The 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona exists for one reason, and one reason only: to win races. Dodge’s Charger Daytona program was never about styling exercises or showroom traffic - it was about domination on the high banks, and this NASCAR-built example stands as a direct artifact of that superspeedway mission. Today, any street-going Daytona is coveted, but this car occupies rarified air altogether - a singular, one-of-one survivor that directly recalls Chrysler’s all-out assault on NASCAR’s aerodynamic frontier.
Video: 1969 Dodge Daytona NASCAR - Slicing Through Air & Grabbing Big $,$$$,$$$ at Mecum Monterey 2025
This Charger Daytona has earned its place in serious company, capturing a First Place Award at the 2005 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and later appearing on public display at the LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, from 2021 through 2022. Finished in the correct red and gold Coca-Cola No. 22 livery campaigned by Bobby Allison, the car accurately reflects both the look and the engineering mindset of NASCAR’s most innovative era.
Above and below: #22 Bobby Allison's 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona NASCAR air-splitter, tarmac terror (photos and highlights/video/specifications courtesy of Mecum Auctions):
- Previously piloted by NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bobby Allison
- On August 24, 1969, Allison ran the no. 22 car for four laps in excess of 200 MPH
- Copy of lap time sheet included
- Restored in correct Red and Gold Coca-Cola no. 22 livery after being discovered in a barn by Pat McKinney
- Bobby Allison personally inspected this car verified its authenticity in a handwritten letter dated November 10, 1999
- Dash autographed by Allison in two locations
- Engine compartment autographed by George Wallace, Chrysler's designer of the winged cars
- First Place Award at the 2005 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
- Displayed at the Lemay Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington from 2021-2022
- 426/650 HP Hemi engine built and dyno tested by Dick Landy
- New Hemi block and heads from Chrysler
- Correct 706 NASCAR rods
- Dry sump oil assembly
- Vintage 'Bath Tub' racing intake
- Cowl plenum air induction
- 4-speed manual transmission
On August 24, 1969, during pre-competition testing at Talladega - before the Daytona models had officially debuted - Bobby Allison piloted his No. 22 Charger Daytona for four unofficial laps exceeding 200 miles per hour, a watershed moment in stock-car racing history. A copy of the original lap time sheet accompanies the car. Allison himself later examined this Daytona and confirmed its authenticity in a handwritten letter dated November 10, 1999, and his personal connection is further cemented by his autograph appearing in two locations on the dashboard. Adding to the car’s provenance, the forward cowl inside the engine compartment bears the signature of George Wallace, one of Chrysler’s key aerodynamic engineers responsible for the Daytona’s groundbreaking design.
Beneath the pinned hood lives a properly constructed 426 Hemi producing 650 horsepower, built and dyno-tested by legendary Mopar tuner Dick Landy. The engine features Mopar’s competition-spec Hemi block and heads, correct 706 NASCAR connecting rods, a dry-sump oiling system, and the period-correct single four-barrel “bathtub” racing intake topped with a Le Mans-style Holley carburetor. Unmuffled side-exit exhaust completes the package, while the authorized cowl plenum air induction box remains in place - just as NASCAR intended.
As with all serious Chrysler NASCAR efforts of the era, power is routed through a four-speed manual transmission fitted with a scattershield bellhousing, feeding a heavy-duty 9-inch Ford rear differential. The chassis is pure superspeedway hardware, equipped with NASCAR competition suspension featuring dual shocks at all four corners, steel red-and-gold racing wheels, and period-style Goodyear competition tires.
Inside, the Daytona is all business. A single braced seat, tape-wrapped steering wheel, Hurst floor shifter, Prestolite ignition components, custom gauge cluster, and full roll cage reinforce the car’s uncompromising racing purpose. Discovered years later in a barn by Pat McKinney, the car was subsequently rebuilt and is stated to be the very chassis once driven by the NASCAR Hall of Fame legend himself.
Now restored to reflect the height of NASCAR’s aerodynamic wars - and inseparably linked to Bobby Allison’s historic No. 22 - this 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona stands as a rolling testament to an era when innovation was bold, speed was absolute, and victory demanded everything. For the right caretaker, this is not merely ownership - it is stewardship of one of stock car racing’s most significant machines.
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