The Famous “Black Ghost” 1970 Dodge Challenger Sold For $1,069,234 Above Original MSRP

The Black Ghost 1970 Dodge HEMI Challenger is known for being the legendary street racing beast that conquered the Detroit racing scene. On top of being a rare all-black 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE with an alligator skin vinyl roof, white tail stripe, and a mighty 426 HEMI drivetrain, this muscle car was cloaked in mystery because part of its legend was that it would randomly show up at popular racing spots throughout the city, win the race, and then disappear like it was never there. Everyone that stepped up to the plate would be smoked, and what added to the mystery of the Black Ghost is that nobody knew the identity of the individual behind the wheel. Basically, it’s like The Fast and The Furious mixed with Batman.

Who Was The Man Behind The Black Ghost?

It was later revealed that the man behind the Black Ghost was former Army vet and Detroit Police Officer Godfrey Qualls. Because if Qualls were to ever be caught street racing, we would surely be fired from the police department. So in order to avoid any unwanted attention, he would slip into a race, win, and then slip out before any authorities arrived. It was because of this that no one in the Detroit racing scene knew who he was because the Black Ghost would appear, and then disappear on its own time.

After Godfrey Qualls passed away in 2015, the Black Ghost was passed down to his son Gregory Qualls. In 2016, Gregory brought the Dodge Challenger out of his parent’s garage by getting it back into running order by changing out the radiator, gas tank, clutch fan, spark plugs, and plug wire, as well as all its fluids. He also rebuilt the original brake booster, master cylinder, distributor, carburetors, and the entire braking system to get the car back to 100% functionality. Lastly, he added a stock exhaust and stock ignition coil to make the car stay era-correct. In 2020, it was added into the National Historic Vehicle Registry, which may be the biggest honor any car can earn.

How Much Did The Black Ghost Sell For?

It was announced in the Spring of 2023 that Gregory Qualls would be bringing the Black Ghost to the Mecum Auction block, passing on the legend to a new owner. When the final bid was cast, the Challenger sold for a hefty $975,000. Add in the auction’s 10% premium, and the grand total for the Black Ghost arrives at $1,072,500. That is an impressive number for a badass car with an incredible story, build sheet, it’s in amazing condition, and only has 46,105 miles on the odometer.

The Black Ghost’s buyer, Ryan Snyder of Florida, sees himself more as the car’s newest caretaker than its owner. He still considers Godfrey Qualls as the car’s true owner. He will just be assuming the duties of carrying on its legacy.