Remember the black 426 Max Wedge-powered '63 Dodge Polara 500 we featured in Mopar Muscle Magazine back in September of last year? Turns out at least one other'63 Dodge droptop with the 426-II Ramcharger exists (& we also featured it, too!)
It's found a new home, thanks to last weekend's Mecum auction in Dallas.
Come on in for more...and word about other Mopars that crossed the block at this Texas-sized event...
Back in August of 2001, we featured a low-mileage '63 Polara 500 convertible with a factory Stage II 426 Max Wedge. Barn-found in 1987
by Chris Campbell (bassist for Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band), it was later treated to a frame-off...and it's now found a new home,thanks to Mecum Auctions' Dallas collector-car auction, selling for a high bid of $92,000 (plus commissions).
(It's one of four known survivors of the 13 Dodge droptops that got the 426-II that year. We featured another one in the "Black Max" feature story in Mopar Muscle last September,)
That ultra-rare B-Body was one of 808 cars and trucks of all brands that Mecum's sold at Dallas, out of 1,200 that crossed the block. Total sales, as of this writing, are just under $32 million, and are expected to top that mark once the "Bid Goes On" post-auction sales are completed. Per Mecum's, the car count and sales are about double those from last year's event.
Other notable an interesting Mopars that went up for bids at Mecum's Dallas auction included:
-A '66 Imperial LeBaron four-door with just under 19,000 original miles on it. that was gifted by Chrysler to Pope Paul VI when he visited the U.S.A. back then....sold for $32,000
-A restored'70 Dodge Challenger R/T hardtop (original 440 Six Pack/4-speed) with just 42,000 original miles on it, formerly owned by pro wrestler Bill Goldberg...sold for $80,000.
-A '76 Plymouth Feather Duster, newly built into a '70 Duster Nostalgia Pro Stock car with a 426 Hemi, 4-speed & a Dana 60...well-bought (in our opinion) at a selling price of $19,000.
-A big cool cruiser...a '68 Plymouth Fury III hardtop, with a 4-barrel 383, 727 Torqueflite & factory Airtemp AC...selling price: $8,750.
-And a 440+6/727 '70 Superbird, which sold for $135,000.
(All selling prices are plus commissions.)
One notable not-sold-on-the-block Mopar was a '68 Hemi 'Cuda (a real B029 car, likely the last one built, per its numbers). With a history that includes the Mopar Hemi Challenge, the bidding stopped on it at $140,000.
Mecum's next collector-car event is coming up next month...October 25-27 at St. Charles, Illinois. Get more info about it when you visit www.mecum.com.
(Courtesy Mecum Auctions)