1970 Dodge Challenger Selected Barrett-Jackson Best in Show

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai

A 2,000 horsepower 1970 Dodge Challenger was selected Best in Show from a group of 50 vehicles at the Barrett-Jackson auction this past weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona, and awarded the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Cup. The Challenger was among five finalists, including a ’32 Ford Tudor, ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air, ’63 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon, and a ’70 Ford F-100 Pickup.

“Congratulations to every builder who was a part of this year’s Barrett-Jackson Cup,” said Barrett-Jackson Chairman and CEO Craig Jackson. “Each vehicle in this year’s elite competition raised the bar for custom automotive design and engineering. The ability for these craftsmen to shape their vision into reality and connect with so many enthusiasts is truly unprecedented. That popularity was evident by the record number of fans around the world who cast votes daily for their top choice.”

A special website, BarrettJacksonCup.com, was created to allow fans to vote on their favorite cars at the show, and more than 25,000 votes were cast throughout the week. The 1970 Dodge Challenger, known as ‘Havoc’, was owned by Robert Zahabi from Queensland, Australia, and built by Rides by Kam, also based in Queensland, was the recipient of the trophy and a $10,000 cash prize. Reportedly, the new owner is actor Dylan Sprouse, who rose to fame as Zack Martin on the Disney Channel series, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”, alongside his twin brother, Cole Sprouse.

An F-3R ProCharger supercharged, 9.4-liter, 572 cubic-inch Hemi big block engine, produces 2,000 HP through a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission. The Challenger sits on a Roadster Shop chassis with staggered 20×8-inch wheels in front and 20×15-inch in back, and independent rear suspension. Inside, there’s a hand-built custom interior. PPG Slanted Brown paint protects the all-steel, custom-fabricated body. and there is a machined grille, headlights, and taillights to finish off this ’70s muscle car.

“This year’s Barrett-Jackson cup competition was a testament to the level of talent of today’s custom coach builders,” said Barrett-Jackson president, Steve Davis. “Over the past few years since we began hosting the competition, we’ve seen a tremendous surge of talent and vision take life in these builds. I am honored to be a part of giving these entrants the recognition they deserve. Congratulations to our winner, finalists and all of our entrants.”

Founded in 1971 in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson is a collector car and automotive lifestyle events company.

[Images: Barrett-Jackson]

Jason R. Sakurai
Jason R. Sakurai

With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.

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  • FAHRVERGNUGEN FAHRVERGNUGEN on Mar 30, 2021

    well, at least that 'reimagined' caddy didn't win anything other than a starring role in mashup of the Rodger Rarebit vs. Dikc Tracey (sic for non-legal issues). No telling what viewer tastes are; just get slammed and shimmy away...

  • Nrd515 Nrd515 on Apr 01, 2021

    The others pictured are at least, OK, but man do I hate that Challenger. from the wheels to the color, and that front end mutation, it's just bad. I need to look out the window to see what a Challenger should look like..

  • Dukeisduke Womp womp.
  • FreedMike China's whining about unfair trade practices? Okay.
  • Kwik_Shift Hyunkia'sis doing what they do best...subverting expectations of quality.
  • MaintenanceCosts People who don't use the parking brake when they walk away from the car deserve to have the car roll into a river.
  • 3-On-The-Tree I’m sure they are good vehicles but you can’t base that on who is buying them. Land Rovers, Bentley’ are bought by Robin Leaches’s “The Rich and Famous” but they have terrible reliability.
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