It can’t be that I went and added yet ANOTHER Dodge Charger to my fleet, right? Well, of course I have, and you would have too if you had found this beauty at the price I paid! This gorgeous silver version is from Release 27, that same release that gave us the equally beautiful black one with the red tail stripe. When I bought that one-for an astronomical price, mind you-I thought I’d acquired the best looking Charger Auto World ever made, but looking at this one, I’m not so sure.
Funny thing about these Gen 2 chargers: they look great in almost any color, but some are definitely better than others; we’re used to seeing them either in black or in one of the popular “high impact” colors (Plum Crazy and Green Go being two of my favorites). But paint a ’68-’70 Charger silver, and a subtle transformation takes place: a lighter color accentuates the car’s beautiful styling details but this particular hue gives it a sense of elegance, a degree of “seriousness” not usually seen on a muscle car; coated in silver, it seems more like a gentleman’s express than a street brawler. Fitted with a set of RRR “Bullets” – which is to say, American Torque Thrusts – this just may be the new “most beautiful” muscle car in my entire fleet. Sure, that’s a claim that’s impossible to back up because I love them all, but look at how it came out and you be the judge.
Grille and tail light confusion be damned, I’m calling this one a ’68, which is my favorite year, not least because that’s what it actually said on the package. And speaking of the package-I had a hard time even opening this one! I got an incredible deal on this one, too; unlike the black one with the red tail stripe, I happened upon this at a “B.I.N” price that I knew wouldn’t last, and it already had 7 watchers, so I smacked that button with no hesitation! A part of me wanted to leave it sealed and pristine, but I just HAD to see it with custom wheels on it, so although the clamshell is gone I did save the little paper title strip inside for posterity.
At this point I’ve acquired most of the colors that Auto World made this body in. There’s a few still missing-I don’t have the bright blue one made to look like Dennis’ car from “Christine” from the Release 15 “Silver Screen Machines” and I’m also missing the copper and blue ones from Release 13, although they both have those matte black graphics on the hoods that I’m not so fond of. And I still need a white one from that weird “iWheels” series. So yeah, there’s a few more I need to pick up…but I think I’ve already got the best ones!
The badge on the door calls out what is under the hood of this ’68: the legend. What else? In hunting for a name for this beauty, the phrase “Elegy In Steel” came to mind, so I dredged the past as I am wont to do frequently and wondered: who else remembers one of my favorite TV series of the 80’s, Remington Steele? An ep of that show was named “Elegy In Steele” and the villain of that ep was a recurring adversary of Steele and Laura Holt called Major Descoine. And so, “Elegy In Steel” it is – without the “e,” mind you – likely to be shorted by race fans to just “Elegy,” a fitting name for such a beautiful car. Owner Desmond “DAGGER” Descoine, originally hailing from Connecticut, was raised on cars in his father’s auto shop where he learned how to work on anything with an engine, and remembers when Hemi Chryslers were not that uncommon as “daily use” vehicles. Seeking adventure not found in his small New England town, he ran off to join the Army on this 18th birthday, and after a 20 year military career having moved up the ranks, he finally decided to hang up the uniform and moved to sunny California to get back into his first love, and to hunt down the perfect car to take racing.
“Elegy” is no daily driver, however; with her redone but factory correct silver finish with black interior, a black VT, and a 4-speed in a console on the floor behind that legendary “elephant motor,” this is a very special car. Now the crowds at the track get to see if the performance and skill live up to the looks!
I was about to comment about Dennis Charger from Christine. 🙂 I absolutely agree on the color, and the styling of this car is so on point that I actually think they look better in subtle colors. The car itself is such a statement that the paint doesn’t need to be.
Well said!