One of just three examples of the 1968 Dodge Charger Bengal has just come up for sale. It’s fully restored, comes with many of the original features, and will set you back $169,900, which sounds like a lot of money for a 68 Dodge with the 383 Magnum V8.
But actually, this could be somewhat of a bargain. Back in 2020, Mecum had one of these cars for sale, and they estimated it was worth between $280,000 to $320,000. We all know the muscle car market has become even crazier since then, but in the case of rare editions, the condition and history are what dictate the crazy price.
But what is this car and why should you pay more than double the price of a regular Charger? Well, there’s a story behind it.
50 examples of the Charger Bengal Edition were made by Tom Kneer, who learned from a friend about a new AFL franchise team being created in Cincinnati, Ohio. A big football fan, Tom wanted to capitalize on the opportunity and got on the proverbial phone with Chrysler to secure a special order.
The only paint that matched the Cincinnati team’s colors came from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Dodge Fleet trucks, the state highway vehicles. But in order to justify painting Chargers in this shade, Dodge wanted an order of 50 vehicles to be placed. And so, 50 1968 Chargers were painted “Tiger Orange” with black vinyl tops and a bunch of other options, including the R/T stripe at the back.
The story goes that all 50 Charger Bengal Edition cars were sold before the Cincinnati Bengals ever played their first game. I think they made a few more of these in 1972, but for the first batch, it’s believed that only 3 of the original 50 have survived.
Not all Bengals are the same
The B-Body Charger is known for its gigantic V8 engines. However, it’s known that not all Bengal Edition models were fitted with impressive V8s. Most received the 318, and Tom Kneer even ordered some with the 225 basic slant-six. No wonder so many were mistreated and didn’t survive!
However, this example was ordered right from the factory with the 383 cubic-inch Magnum V8. The 4-barrel 6.3-liter would have produced a respectable 330 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque back in the day, probably enough for quarter-mile times of under 15 seconds.
The exterior is decoratively trimmed with Bengal Charger cast badging, chrome lower rocker moldings, flip-top gas cap, front and rear bumper guards and turbine-themed styling cues on the side markers and tail lamps. Nobody can say a 1968 Charger isn’t beautiful, with the hidden headlights, fratzog-branded parking lamps and especially those 14-inch Magnum 500 wheels wrapped in 225/70R14 Hankook Optimos. It’s got original brakes, namely optional power front disc and rear drum brakes.
Obviously, the interior has some details specific to the Bengal Edition too, but this is a really nice 1968 Charger regardless, with vinyl bucket seats in black, an 8-track radio, the Rallye steering wheel and a chrome-ribbed center console for the 4-speed auto. Of course, buying such a rare car is all about authentication and details, so make sure to read RK Motors‘ full listing.
