Legendary Dodge Challenger "Black Ghost"
Mecum announced that they will sell a 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T SE, known as the “Black Ghost” on the streets of Detroit, at Dana Mecum’s 36th Original Spring Classic, to be held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds May 12-20.
The Challenger was owned and raced by Godfrey Qualls, a Detroit cop during the day and street racer at night. He purchased the car new from Raynal Brothers Dodge and took delivery on December 5, 1969. Qualls proceeded to make a habit of racing anyone who wanted to challenge him and disappearing for weeks at a time after winning, hence the name “Black Ghost.”
The Challenger all but vanished in 1975, leaving Detroit wondering where it could be for decades. It wasn’t until 2014, when Qualls invited his son Gregory to his garage that the “Black Ghost” was revealed again. It brought father and son together as they cleaned it, but that shared passion would be short lived when the elder Qualls’ cancer returned in 2015.
By December 2015 he was hospitalized and had just days to live. He asked his son to retrieve an envelope from home and bring it to the hospital. It held the paperwork that documented his ownership of 46 years. Godfrey Qualls then signed the “Black Ghost” over to his son.
It was such as well known car during its heyday that Dodge was inspired to create the 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost, a limited production run of 300 Redeye Widebody examples of the latest Challenger.
There’s no doubt that more exciting consignments will be revealed as Dana Mecum’s 36th Original Spring Classic approaches, but for now we’ll settle for this remarkable story and all the excitement at Mecum’s Kissimmee event that’s occurring now.