee stripe, but it now wears a white one, which seems much more appropriate. The finish is probably two-stage urethane because it has great depth and shine, although there are a few very minor signs of use which are probably inevitable. It was clearly wet-sanded and buffed because there’s almost zero orange peel in the finish and in the sun it has a very impressive shine. Our photo studio makes it look darker than it is, but rest assured it is the right factory look. In addition, the chrome and stainless trim is excellent the badges are all razor sharp and crisp, and the headlights work as they should. Even the flip-up gas cap shows zero pitting, and they were notorious for weathering when exposed to the elements.

As I said, the black bucket seat interior is 100% original and in remarkable condition. It certainly supports the low mileage figures, and the unique “split” upholstery used in these cars still looks stylish today. There are no split seams, no thin spots on the vinyl, and no notable fading anywhere inside, and details like the headliner and carpets are in very good condition. The dash pad and lower areas are still supple and the center console is bright and shiny. The woodgrained steering wheel hasn’t been rubbed smooth by thousands of miles of use and the gauges are bright and fully functional save for the Tick-Tock-Tach, which is typical. The original AM/FM radio with rear speaker is still in the center of the dash and it works like it should, too. In back, the seat looks completely unused and even the seat belts are in great shape with no dryness or brittleness that would compromise safety. The trunk is spotless, outfitted with a reproduction mat, a full jack assembly, and what may very well be the original F70-14 redline spare that’s never been used.

There’s plenty of good stuff going on under the hood, don’t worry. The original 440 cubic inch V8 was no slouch in the performance department, but due to skyrocketing values, it was wisely removed and set aside because this is a car that you’re going to want to drive. In its place there’s a built 440 cubic inch mill built by Dave Koffel, whose reputation in Mopar performance circles is iron-clad and very impressive (look him up, it’s worth it). It features goodies like a set of aluminum Indy cylinder heads, an Edelbrock “Tarantula” intake manifold, and a 780 CFM Holley 4-barrel carburetor, as well as a big ¾-race camshaft inside. Dyno sheets show about 490 horsepower and a towering 532 pounds of torque from this very streetable combination, and you’d better believe it makes this Charger a threat. It’s been recently tuned by Frank Seme, who has been servicing this car for many years, so it starts and runs superbly. Even better, they detailed it to look very stock, even going so far as to paint the entire engine, aluminum heads included, in factory turquoise engine enamel and to top it with a proper wrinkle-finish air cleaner. Surrounding parts are OEM, including the hoses and clamps, the wiring, the cap on the Accel dual-point distributor, and all the other little stuff that makes the illusion so convincing. Sure, a sharp eye will spot the heads and intake, but for most folks, this is a very authentic-looking engine bay.

Backing the engine is a rebuilt and upgraded 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic with a shift kit and a 3500 RPM stall torque converter, all the better to launch the rev-happy big block. A stout driveshaft connects it to a rebuilt 8.75-inch rear end which has been stuffed full of 4.10 gears on a Sure Grip limited slip with Sommers Brothers axles, making this Charger feel very punchy around town. Hooker long-tube headers and a matching exhaust system with proper chrome tips give it a spectacular sound that’s just this side of the race track and the floors surrounding everything are beautifully preserved and completely rust-free. It’s worth noting that the original 440 cubic inch V8 and even the original exhaust system are included with the car, and that engine is complete from carburetor to oil pan, so if you really want to give up 150 horsepower and all that lovely torque, well, that’s an option available to you.

The suspension is mostly stock, with recently rebuilt brakes and fairly new shocks all around, and we recently reinstalled the factory leaf springs to give it the right ride height. It includes four brand-new 15-inch Magnum 500 wheels and staggered BFGoodrich T/A radials, which were installed in May 2015 and have less than 5 miles on them, as well as a set of old-school American Racing Torque Thrust wheels and some oversized Mickey Thompson street slicks for the rear.

This is an extremely impressive car, and while I know there will be some guys who will try to nit-pick it, there aren’t many nits to pick. It’s beautiful to look at, fully sorted, and a blast to drive, and with a bulletproof pedigree and numbers-matching parts on the side, it’s also a very smart investment. You could pay twice as much for a Hemi Charger, but I wonder if it would be this fast and you’d always be worried about putting an expensive hole in that Hemi block. With this Charger, you can have your cake and eat it too, guilt-free. Now that’s what I call smart!