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Would You Want To Own A 1971 Dodge Challenger Pace Car Edition, Knowing Why It’s So Famous?


Would You Want To Own A 1971 Dodge Challenger Pace Car Edition, Knowing Why It’s So Famous?

Eldon Palmer had no intention of driving his way into infamy during the 1971 Indianapolis 500 race. Palmer was one of four Indy-area Dodge dealers who provided Hemi Orange drop-top Challengers after the manufacturers themselves had bailed on sending a car, and Palmer was the lucky one to be behind the wheel of the car, with astronaut John Glenn, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman and Chris Schenkel, a correspondent for ABC riding along, and had done all of the homework necessary for safe operation ahead of time. After the accident, he swore up and down that the special cone that he had used to mark where he needed to start braking from 125 miles an hour had disappeared and that he realized the issue only too late. After blowing by the actual point, Palmer drilled the brakes, locked them up and slid the Dodge into a makeshift stand full of photographers. Nobody was killed, but around thirty were injured and from that moment on, a trained drive would always have the wheel in a pace car.

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If that doesn’t bother you, though, you can now own a replica of that same car. Claimed to be one of the fifty Pace Cars for 1971, this 318-powered Challenger has all of the look and charm, though it will have to work a bit harder to hit 125 mph than the 383 car did. There is no “Pace Car Package” code on the original dealer tag, so you’ll either have to do your due diligence or be fine with owning what may or may not be a real-deal car. Either way, it’s a clean, restored drop-top E-body that we’d cruise no matter what. What do you think?

eBay Link: 1971 Dodge Challenger convertible

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