Collectors celebrate the discovery of a one-owner 1969 Dodge Charger Hemi 500, one of only 67 built with the 426 Hemi.
A Pennsylvania discovery has sent shockwaves through the muscle car community: a 1969 Dodge Charger Hemi 500, one of just 67 built with Chrysler’s legendary 426 Hemi V8, has surfaced after more than five decades in storage.
The Charger 500 was born out of Dodge’s push to improve its NASCAR fortunes. Engineers reworked the standard Charger’s body, giving it a flush-mounted grille and a redesigned rear window to reduce drag. To satisfy NASCAR homologation rules, a limited number of production cars were built, with final assembly handled by Creative Industries in Detroit. Estimates suggest between 392 and 580 Charger 500s were produced, but only 67 received the 426 Hemi engine, making them among the rarest Mopars of the era.
This particular car, documented by the enthusiast group Mopars5150, had been in the same ownership since new. Purchased in 1969, it was driven sparingly before being tucked away in 1972. Though its body shows age-related wear, the original 426 Hemi V8 remains intact, and remarkably, the find included its original window sticker and paperwork—critical elements for verifying authenticity.
For collectors, originality is often as valuable as restoration potential, and this Charger delivers both. Its one-owner history and complete documentation set it apart in an era when most homologation cars were raced, modified, or lost.
While the Daytona and Plymouth Superbird often dominate Mopar lore, the Charger Hemi 500 is even rarer and arguably more elusive. With fewer than 70 known to exist, this Pennsylvania barn find ranks among the most significant Mopar discoveries in recent memory.
As word spreads, enthusiasts say this find underscores that forgotten treasures may still lie hidden in garages and barns across America, waiting to be rediscovered.
