A HISTORIC motor that competed in 48 NASCAR races has been bought at auction for an eye watering $260,000.
The “superbird” muscle car built in 1969 is one of only 503 examples and was owned by Don Tarr, a doctor and NASCAR racing driver.
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Don drove at 48 NASCAR Grand National Events between 1967 and 1971.
The rare 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona was gifted to him after a record-setting qualifying run in a 1967 Dodge Charger at the nascent Alabama International Motor Speedway in September 1969.
It boasts an impressive 440ci V8 engine linked with a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission and a limited slip differential with 3.55:1 gearing.
The bright yellow motor generates a staggering 375 horsepower with its big block V8.
All that power is put to good use too with the model being the first stock car to smash 200mph.
Don kept hold of his prized example until 2016 when it was sold to the current owner who is now auctioning it.
The old motor got a bit of a refresh after it was purchased with some basic restorative work carried out in 2024.
Work on the old classic included replacing the radiator, fan shroud, cooling hoses, belts, battery, spark plugs, and spark-plug wires.
It currently has a cool 77,000 miles on the odometer indicating it was actually driven rather than left to rot in a garage.
The Charger was once put on display in the mid-1990s at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega.
After receiving 19 bids the piece of NASCAR history was sold off for $260,000 on June 25.
The Charger Daytona was sold with photos of articles about Don’s racing career, early 1970s registration documents, recent service records, and a Tennessee title in the seller’s name.
It features a massive 23.5 inch-tall rear wing protruding above the trunk of the old school muscle car.
A placard on the top of the dashboard authenticates the motors pedigree, indicating that the car was presented to Dr. Don Tarr by Biscayne Dodge of North Miami Beach, Florida.
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Don had the status of being the first ever driver to broadcast from inside a car during a race.
He was heard on ABC’s Wide World of Sports in 1970 at Daytona.
Don began his racing career driving Fords and Chevys but in 1969 he started driving a Dodge.
He boasted a career best sixth place at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.
His Charger Daytona is a homologation special for stock car racing.
The model is a road-legal car built in limited production by a manufacturer to meet the requirements of a racing series.
Homolgation specials are highly prized by collectors and enthusiasts for their rarity and pedigree, often being high performance models.
Five steps for restoring a car
Restoring a car can be a massive undertaking. Here’s a simpler way to think about the process as a whole:
- Plan
- This includes setting a budget, preparing a work area, researching parts, and establishing a timeline to get the work done.
- Strip the vehicle
- This involves disassembling the vehicle and assessing the condition of the parts being removed.
- Bodywork
- This means stripping the paint and repairing any rust and dents, followed by repainting.
- Engine restoration
- This involves restoring a car’s power – including engine repairs.
- Rebuild
- After reassembling and detailing the car, all that’s left is to take it for a test drive.
Source: WeatherTech
