Everything Dodge Fans Should Know About The 1970 Challenger 'Black Ghost'
The streets of metropolitan Detroit first started getting tormented by a ghost in the spring of 1970. Sometimes, this specter mysteriously appeared on Telegraph Road. Occasionally, it would pop up on Woodward Avenue or Stecker Street. The pattern was never the same.
As it turns out, this wasn't an apparition from the spirit world but a black 1970 Challenger R/T SE built at the nearby Hamtramck Assembly Plant (aka Dodge Main) that quickly became known as The Black Ghost. It would suddenly appear out of nowhere, win an illegal street race or two, then vanish again back into the mist just as quickly as it had appeared — sometimes for weeks or months. Again, there was no discernable pattern regarding the when, where, or why.
The Black Ghost was hard to miss because it was one of only 23 Hemi Challenger R/T Special Editions (SE) ever produced. And of those, only the Ghost had the Gator Grain roof. Not only that, but this black beauty had a white bumblebee racing stripe wrapping the tail, making it perhaps one of the rarest Mopars you might never see in person.
The hauntings continued until 1975, allegedly never losing a race nor ever being caught by the police. What's more, no one had a clue as to who the driver was or whence it came. Then, without warning, it stopped showing up and was never seen in the Motor City again.
Needless to say, a true muscle-powered urban legend was born.
Driven by a street racing motorcycle cop
That story lived on in muscle car enthusiast groups and underground outlaw street racing circles for forty-one years, with nary a single new piece of evidence ever coming to light about the legend. So, as man is wont to do, he filled that void with all kinds of fanciful conspiracy theories and colorful "facts" that added to or took away from the original ballad of the Black Ghost.
Then, in 2016, the car resurfaced after a vanishing act that had lasted four decades, and a man named Gregory Qualls stepped from the shadows to tell a tale that set everyone straight. Gregory Qualls is the son of Detroit motorcycle police officer Godfrey Qualls, who gave the car to him before passing away on Christmas Eve in 2015 at the age of 73.
As the story goes, Godfrey Qualls ordered the R/T SE in 1969 directly from the Hamtramck Assembly Plant (now called Factory ZERO, home of its all-electric vehicle production) through Raynal Brothers Dodge on Chalmers Avenue in Detroit. Not only was it the Special Edition, but it came with the premium trim package and the top-of-the-line driveline, making this one of the highest optioned '70 Challengers R/T SEs in existence.
Mechanical specs on the Black Ghost include a dual 4-barrel 426 Hemi engine and A34 Super Track Pack (A833 Hemi 4-speed and 4.10 Sure Grip Dana 60 differential). However, something was missing when he went to pick it up from the dealer.
The ghost in the machine
Godfrey Qualls — who had served as a paratrooper in the Army's 82nd Airborne Division (and received a Purple Heart) — had ordered it with a Shaker hood, yet it was not on the Challenger. He was so incensed by the mistake that he threatened to sue Raynal Brothers Dodge and Chrysler if they didn't rectify the situation. Qualls eventually got the hood but never installed it on the Ghost, as if it needed that one more thing to win.
Those in the know claim it's the only R/T SE (Special Edition) to have triple-black décor with the aforementioned factory-installed V1G Gator Grain vinyl roof and factory-painted V9W white bumblebee stripe. Since it was an SE, it had special badging, a smaller rear window, and premium outside chrome highlights.
Other features included a C16 floor console with Hurst Pistol Grip, J45 hood pins, a S83 Rim-Blow steering wheel, premium R35 multiplex AM/FM stereo with dual rear speakers, SE-component overhead console, N85 tachometer in the Rallye dash, full tinted glass, premium Houndstooth H5X9 seating, and rear defogger. The grand total came to $5,300.
The tinted glass undoubtedly helped Godfrey remain anonymous all those years, which was imperative since he was, after all, a cop who couldn't afford to be caught (or found out) as, in all likelihood, he would have lost his job. According to the story, Godfrey never raced the Ghost again after '76. At some point, he added a trailer hitch to tow his motorcycles (i.e., Nortons, BMW, Harley).
Only one Black Ghost
The car sat in the garage — up on blocks and under blankets — for several years until Godfrey's son Gregory Qualls decided to get it running again. The engine was never rebuilt and never needed a new clutch. However, he rebuilt the brake booster and carburetors and installed a new radiator, clutch fan, and master cylinder. He (obviously) replaced all the fluids, belts, and hoses and put on a new set of tires.
In 2017, he took the Black Ghost to the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals. The following summer, he took it to the Chrysler Nationals at Carlisle and won the Historic Vehicle Association's National Automotive Heritage Award. In 2020, it was added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.
This historic Mopar was honored as one of the seven Dodge Last Call limited editions (the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Black Ghost) – and the only one inspired by a specific and privately owned Dodge.
In May 2023, it was taken to Mecum's Indy auction held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. It had never been rebuilt. All the equipment was original to its construction with correct-to-OE replacement exhaust and radiator. The brake system blueprinting was thought to be the only real change from the driveline's initial installation.
While a white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum made it to the movies, as Mecum said, "There is only one Black Ghost." It's an urban legend that turned out to be fact and sold for a staggering $1,072,500 (after fees).