1970 Challenger R/T Added to Historic Vehicle Register

Discussion in 'First Generation Challenger Forum' started by SRT-Tom, Dec 21, 2020.

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  1. Dec 21, 2020 at 1:43 PM #1
    SRT-Tom

    SRT-Tom Well-Known Member Staff Member Super Moderator Article Writer

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    The Historic Vehicle Association is developing a National Historic Vehicle Register to carefully and accurately document America’s most historically significant automobiles, motorcycles, trucks and commercial vehicles.

    In March 2013, it entered into a collaboration with the U.S. Department of the Interior to explore how vehicles important in American and automotive history could be effectively documented and recognized. This project is the first of its type to create a permanent archive of significant historic automobiles within the Library of Congress.

    The latest addition is the iconic 1970 Challenger R/T (426). Over the coming years, the register may eventually hold data on hundreds or even thousands of vehicles- and it'll be quite the honor for owners of those vehicles to have them officially recognized by a body like the HVA.


    [​IMG]




    National Historic Vehicle Register - Historic Vehicle Association (HVA)
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2020
  2. Dec 21, 2020 at 3:58 PM #2
    Katshot

    Katshot Full Access Member

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    Talk about an odd mix of vehicles. While I would certainly consider some of them "historically significant", many have me scratching my head.
     
  3. Dec 22, 2020 at 10:46 AM #3
    B5blueRT

    B5blueRT Full Access Member

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    Yeah, interesting but weird selections. A Maserati and Mercedes in a US National registry?? Ferris Bueller's Ferrari replica?
     
  4. Dec 22, 2020 at 4:35 PM #4
    Katshot

    Katshot Full Access Member

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    And I hate to say it but why the Challenger?
     
  5. Dec 22, 2020 at 4:52 PM #5
    SRT-Tom

    SRT-Tom Well-Known Member Staff Member Super Moderator Article Writer

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    Well, it is a 426 Hemi Challenger. They just started this register. I am sure there will be lots more Mopars, like the 'Cuda, Road Runner, Super Bird and Charger.

    Here is the nominating criteria:

    Criteria - Historic Vehicle Association (HVA)
     
  6. Dec 22, 2020 at 7:16 PM #6
    Katshot

    Katshot Full Access Member

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    Ok, read the criteria. Still gotta wonder why the Challenger? Yeah, WE like them but it's not like it's special in a way that I'd expect it on that list.
     
  7. Dec 23, 2020 at 7:53 AM #7
    SRT-Tom

    SRT-Tom Well-Known Member Staff Member Super Moderator Article Writer

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    I think that it fell into Criterion D- Informational Value. That criterion states the following:

    "A vehicle of a particular type that was the first or last produced, has an element of rarity as a survivor of its type, or is among the most well-preserved or thoughtfully restored surviving examples."
     
  8. Dec 23, 2020 at 8:19 AM #8
    Katshot

    Katshot Full Access Member

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    Criteria D seems to likely describe vehicles that were the first built of a given model (see the examples), not merely an example of the first year of production.
    In my mind, this just underscores my feeling that this list is rather random and not really representative of a group of historically significant vehicles.
     
  9. Dec 23, 2020 at 12:40 PM #9
    SRT-Tom

    SRT-Tom Well-Known Member Staff Member Super Moderator Article Writer

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    This Challenger was a uniquely optioned survivor car. Here is what it had:

    "Qualls not only ordered his dream car (The Black Ghost) with the R/T and Special Edition (SE) packages and the monstrous 426- a 23 percent upcharge of $778.75 ($5,522 today)—but he made sure to include the Super Track Pak with four-speed manual transmission and floor-mounted Hurst pistol grip, which sent power to a Sure-Grip Dana 60 with 4.10 gears. For style, he equipped the hardtop street bruiser with a “bumble bee” white stripe on the tail, hood pins, houndstooth interior, and the real conversation piece—the Gator Grain black vinyl top. Qualls’ car is one of just 23 Hemi four-speed R/T SE Challengers sold in the model’s debut year, and it is possibly the only car ever built with these performance and trim options."

    Also, see the following video about the street racing "Black Ghost."

    Black Ghost: The mysterious 1970 Challenger that dominated Detroit street racing | Hagerty Media
     
  10. Dec 23, 2020 at 1:38 PM #10
    GoFast

    GoFast Active Member

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    I don't think it's "The Challenger" that is in the hall of fame as much as it is "That Challenger", specifically The Black Ghost is the car that is in the data base no all 70's Challengers. At least that is how I perceived it.
     
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