The 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost: A Legendary Muscle Car Homage

We've reached number six of the seven last call vehicles from Dodge, and this one by far is my favorite. That's because it pays homage to a truly legendary machine from the muscle car heyday. This is the 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost.

First things first, though, the horsepower figure on this one is pretty damn awesome. The car starts as a Challenger SRT Hellcat Red Eye Wide Body and then gets a 10 horsepower bump to bring the total to an insane 807 horsepower. But we need to back up first because there could be a few of you out there who don't know what the Black Ghost name means in the Mopar world.

Back in 1970, a mysterious unknown Challenger packing a 426 Hemi heat would appear on various streets of Detroit. It would make a few passes against the other stoplight racers of the era, whipping their butts and then disappear back into the night. Folks dubbed the car the Black Ghost, and the story of a legend was born. It wasn't until decades later that people started figuring out who owns the car and the full story was told.

I'm going to give you the quick version, quick, but I'm also going to link to a great Hagerty story on the car complete with excellent photographs. The short version is that a man named Godfrey Qualls returned home from his time serving as a paratrooper in the army, where he earned a Purple Heart. He then popped into his local dealership and ordered the 1970 Challenger exactly how he wanted its spec. And then turned it into a street legend.

The original Black Ghost is a 426 Hemi car with a four-speed manual black exterior, AM/FM radio, and gator grain vinyl on the roof. Mopar fanatics believe it's the only car ordered with this specific set of options, and Godfrey Qualls paid $5,272.40 for it. Fast forward to decades later, Qualls loses a battle with cancer but passes the car onto his son. It hadn't been seen in so many years, but his son Gregory put it back on the road brought it to some shows and realized people were freaking out about this car.

They told him stories of his father and shared memories of the car from a long time past. The car becomes a hit again and is now an actual part of the Historic Vehicle Association. To say it's an iconic muscle car is selling it short. Let's fast forward to the modern homage though, as Dodge is doing something pretty cool.

The 2023 Black Ghost is finished in black and given a gator skin vinyl graphic on the roof. There are the Challenger script badges and whitetail graphics to match the original car on the inside. Dodge fits the car with Alcantara and leather seats, and of course, I already told you about all that crazy horsepower. Dodge will offer just 300 Black Ghost Challengers, and you can bet these will be scooped up real quick.

