1969 Dodge Charger Daytona in garage has a unique past and an unbelievably unlikely purpose
- This 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona has an interesting past
- The car is in great condition and has its original engine
- It was used in NASCAR, but not as a racer
Published on Mar 31, 2025 at 2:09 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Mar 31, 2025 at 3:59 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This great condition 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona is hiding a very cool – not to mention very unusual – NASCAR past.
Dodge released the Charger Daytona – a modified version of the Dodge Charger – in 1969.
The car was designed and built to take part in NASCAR and racing was the first NASCAR vehicle to hit 200mph (321km/h).
To take part, NASCAR required a production run of at least 500 units – Dodge created 503 including this example which has an interesting past.
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This 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona had an unusual purpose
With Dodge creating only a little over 500, an original Dodge Charger Daytona is a pretty rare car to come across these days – but there are some still out there, including this untitled one-of-one and this one that has held onto its original 426 Hemi engine.
Another example recently featured on Sean Roberts’ YouTube channel, where its owner revealed its unusual past.
Back in the early 1970s, seeing a Dodge Charger Daytona at a NASCAR racetrack would have been fairly common.
However, this Daytona actually served as a pace car at the Perry Raceway in New York. It was bought by the then-owner of the track Don Butler and was given a full pace car livery, complete with a checkered flag on the roof.
These days, the Perry Raceway livery is long gone, but photos – and a scale model – of the car show how it once looked.
The car is in great condition and has its original engine
Interestingly, the car’s history only came to light when its third owner was carrying out a restoration on the classic car and removed some old paintwork on the roof to reveal the livery.
The1969 Dodge Charger Daytona has since been painted in its original bright red – but its stripe has been changed from black to white.
Today, the car looks pretty immaculate and has clearly been very well-looked after and maintained by its owner.
Outside, the Dodge Charger Daytona has since been painted in its original bright red – but its previous owner decided to change its black stripe to white.
Under the hood, you’ll find the Daytona’s original powertrain – this one came with a 7.2-liter engine.
The 7.2-liter engine was more common than the Hemi, with 433 units made – but making this particular model a little rarer is its console automatic gearbox.
While it has kept its original engine, the Daytona has been fitted with a new transmission.
But overall, the car is in excellent shape and is a very cool bit of NASCAR history to hold onto.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
