Images: Creations by Gemza

Check out this heavily optioned 1971 Charger 440 R/T from Creations by Gemza, that occupies a little known niche in Mopar history. This car is one of 2 identical cars that were ordered by Charlotte Motor Speedway owner Richard Howard as pace cars for the 1971 World 600 and National 500 races. The cars would also see promotional duties at other locations advertising events at the raceway.

Although both Chargers were loaded with options, including sunroofs and the ultra rare headlight washer system, both were not equipped with air conditioning. Only 33 cars were built with the sunroof option and only 3 were white. Both cars had the 440 V-8 with a 4-barrel backed up by a 727 TorqueFlite transmission.

At the National 500 that year,  the twin to this car was totaled by a Howard PR rep and subsequently the car you see here was then sold to the raceway owner’s 17 year old nephew Steve Howard. He drove the car as his daily driver until 1978 and then put the car away for some time.

Eventually his attention returned to the Dodge and he sought the services of Creations by Gemza with the intention of just cleaning the car up or perhaps a mild refresh. They convinced him to leave the car as a Survivor as opposed to a restoration.

Steve showed the car Tim Welbournes’s Muscle Car Museum in Alexander, AL this October and has decided to leave the car as a time capsule honoring it’s racing heritage of yesteryear.