My only suggestion would be that it would have been cool to make a modern homage with the wheels to create a sort of dog dish style wheel. That's my only note here otherwise I'm all in on this thing and I love it. This is easily my favorite of the last call vehicles shown so far, and the final last call model will be unveiled at the 2022 Sema show in Las Vegas. So stay tuned for that for now, hit that link and go see the pigs and read the story of the original Black Ghost. I promise it's worth your time.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwe've reached number six of the seven last call vehicles from dodge and this one by far is my favorite that's because it pays homage to a truly legendary machine from the muscle car heyday this is the 2023 dodge challenger black ghost and story of why this car is awesome has nothing to do with its horsepower figure but everything to do with history first things first though the horsepower figure on this one is pretty damn awesome the car starts as a challenger srt hellcat red eye wide body and then gets a 10 horsepower bump to bring the total to an insane 807 horsepower but we need to back up first because there could be a few of you out there who don't know what the black ghost name means in the mopar world back in 1970 a mysterious unknown challenger packing 426 hemi heat would appear on various streets of detroit it would make a few passes against the other stoplight racers of the era whip their butts and then disappear back into the night folks dubbed the car the black ghost and the story of a legend was born it wasn't until decades later that people started figuring out who owns the car and the full story was told i'm going to give you the quick version quick but i'm also going to link to a great hagerty story on the car complete with excellent photographs it's in the description below the video the short version is that a man named godfrey qualls returned home from his time serving as a paratrooper in the army where he earned a purple heart he then popped into his local dealership ordered the 1970 challenger exactly how he wanted its spec and then turned it into a street legend the original black ghost is a 426 hemi car with a four-speed manual black exterior am fm radio and gator grain vinyl on the roof mopar fanatics believe it's the only car ordered with this specific set of options and godfrey qualls paid five thousand two hundred and seventy two dollars and forty cents for it fast forward to decades later qualls loses a battle with cancer but passes the car onto his son it hadn't been seen in so many years but his son gregory put it back in the road brought it to some shows and realized people were freaking out about this car they told him stories of his father and shared memories of the car from a long time past the car becomes a hit again and is now an actual part of the historic vehicle association to say it's an iconic muscle car is selling it short let's fast forward to the modern homage though as dodge is doing something pretty cool the 2023 black ghost is finished in black and given a gator skin vinyl graphic on the roof there are the challenger script badges and whitetail graphics to match the original car on the inside dodge fits the car with alcantara and leather seats and of course i already told you about all that crazy horsepower dodge will offer just 300 black ghost challengers and you can bet these will be scooped up real quick my only suggestion would be that it would have been cool to make a modern homage with the wheels to create a sort of dog dish style wheel that's my only note here otherwise i'm all in on this thing and i love it this is easily my favorite of the last call vehicles shown so far and the final last call model will be unveiled at the 2022 sema show in las vegas so stay tuned for that for now hit that link and go see the pigs and read the story of the original black ghost i promise it's worth your time youwe've reached number six of the seven last call vehicles from dodge and this one by far is my favorite that's because it pays homage to a truly legendary machine from the muscle car heyday this is the 2023 dodge challenger black ghost and story of why this car is awesome has nothing to do with its horsepower figure but everything to do with history first things first though the horsepower figure on this one is pretty damn awesome the car starts as a challenger srt hellcat red eye wide body and then gets a 10 horsepower bump to bring the total to an insane 807 horsepower but we need to back up first because there could be a few of you out there who don't know what the black ghost name means in the mopar world back in 1970 a mysterious unknown challenger packing 426 hemi heat would appear on various streets of detroit it would make a few passes against the other stoplight racers of the era whip their butts and then disappear back into the night folks dubbed the car the black ghost and the story of a legend was born it wasn't until decades later that people started figuring out who owns the car and the full story was told i'm going to give you the quick version quick but i'm also going to link to a great hagerty story on the car complete with excellent photographs it's in the description below the video the short version is that a man named godfrey qualls returned home from his time serving as a paratrooper in the army where he earned a purple heart he then popped into his local dealership ordered the 1970 challenger exactly how he wanted its spec and then turned it into a street legend the original black ghost is a 426 hemi car with a four-speed manual black exterior am fm radio and gator grain vinyl on the roof mopar fanatics believe it's the only car ordered with this specific set of options and godfrey qualls paid five thousand two hundred and seventy two dollars and forty cents for it fast forward to decades later qualls loses a battle with cancer but passes the car onto his son it hadn't been seen in so many years but his son gregory put it back in the road brought it to some shows and realized people were freaking out about this car they told him stories of his father and shared memories of the car from a long time past the car becomes a hit again and is now an actual part of the historic vehicle association to say it's an iconic muscle car is selling it short let's fast forward to the modern homage though as dodge is doing something pretty cool the 2023 black ghost is finished in black and given a gator skin vinyl graphic on the roof there are the challenger script badges and whitetail graphics to match the original car on the inside dodge fits the car with alcantara and leather seats and of course i already told you about all that crazy horsepower dodge will offer just 300 black ghost challengers and you can bet these will be scooped up real quick my only suggestion would be that it would have been cool to make a modern homage with the wheels to create a sort of dog dish style wheel that's my only note here otherwise i'm all in on this thing and i love it this is easily my favorite of the last call vehicles shown so far and the final last call model will be unveiled at the 2022 sema show in las vegas so stay tuned for that for now hit that link and go see the pigs and read the story of the original black ghost i promise it's worth your time you\n"