by The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona raced by country music legend Marty Robbins hit the auction block at Mecum Auctions’ Orlando 2021 event but failed to find a new owner. Despite a high bid of $475,000, the NASCAR racer didn’t sell while it was on the block (due to a higher reserve) and it’s been given a “bid goes on” status.
This means that interested bidders can try to make a deal with the seller, but the latter is likely looking to get more than NASCAR and country music enthusiasts are willing to pay at this point.
These NASCAR-spec aero cars are getting a lot of attention nowadays, but the really famous ones fail to reach their reserve price. Back in 2019, Richard Petty’s Plymouth Superbird failed to sell despite a high bid of $3.5 million. Compared to that, Marty Robbins’ Daytona seems like a bargain.
Robbins, one of America’s iconic country singers, started racing at the peak of his musical career. He debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 1966 and entered 35 events until 1982. Although he didn’t win any races, he competed alongside NASCAR’s best drivers and piloted a few iconic cars, including this yellow-over-purple Dodge Charger Daytona.
The winged Mopar started life as a Dodge Charger 500 and was first raced by James Hylton in 1967. Robbins bought it in 1970 and commissioned Bobby and Eddie Allison to convert it to Daytona specifications. Marty raced it at the 1970 National 500 in Charlotte.
Forgotten until 2005, the Charger was restored and unveiled in its current form at the 50th Anniversary of the Aero Wars at the Talladega Speedway in 2019. Bobby Allison and Ronny Robbins were among those who validated the restoration. Now in tip-top condition, the car comes with extensive race history, including period photos, magazine articles, and newspaper clippings.
Given that Dale Earnhardt’s 1996 Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR racer fetched $425,000 in 2020, maybe this classic will soon change hands and set a new record. Road-legal Daytonas go for more than $500,000 regularly, so a $1 million sticker wouldn’t be far-fetched for this racer. It just has to be discovered by the right buyer.
Born in Glendale, Arizona, in 1925, Robbins started his music career in 1947. He released his first No. 1 country song, “Singing the Blues,” in 1956, followed by “A White Sport Coat” and “The Story of My Life” in 1958. His greatest hit, “El Paso,” which brought him a Grammy Award, was released in 1959. Robbins died in 1982 following a heart attack. His discography consists of 52 studio albums, 13 compilation albums, and 100 singles.
