A Petty Charger goes for almost a 1/2 million!

[odcics2]

But which one was it?  Petty had many Chargers from 1973 to 1977.  (speedway, short track, road course, for each year, and show/display cars)

Hope it was documented by the chassis number.

The article makes it sound like he had one car over the entire time, winning 31 times!  

http://www.espn.com/jayski/cup/2018/story/_/id/23490032/richard-petty-auction-held-las-vegas

[tan top]

 

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

Heard that one is a 318 car. Big money for that.

[odcics2]

Heard that one is a 318 car. Big money for that.

Should be a W2 355 engine...

[Aero426]

No doubt there were several different Chargers built and raced by the team from 1971 to the end of 1977.   There seemed to be little effort placed into which car it really is.     Was it really a 500 winner?

The history on these surviving race cars often seems to be "improved" with time.     The surviving Petty '67 car is represented as the 27 win car, but historians have pointed out that it did not win the majority of the 27 races that year.    The 1966 car (no longer exists) was held over for 1967 and as a favored chassis, did most of the winning.    The Petty Talladega is not real, but has been represented as driven by RP.    

By the way, I have no beef with the sale result of the #43 Charger.    Depending on your perspective, it did very well.  Considering you are buying arguably the most recognized American race car from the hand of the King, it might even be "cheap" for what it is.    Go find another.    

[Montclaire]

Supposedly the car had 31 wins including Petty's 5th Daytona win.  But is it the same car?  Petty ran a Charger body from 1972 until 1977, swapping over to the Magnum the following year in 1978.  It could be the same chassis was reskinned for 73, or it could be that he ran a dozen cars in that body style - I can't say for sure. 

[comet_666]

Didn't he run a GTX somewhere in the early 70's as well?

[68X426]

there were several different Chargers built and raced by the team from 1971 to the end of 1977.  

Just an fyi: the record shows Petty running a '71 Plymouth in '71 and a '72 Plymouth in '72. 

It shows him with a '74 Dodge in both '74 and '75.  ('73 he had a '73 Dodge)

By 1976 it simply states Dodge as his car.  No driver or team were listed with a car date from 1975 on, just the brand.  Info is from Racing Reference.

[68X426]

Didn't he run a GTX somewhere in the early 70's as well?

The record just says he used a '70 Plymouth in 1970.  No model is listed. 

I believe every race was with the Superbird, can't find anything that says any other Plymouth was used.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a32525/richard-petty-lost-superbird/

[6bblgt]

his short track car(s) for '70 wasn't a Superbird - '70 Darlington wasn't a 'bird.

[Aero426]

his short track car(s) for '70 wasn't a Superbird - '70 Darlington wasn't a 'bird.

To further complicate things,  both of those 1970 Road Runners are now Superbirds today.    The short track car on the top (shown during 1971) replaced the crashed one (May 1970) on the bottom.    Both were converted to wing cars years later for display.

[Aero426]

there were several different Chargers built and raced by the team from 1971 to the end of 1977.  

Just an fyi: the record shows Petty running a '71 Plymouth in '71 and a '72 Plymouth in '72.  

It shows him with a '74 Dodge in both '74 and '75.  ('73 he had a '73 Dodge)

By 1976 it simply states Dodge as his car.  No driver or team were listed with a car date from 1975 on, just the brand.  Info is from Racing Reference.

Richard ran at least one 1970 Road Runner and 1971 Satellite in 1971.      Buddy Baker drove the Petty Enterprises Charger in 1971 and part of 1972.       With the blessing of Chrysler, Richard switched to the Charger for the long tracks in mid-1972 and ran the Plymouth on short tracks.   For 1973-1977, it was Charger on all tracks.    Again, there were several different cars along the way.   Functionally, a 1971 Charger could become a 1972 Charger or a 1973 Charger with minimal effort.    Chassis could reused and updated as necessary.    There probably was a new car or two built each year as old cars were cycled out  and sold.
 

[odcics2]

So many Chargers.
Where did they all go?  

Note the "A" pillar bar in the car in 1977.

[Aero426]

So, considering 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, it would be pretty reasonable to say the low number of Chargers built or reconfigured from Satellites could be about 10 on the low side.   Some cars were sold off (Lee Boy wouldn't leave money just sitting around) or made into Winston show cars (also $$$ income). 

[odcics2]

Just noticed the 1977 year Charger has the same stripping job as the one that just sold...   

[odcics2]

So, considering 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, it would be pretty reasonable to say the low number of Chargers built or reconfigured from Satellites could be about 10 on the low side.   Some cars were sold off (Lee Boy wouldn't leave money just sitting around) or made into Winston show cars (also $$$ income).  

Some cars went to the West coast Nascar guys.

A guy named Bobby Fisher from Ohio had at least one, running Arca and winning.
Good looking speedway car!  

[Aero426]

A guy named Bobby Fisher from Ohio had at least one, running Arca and winning.
Good looking speedway car!  

Woody Fisher.    Bill Rossi found a fender off that car a couple of years ago.   

[odcics2]

A guy named Bobby Fisher from Ohio had at least one, running Arca and winning.
Good looking speedway car!  

Woody Fisher.    Bill Rossi found a fender off that car a couple of years ago.   

I though so, but the pic does look more like Bobby!   He have a brother?   

Wonder where that chassis ended up??