KEY POINTS:
The first limited-edition Dodge Challenger to roll off the production line has been sold at auction in the United States for US$400,000 ($521,000) - and every cent of the purchase price goes to a children's charity, notMYkid, which deals with behavioural problems.
The Challenger SRT8 was the first
of 6400 examples that will be built in 2008 by Dodge parent Chrysler.
It was bought by Craig Jackson, chairman of the Barrett-Jackson auction company, a renowned US sales house which each January for the past 37 years has staged a glitzy collectors' car fair at its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.
"Dodge is ecstatic that the sale of the first production 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 to roll of the assembly line raised US$400,000 for such a worthy cause," said Mike Accavitti, director of SRT global marketing for Dodge.
"The introduction of an all-new, modern Dodge Challenger has generated a lot of excitement and the enthusiasm for the new car was evident on the auction block."
The Dodge Challenger is a retro muscle car that will be officially unveiled at the Chicago motor show next week. It returns to production after a nearly 35-year hiatus.
The car went on sale in the US last December 3 for US$37,995. The car-maker received 4300 orders across the US in the first 24 hours, leaving around 2000 orders to be filled by the end of 2008.
It is powered by a 6.1-litre Hemi V8 producing 320kW (420bhp) and mated to a five-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual.
The design of the car's race-inspired interior and exterior stays true to Challenger heritage, says Accavitti, drawing on the legendary 1970s muscle car of the same name.
It gets a Hemi orange paint job, carbon fibre-like hood stripes and a chrome fuel cap.
Introduced in concept form at the 2006 Detroit motor show, Challenger is based on a modified version of Chrysler's rear-wheel-drive platform, a design that is also used for the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger sedan and Magnum wagon.
Dodge says the Challenger is the lightest of all the 6.1-litre Hemi-equipped cars in the stable. As such, it should sprint from zero to 100km/h in under five seconds.
Reaction to the new Challenger has been passionate. "We haven't seen this kind of spontaneous response to a car since we unveiled the Dodge Viper concept in 1989," said Chrysler chairman Tom LaSorda.
"But it's easy to see what people like about the Dodge Challenger. It's bold, powerful and capable.
"It's a modern take on one of the most iconic muscle cars and sets a new standard for pure pony car performance."
The Dodge Challenger features the long hood, short deck, wide stance and two-door coupe body style that distinguished the iconic Challengers of the 1970s.
It is another chapter in the Chrysler's long history of bringing concepts quickly to production, including the Dodge Viper, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Jeep Compass and Plymouth Prowler.
The Dodge Challenger made its debut in the US in 1969 as a 1970 model. While it shared the E-body platform with the Plymouth Barracuda, Dodge Challenger's wheelbase was 5cm longer, creating more interior space.
It was originally offered as either a two-door hardtop or convertible.
Although it was produced only from 1970 to 1974, the Dodge Challenger earned a reputation as one of the most desirable of the original pony cars, with meticulously restored and rare examples today selling for six-figure prices.
In 1971, a Dodge Challenger paced the Indianapolis 500 race.
Over a five-year span, about 188,600 Dodge Challengers were sold.
