Iconic Dodge Challenger 'Black Ghost' Has A Story Worth Every Penny

Jan. 08, 2023 3:27 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Auctions / 7 Comments

Someone's going to pay a lot of money for this one-of-one Challenger, but it'll be worth it.

A few days ago, Dodge unveiled another of its Last Call models, all seven of which are a send-off for the Dodge muscle car as we know it. While that definition will change, the "Black Ghost" will stay what it is forever. This piece of Americana is what inspired the Dodge Challenger Black Ghost special edition we saw unveiled a few days ago, and it's for sale.

The 1970 Dodge Challenger will be up for auction over at Mecum's 36th Original Spring Classic, which will run from May 12 through May 20. We're sure the car will command an absurd price when the gavel falls, but none of us can afford it anyway, so who cares? Rather, we think it's fitting to tell the Black Ghost's story for posterity.

The car that would become the Black Ghost was owned by Godfrey Qualls, a Detroit police officer. Qualls had a rather unconventional hobby for a cop, as he quite literally moonlighted as a drag racer by night. He bought Black Ghost on December 5, 1969, from Raynal Brothers Dodge in Detroit. At this time, the Motor City's burgeoning street racing scene, which centered around Woodward Avenue, was booming.

The Challenger's name was earned in part thanks to its unique look- black with a "Gator Grain" roof, which you can see replicated below. Reportedly, this makes it a one-of-one car. The "Ghost" part of the name came about because, after a win, Qualls would simply disappear from Detriot's car scene for an undetermined amount of time. This pattern- a win followed by a disappearance- continued until 1975, when the Black Ghost disappeared again.

It appears the Ghost's owner simply got on with his life, garaging the car and starting a family. But his son, Gregory, learned from family and friends about the now-legendary car. Gregory and his father spent an afternoon cleaning the car in 2014 after a long stay in Qualls' garage. Unfortunately, Godfrey Qualls died on Christmas Eve, 2015 from cancer.

Days before his death, a literal treasure map hand-drawn by Qualls led his son, Gregory, to an envelope hidden in Godfrey's home containing the Black Ghost's title. Before he died, Godfrey Qualls signed the Black Ghost over to Gregory Qualls.

It isn't clear why, after all these years, the Qualls family has parted with the car, as records indicate they are still the owners, but it will certainly bring a hefty asking price when it is sold at Mecum's 36th Original Spring Classic.

Iconic Dodge Challenger 'Black Ghost' Has A Story Worth Every Penny

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Iconic Dodge Challenger 'Black Ghost' Has A Story Worth Every Penny

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