1968 was a crucial year for the classic Charger, since that’s when Dodge introduced the second iteration of the muscle car. As part of a complete Chrysler B-Body redesign, the Gen II Charger traded the lavish, moon race-inspired ethos of its predecessor for a sportier attire based on a coke bottle redesign, while gaining an R/T (Road/Track) version for proper hooning, which is precisely the vehicle we have here.
Now, the ’68 Charger R/T came standard with a 440 ci (7.2L) V8, while the NASCAR-inspired 426 ci (7.0L) HEMI V8 was optional. This unit sports the first, which happens to be the configuration used by the infamous Mopar that Steve McQueen’s Ford Mustang GT chased in the said year’s Bullitt movie.
To make things even better, this unit comes with a four-speed manual tranny and there’s one key powertrain detail that sets this Dodge apart—both the 440 Magnum V8 and the four-speed transmission are the factory units, since we’re looking at a numbers-matching vehicle.
To enthusiasts looking to get behind the wheel of such an iconic vehicle on a budget as tight as possible (more on this below), such details might not be the most important. However, collectors obviously seek these highly original machines.
We’ve seen the good, but what about the bad?
This Charger R/T seems to pack quite a bit of rust. And the holes in the rear quarter panels are probably the most worrying aspect, especially since these images don’t allow us to see the underbody of the muscle car.
Then again, we now live in a world where the value (historical and financial) of such cars means people will even rebuild them starting with nothing but a roof, so there’s no need to worry about the future of the Dodge.
In fact, this is currently offered by Soneff’s Master Garage, a Colorado-based classic car specialist. And it appears the company is willing to sell the Charger R/T either in its current form, which would make for a project car, or after it restores the Mopar to its former glory.
The company estimates that, once restored, this 1968 Charger R/T will command a price of $115,000—note that an average for the auction prices of this model over the past year sits somewhere around $138,232, as described by specialist classic.com.
And, regardless of who gives the Charger some serious TLC, we wish to see this returning to the road as soon as possible. Then again, we can also mention the people who drive these old-school bad boys in rough form, with this ’68 Charger that was once a dirt track racer being an example as good as any.
