Mopar E-Body Pilot Cars Roar to Mecum Kissimmee

In just a few short days, Mecum’s massive Kissimmee sale will kick off in Florida, bringing with it over 4,000 collector cars of all shapes and sizes.

As part of this sale, Mecum has announced it will be offering two 1970 Mopar E-body convertible pilot cars as one lot.

The first car is a Plymouth ’Cuda convertible (s/n 4) and the second is a Dodge Challenger R/T convertible (s/n 21). Both were built from new with V-code 440-ci Six Pack V8s, and both feature 4-speed manual transmissions.

Both cars were built on August 1, 1969, making them the earliest known examples of V-code 440-powered E-body convertibles to date. The Challenger is thought to be the first V-code convertible built, and the ’Cuda may have been the first Plymouth E-body convertible built.

The Challenger was used as a Pilot Car by the automotive press when it was new. It’s finished in FE5 Bright Red with a white stripe, has a white top and is an A33 Track Pack car. Options include power steering, power front disc brakes and a power top. It was restored by Julius Steuer in Chatsworth, California.

The ’Cuda features Alpine White paint and is a stripe-delete car with a Shaker hood. It’s a highly optioned example, with a black power top, road lamps, driver’s remote mirror, leather interior, power windows and more. This car also has a number of pre-production items, including a unique Dutchman panel behind the rear window and ahead of the trunk lid, as well as several fender tag codes that never saw production. The car was restored by Rocket Restorations in Olympia, Washington.

Both cars will be presented together as one lot in Kissimmee — lot F234 — with a pre-sale estimate of $750k to $900k.

The Kissimmee auction kicks off on January 2 and runs through January 14.

Learn more here.

Images: Mecum Auctions