1969 NASCAR Dodge Charger Daytona That Bobby Allison Drove To 200 MPH Coming Up For Auction
It was built for speed.
The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona remains one of the most iconic American race cars in history.
Its game-changing nosecone and sky high wing were designed with the help of a NASA engineer to increase their speed and stability on NASCAR’s superspeedways.
It debuted in and won the inaugural September 1969 race at Talladega Superspeedway, which was called Alabama International Speedway back then, but it had to be tested before that.
NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bobby Allison, who died in 2024 at age 86, was one of the drivers that helped develop the car and was behind the wheel for a test session on the 2.66-mile oval on August 24, 1969.
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The car was powered by the legendary 426 Hemi V8 and Allison ran four laps at more than 200 mph, becoming the first to break the 200 mph barrier. At least, unofficially. The speed wasn’t certified and didn’t count as a record.
Buddy Baker would return to the track on March 24 1970 in a similar car and clock an official lap of 200.447 mph, which is recognized as the first 200 mph lap on a closed circuit track in any type of car.
Allison didn’t get to race the Charger Daytona at Talladega in 1969, however, as he was one of several top drivers who boycotted it over safety concerns caused by tire failures during testing. Firestone pulled out of the race altogether, but Goodyear supplied a new tire at the last minute that performed without any issues. Part-time driver Richard Brickhouse won the race in a Charger Daytona as Dodge swept the top four positions with full-time driver Bobby Isaac in fourth. Isaac would go on to win the 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship for Dodge ahead of Allison in second place.
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Allison’s car would go on to disappear into storage for many years before it was discovered in “barn find” condition and fully restored with Allison’s #22 racing livery. It doesn’t have its original engine, but has been equipped with a correct 426 Hemi built by Dick Landy and a fresh set of vintage-style Goodyears. Allison himself certified the car as authentic and autographed the dashboard.
After recently spending a couple of years in the Lemay Car Museum in Washington, the car is now set to cross the block at the Mecum Auctions event in Monterey on August 16. Mecum hasn’t put an estimated selling price on it, but Baker’s blue 200 mph car was sold at one of its events in 2022 for $550,000.
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That said, production Charger Daytonas have been increasing in value over the past couple of years. One particularly rare example that was sold in 2022 for $1.32 million changed hands again at Mecum’s Monterey event last year for a model-record $3.3 million.